“Burning Up SEALs” - Misuing special-warfare assets.

National Review Online ^ | August 31, 2006 | W. Thomas Smith Jr.

[roughman]

You are correct! As a thirty year member of Army SF, I worked with and trained the SEALS. In Afghanistan they were crying to get out of the wire and do something, anything. Well the few times I saw them get out they were a soup-sandwich, the commanders know this and are reluctant to task them, BUT, military politics comes into play and the high ranking Navy brass gets them tasked. They are trained for Oceanic environments and surprise raids along coastlines, not navigating Afghan mountains, as was witnessed when a SEAL team was whacked last year doing a recon above Assadabad. Then the rescue party was shot down in a CH-47. If the SEALS are being misused it is probably of their own volition. WAH-WAH-WAH

[Fenris6]

Well the few times I saw them get out they were a soup-sandwich

Yep. My experience was with a SEAL Team on MEU-SOC that hadn't mastered the finer arts of basic land nav...I was stunned.

Regardless, check out the Blackfive link I posted above. They make the point better, without all the false elitism.

[Chode]

[Fenris6]

I worked with and trained the SEALS...not [trained for] navigating Afghan mountains

Do they even go to Mountain Warfighting or Cold Weather Survival schools?

[em2vn]

That's because U.S.Navy Seals are better at what they do.

[Prost1]

A former friend's step brother was a navy seal.

Not very tall but built like a rock.

I asked him what he did best. Swim! That's why he joined.
And, he got to swim in the Med and the Gulf.

Always left over munitions to be neutralized.

After 12+ years in the Navy a bum knee got him discharged.
He couldn't keep up.

[Fenris6]

Sure, thats why I had to teach them to read a map....

[Ninian Dryhope]

This is BS. There is no better training then actually fighting in a war. SEAL's can get in training too. What are they supposed to do, have them sit around in a padded room to make sure they don't get hurt?

[KoRn]

A SEAL has no business dying on the traditional battlefield.

I don't know if this is an official site, but here's the founder of SEAL Team 6.

Richard Marcinko

http://www.dickmarcinko.com/

This guy is about as good as it gets.

[FloridaLivin]

You sound a little biased to me. Go figure, "Army SF".

[rightofthefairway]

I've never met Marcinko aka "Demo Dick". One of my Instructors spent some time with him and had mix feelings. Some feel he's kind of the king of self promotion, but again I have never met him. He did spend some time in Fed prison.

[KoRn]

"Some feel he's kind of the king of self promotion"

I know a former UDT guy who has a very similar opinion of him. My opinions of him are based on what I've read in his books.

[Fenris6]

Anyone else getting hatemail from "rightofthefairway" over this? He's so frothed that he thought I was different people - I got two. Not compaining, they're kinda pathetic trolls, just wondering if he spammed every poster in the thread.

[KoRn]

Don't have any hate mail as of yet, not sure why I should get any. Of course this thread is still young lol.

[misterrob]

Biggest self promoter out there..

[em2vn]

Sure you did!

[185JHP]

Whwn I was in Navy Basic Training a guy from UDT came into the classroom and talked to us about how much fun it was to be in UDT. Then he looked at us and said "But I can tell by looking at you, none of you are strong enough." The idea was, the right guy/s would say "We'll see about that." None of us did.

[ozzymandus]

So SEALS lives are more valuable than "ordinary" soldiers? I don't think I like that.

[ozzymandus]

Soldier of Fortune magazine referred to him as "Pogue Warrior". Don't know how accurate that is, but it was a cute remark.