Many Americans awoke on the 2nd of May, 2011 to the startling news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by American Special Forces. As the day went on more information surfaced, especially about the valiant men who led the assault on the compound in Pakistan where Bin Laden had been living in relative comfort. These men, whose identities may always be shrouded in secrecy, were part of an elite group of U.S. Navy Seals (Sea Air Land) known as Team 6. This United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) commonly known as “DEVGRU” is credited for taking out the world’s most wanted man.
Becoming a Member of DEVGRU
Little is known about DEVGRU. Nearly all of their missions are highly classified and their activities are not commented on by the Department of Defense or the president. However, it is known that this highly skilled team is made up primarily of Navy Seals, making them the elite of the elite. Most of these men, many of which are veteran Seals in their thirties, are handpicked and put through some of the most rigorous and intense training known to man. The applicants are already expected to be in peak physical condition, so DEVGRU’s training focuses much more on the soldier’s mental prowess. Every candidate must perform at the highest level or they will not be accepted. It is rumored that generally, out of every twenty SEALS that try out for DEVGRU only a couple are accepted.
The Foundation of DEVGRU and many of its Missions
DEVGRU was founded in 1980 after the failed attempt at rescuing American hostages from the embassy in Tehran. It became clear that United States needed a full time counter-terrorism team and charged Richard Marcinko with this task. Marcinko, who was a SEAL himself, immediately began picking from the ranks of his comrades and put together what would be known as Seal Team Six.
The men of Team Six began focusing primarily on working in maritime hot spots and were expertly trained at assaulting and clearing: ships, oil rigs, military bases, and virtually any area that was accessibly by water. However, when the United States military began operating in the Middle East, DEVGRU adapted to work in the desert environment.
These “Silent Professionals” as they have come to be known , take their orders directly from the president and many time times work side by side with the legendary Delta Force and the formidable British SAS. Nearly every activity that this team participates in is classified, but it has been unearthed that DEVGRU was involved in the assault on Grenada (1983), the brief military strike in Panama (1989), the conflict in Somalia(1992-1993), working alongside NATO in Bosnia (1992-1995), and, of course, the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, specifically the recent raid that eliminated Osama Bin Laden. Additionally, in 2001 DEVGRU was credited with retrieving and protecting Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide following the coup that deposed him and eliminating three pirates bobbing on a lifeboat during the rescue of an American hostage in 2009. Consequently, it has been confirmed that many of the American personnel that died in the recent helicopter crash in Afghanistan were members of DEVGRU.
These professional killers and silent heroes will never have their face on the front page of a newspaper, walk in a parade, or receive accolades of any kind. They protect the United States without ever receiving praise for the sacrifices that they make. These men are the stuff of legend and succeeded in ridding the world of the man who orchestrated one of the greatest catastrophes of our time.
Sources:
- Marcinko, Richard, and John Weisman. Rogue Warrior. New York: Pocket Books, 1992.
- Bumiller, Elisabeth "In Bin Laden's Compound, Seals' All Star Team" New York Times, May 4, 2011
