I don’t think he was a Navy SEAL. Just because he was an IO, does not mean he was a SEAL?
Per the linked Wiki and the referenced Newsweek article:
“He won’t say where he went in Iraq or precisely what he did there, except that he worked with Navy SEALs.”
"Looks like you blew a seal."
"Leave my personal life out of it and just fix the d@mn car."
Cheers!
I knew a commo guy who deployed with SEALs quite a few times, but he himself wasn’t one.
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/mark_lippert_leaves_nsc_for_seals/
Another opinion........from OSTB