There are many misconceptions about the role that Navy SEALs actually play as part of the Navy and military as a whole. This is due in part to the portrayal of Navy SEALs in film, fiction literature, and television. Many American Spies in movies and books will either be active Navy SEALs or retired Navy SEALs. But the truth of matter is that Navy SEALs are not International Spies.
First and foremost, you should consider what SEAL stands for: Sea, Air, Land. Navy SEALs are trained to work and operate in these three specific environments. SEALs are true blooded military men who generally operate as a TEAM. Spies generally operate alone and never as a TEAM. The image of a Navy SEAL as James Bond is an inaccurate image.
U.S. Navy SEALs are given missions which they carry out as a group, whereas spies will generally infiltrate an area and will place themselves in amongst the people while pretending to be someone else. Navy SEALs are more apt to sneak in during the night under a shroud of secrecy and get the job done. Additionally, the majority of Navy SEAL missions are rescue missions and are not to gather Intel.
The only Navy SEALs who claim to be spies are individuals posing as Navy SEALs. No true Navy SEAL would ever state that they are a spy. Additionally, they would be more apt to tell you nothing about their status then to tell you anything at all. In that same regard, a true spy would never tell anyone that they are a spy.
October 5th, 2009 - 1:18 pm
Sirs,
I commend you on the informative blogs regarding the Teams; the more Hollywood that can be peeled away, the more the public will understand and respect the work that Navy SEALs really undertake. I must offer one corrective note, however. In your blog entitled Navy SEALs Are Not International Spies, you offer the following quote:
“Additionally, the majority of Navy SEAL missions are rescue missions and are not to gather Intel.”
In fact during my time in Naval Special Warfare it was clearly stated that our primary mission was INTELLIGENCE GATHERING. Our secondary mission was to take direct action based upon the earlier derived intel. That has not changed drastically, and intelligence collection is still the primary task of the SEALs. What gets the headlines are the assignments that call for a SEAL element to act upon that intelligence and engage in direct action against enemy forces. The most successful SEAL operations are those in which no shots are fired and no one has any idea that the SEALs have paid a visit. Those same SEALs, or their Teammates may be sent back a second time to take advantage of their previous knowledge of the terrain and enemy forces, but not always. Sometimes the intel they gather is used by members of other branches of the military, such as attack aircraft, or tomahawk cruise missiles being assigned to take down a target which the SEALs have identified and verified as present.
Anytime you need additional information regarding the Teams you can contact the Naval Special Warfare Command, Public Affairs Office in Coronado.
Thanks again for your fine work in informing the public.
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”