Navy SEALs
In the spring of 1943, a group of volunteers was selected from the Naval Construction Battalions . These units were tasked with reconnoitering and clearing beach obstacles for marines going ashore during amphibious landings. Today, the Navy SEALs can trace there beginnings to these underwater ?frogmen.? SEAL us actually an acronym for sea, land, and air, because members of the elite team are experts in all three of the fields. It was during the 1960?s that the Navy utilized personnel from Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) to form separate units called SEAL teams. Although SEALs did not become famous until the Vietnam War, two teams were commissioned in 1962 by President Kennedy: SEAL Team One in the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy, and SEAL Team Two in the Atlantic Fleet (Simmons 1). In 1983 the UDTs were decommissioned and recommissioned as SEALs. In the Korean War, SEALs began to broaden their horizon of skills from just clearing beach obstacles to destroying railroad bridges and tunnels behind enemy lines. This was some of the first guerilla warfare SEALs were involved in. In 1966, SEALs arrived in Vietnam, but it wasn?t until 1968 that they reached a peak strength of about one hundred men (Gendzel 941). T
The SEALs operate three different ways, and they also have three different types of vehicles. The Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) is one of the specially designed vehicles to rescue downed pilots or target a site for bombing. The DPV has three weapon stations for the crew and a passenger gun that can take the MK-19 full-auto grenade launcher or the M-60. The DPV can reach speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour. In addition to the guns, it also has two AT-4 anti-armor missiles and it can carry Stinger surface to air missiles. The DPV looks like an overgrown dune buggy that is also heavily armed. The HumVee, or Hummer, can be fitted with the M2-.50 caliber heavy machine gun, the MK-19 grenade launcher, or TOW missiles. The main purpose of the HumVee is to carry SEALs and their gear from bunkers to bases. Although the Hummer is extremely rugged, the thought of using one as an offensive weapon would be suicidal (Phil 11). In a war such as Vietnam, one thing the SEALs would do was booby trap things, like ammunition. One of the most popular booby traps would involve finding the enemy?s ammunition. Next they would pull the bullet out, dump the powder, and refill the empty cartridge with Composition B explosive. Then the ammunition would be placed back where it was found, looking like not a thing had happened to it. Of course, when the enemy soldier fired this bullet, the gun would explode (Watson 223). In the air, SEALs will often use helicopters, or one of a couple aircraft. An MH-6 Pave Hawk has a mid air refueling probe, radar altimeter, night vision, and it can also carry SEALs and their Zodiacs long distances armed with .50 mini-guns and hellfire missiles. The MC-130 can skim waters at 300 plus knots, raise the altitude and drop the airspeed to 150 knots, drop the SEALs off along with their boats, and be skimming the water again in a matter of minutes (Phil 8). In the last week of phase 1, students will be pushed like they have never been pushed before. The purpose of hell week is to weed out the week from the strong, because instructors are looking for the best of the best. The SEALs will paddle rubber boats for hours, run a daunting obstacle course over and over, perform grueling calisthenics using 300 pound logs all while instructors scream insults at them. During the five days of the week, the students will be allowed a maximum of four hours of sleep. It is not unusual if a student hallucinates in the middle of the ocean due to a lack of sleep. Students are working out literally around the clock, being kept wet, sandy, cold, and exhausted every minute of each day (Woodcock 1). Physicians are always standing by because hypothermia, torn ligaments, and broken bones are some of the more common injuries. After the week is over, an overwhelming 70% of the class has either dropped out of the program or is failing the program. During peacetime, SEALs fight terrorism, have missions in foreign internal defense, train friendly forces, and have intelligence operations. Some famous missions SEALs have been involved in are Panama, Grenada, and Nicaragua. In Nicaragua they helped to capture Manuel Noreaga. One mission that stood out was Somalia in 1991, because the SEALs were on the defensive instead of their trademark ?element of surprise? offensive. In Mogadishu, Somalia, the U.S. Embassy was outgunned and outnumbered when terrorists yielding Ak-47s took to the streets and wide spread looting broke out. Since this was all happening during the Persian Gulf War, a Navy SEAL team on the U.S.S. Guam was nearby in the North Arabian Sea. This was just the force needed for a complex evacuation. When the SEALs landed in the compound, they were confronted by rebels who had scaled the wall. Fortunately, the rebels were immediately shot and the SEALs were temporarily out of danger. The team took to precarious positions on rooftops and throughout the yard. All they could do was wait for another rebel to scal
Some common words found in the essay are:
Total SEAL, Arabian Sea, Underwater Demolition/SEALs, Vietnam SEALs, Altitude Low, SEALs Zodiacs, Vietnam Phase, HumVee Hummer, War SEALs, SEALs Vietnam, phase 1, seal team, navy seals, vietnam seals, six month probationary, month probationary, grenade launcher, seals involved, guerilla warfare, probationary period, gun mk-19, foreign internal defense, sea land air, navy seal team, phase 1 students,
Approximate Word count = 2711
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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