Team 6 is an elite group of Navy SEALs also commonly known as the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group. They are also known as ST6 (SEAL Team 6). Most people in the military (specifically the Navy) have heard of Team 6, but very few are aware of what Team 6 actually is.
The SEAL Team 6 is a tier-one Counter Terrorism and Special Missions Unit formed by the United States Navy. Their classification is Top Secret and their missions are generally not made known to the general public. Only those with high clearance levels know exactly what this group of Navy SEALs actually do.
A good majority of Navy SEALs strive to be accepted into Team 6. Many of them see it as the next step in their combat and service to their country. However, you can’t simply apply to be a member of Team 6. Instead you have to be recruited. This recruitment usually comes after one or more years of service in which Navy SEALs are evaluated.
This elite group was formed in 1987 by Richard Marcinko. Marcinko later released a autobiography that revealed many of the secrets of Team 6. That is when the Navy officially changed the name of this group to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. However, the majority of people associated with the Navy SEALs still refer to this group as Team 6.
August 23rd, 2009 - 12:47 am
As a proud retired Navy veteran, (avaition) let me just say thanks to you snake eaters – don’t know ehat you do but it must be good.
May you hae fair winds and a following sea and may your jib alwaws be full
October 22nd, 2009 - 6:12 am
The date/time information you provided regarding the formation of ST-6 is incorrect.
SEAL Team SIX was signed into existence (on paper) by the Chief of Naval Operations in August 1980, and the ‘Plank Owners’ held their Commissioning Party in November 1980. As noted in your web posting, CDR Richard Marcinko was the original Commanding Officer of the unit. Under his leadership the Team was certified as “combat ready” six months later.
However, members of ST-6 did not hear a shot fired in anger until their participation in Operation Urgent Fury on the Caribbean island of Grenada in October 1983. By that point in time CDR Marcinko’s ‘tour’ as C.O. was up, and he had been relieved by another Navy SEAL officer as the Commanding Officer of SEAL Team SIX.
CDR Marcinko’s book, ROGUE WARRIOR, tells a great deal about his training philosophy, and discusses some of the ST-6 training activities, but ST-6 was never involved in any combat actions during CDR Marcinko’s tenure as C.O., and his book does not include any such information. While CDR Marcinko set the initial direction and mindset of ST-6, most of the refinements to their tactics (especially those termed as “lessons learned” from combat actions) came into being over time, and did not spring fully-realized during the first two years of its existence.
CDR Marcinko is to be credited with his foresight in suggesting the unit’s creation, and for his leadership as its first C.O. The unit, however, has gone through a continuous process of growth and refinement since those first two years of its existence, and the stepwise progression of the unit is a credit to both the sequence of Commanding Officers who led the unit, and the SEALs who were asked to serve in it.
Respectfully,
Steve Robinson RM2(SEAL)
USN 1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE
Defense Analyst – Soviet Threat specialization 1981-1993
UDT-SEAL Association – Member
POW Network Board of Directors
Naval Special Warfare Archives – SOF Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled American Veterans – Life Member
FORMER Special Investigator – SEAL Authentication Team
CyberSEALs.org – Webmaster
Author – “NO GUTS, NO GLORY – Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters”