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WITH THE COLD WAR LOOMING, PRESIDENT J.F. KENNEDY IDENTIFIED THE NAVY FOR MORE UNCONVENTIONAL
WARFARE CAPABILITIES IN THE U.S. MILITARY.
ON JANUARY 1ST, 1962, THE NAVY ANSWERED BY CREATING THE SEAL TEAMS. THESE COMMANDOS WERE
TRAINED TO OPERATE IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS: SEA, AIR AND LAND, FROM WHICH THEY GET THEIR NAME.
THEY FIRST COMMISSIONED SEAL TEAM ONE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AND SEAL TEAM TWO IN LITTLE
CREEK, VIRGINIA.
THESE COMMANDS WERE TASKED TO CONDUCT SMALL UNIT, HIGH IMPACT, CLANDESTINE GUERRILLA WARFARE
IN THE MARITIME AND RIVERINE ENVIRONMENTS. AREAS WHERE LARGER FORCES FIND IT IF NOT
IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE.
THE SEAL TEAMS WERE FORMED USING THE LEGENDARY FROGMEN FROM THE ALREADY EXISTING U.D.T.,
OR UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAMS.
VIETNAM WAR WAS THE PROVING GROUND FOR THESE NAVAL COMMANDOS. THEIR UNORTHODOX TACTICS
AND FEARSOME COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS LED THE VIETCONG TO CALL THEM THE DEVILS WITH GREEN
FACES.
HERE THE SEAL GAINED THE ALMOST MYTHICAL REPUTATION THAT THEY HAVE TO THIS DAY.
FROM THEIR CREATION UP TO NOW, NAVY SEALS HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD IN VIRTUALLY EVERY U.S.
MILITARY ACTION.
SEALS ALSO OPERATE REMOTE OR URBAN AREAS WITH THE CLIMATE EXTREMES OF SWELTERING DESERTS,
HUMID JUNGLES, OR THE FRIGID ARCTIC.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY EIGHT SEAL TEAMS AND ONE SEAL DELIVERY VEHICLE TEAM. ALL OF THE ELEMENTS
OF NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE ARE FIGHTING THE WAR ON TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND HOT
SPOTS THROUGH OUT THE WORLD.
FROM WASHINGTON, IM PETTY OFFICER JAMES STILIPEC.