Organization
All SEAL Teams are Commanded by a Navy Commander (O-5). Until 2002 a SEAL team consisted of eight operational SEAL platoons and a headquarters element. Nowadays a SEAL team has six platoons. The SEAL platoon is the largest operational element that will normally be employed to conduct a tactical mission. Multi-platoon operations should not be planned or conducted without extensive preparations and rehearsals. A SEAL platoon is normally commanded by a Navy Lieutenant (O-3). A platoon consists of 16 SEAL's and may divide into two squads or four elements. All SEAL platoon personnel are dive, parachute, and demolitions qualified.
Until 2002 deployed platoons and other Naval Special Warfare forces would operate under the operational control of a forward-deployed SEAL Team commander while senior SEAL team leadership would remain at the home base. From 2002 on the SEAL team leadership deploys overseas with the team.
SEAL teams are allocated to a specific region. Basically there are two kind of teams, West Coast and East Coast Teams.
The eight teams allow a more stable continuous deployment cycle. One team from each coast will be deployed overseas for six months. This team will be successively relieved by other teams as they complete their 18-month interdeployment training cycles.
In each cycle, the SEAL's will train as individuals for six months and for another six months as SEAL teams. Six months before deployment, the teams will be joined by Special Boat detachments, SEAL delivery vehicles, mobile communications teams, tactical crypto logic support personnel, and explosive ordnance disposal personnel. These teams will be designated as Naval Special Warfare squadrons and train together before deploying as a unit. Earlier detachments would not join the teams until deployment.
The command structure has also been extensively changed. Under former SEAL team operations, individual platoons would deploy while the team command element remained at the home base. From 2002 on the SEAL team leadership will join the team in their overseas deployment.
The deployed teams are supported by specially created Logistic Support Units. These units are assigned to the Naval Special Warfare groups on each coast. They will consolidate the administrative and support functions formerly carried out by each team. This allows the team to focus on training and operations.
January 1962
- West Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 1
- East Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 2
Vietnam Era
- West Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 1
- SEAL Team 3
- SEAL Team 5
- East Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 2
- SEAL Team 4
- SEAL Team 8
May 1981
- West Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 1
- SEAL Team 3
- SEAL Team 5
- East Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 2
- SEAL Team 4
- SEAL Team 8
- SEAL Team 6
1995
- West Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 1
- SEAL Team 3
- SEAL Team 5
- East Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 2
- SEAL Team 4
- SEAL Team 8
- Naval Special Warfare Development Group, (DEVGRU)
April 2002
- West Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 1
- SEAL Team 3
- SEAL Team 5
- SEAL Team 7
- East Coast Teams
- SEAL Team 2
- SEAL Team 4
- SEAL Team 8
- SEAL Team 10
- Naval Special Warfare Development Group, (DEVGRU)