SEAL SURF SWIM!!!
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Members of the unit and squadron seized oil terminals in the Northern Persian Gulf, and Task Group-Central coordinated the assault around the Al Faw pipeline. Their actions prevented ecological disaster by securing several oil-related targets that had been rigged with explosives.
“Going into an uncharted territory, all the men knew the significance of the event and how catastrophic it could have been,” said Senior Chief Operations Specialist (SEAL) Richard Ledford, an operations chief during the Al Faw mission.
While SEALs completed their missions on land with tactical precision, Special Boat teams traveled through the Khawr Abd Allah estuary, infiltrating the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr. Despite constant sniper attacks, the boat teams held their position until the risk of danger from floating mines and land-based forces was eliminated
“It was a tremendous opportunity to be in that situation,” said Lt. Cmdr. Van Wennen, the assault force commander tasked with securing Mina Al Bakr (one of the two major offshore terminals). “Many men within the Naval Special Warfare community could have done what I did. I was just lucky enough to be there at the time.”