The Story On Navy Seal Team 6

In light of the recent operation in Pakistan by Navy Seal Team 6, I thought it was appropriate to provide a little more information about the Navy Seals in general, and this team in particular.

To the general overview, the following video of the Navy Seal Creed says it all about those who make up this elite fighting force:



The Washington Post had a piece on the origins of Team 6, and how it cam into being:

[snip]The elite team of Navy SEALs tapped for the job were a group who were stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.

The team is part of a counterterrorism group so specialized that no one can apply to join it. The operatives are recruited from existing SEAL teams. They are an elite group within the elite.

The team was formed in response to the 1980 American hostages rescue attempt in Iran, which had been a huge failure and showed the need for a counterterrorist team that could operate under the utmost secrecy.

They exist outside military protocol and engage in operations that are at the highest level of classification and often outside the boundaries of international law.

Initially, the group was known as Team 6, a name that was created to confuse Soviet intelligence about the number of SEAL teams in operation at the time. (There were only two others.)

The name was changed in 1987 to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, but the group is still commonly known as Team 6.

Team 6 has hunted down major al-Qaeda and Taliban figures since 2001, and also operated in Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

[snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

The Post article also had a link to the Facebook page for the Navy Seals. People are going there to offer thanks to them for their work, and congratulations for a job well done.

But Osama bin Laden is not the first terrorist this teams has gone after successfully. Lara Logan, yes, that Lara Logan, was embedded with the Seals in Afghanistan, and conducted the following story for "60 Minutes." It is a fascinating look at how these special ops forces do what they do (and it is nice to see Ms. Logan working on a piece like this rather than detailing her recent brutal assault). To the story now:



Ah, yes - it was sweet indeed for these Seals that they were successful in their recent mission to take out Osama bin Laden.

We don't know all that is going on behind the scenes in our efforts to combat terrorism, but stories like this, from the assassination of OBL to capturing other high-value terrorists, give us just a glimpse into the efforts made by these elite forces. What they did this weekend was another mission in the many, many missions they have undertaken on our behalf. Their sacrifice, their commitment, their excellence, cannot be understated.

On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you. Thank you.