EPILOGUE
I was motivated to become a SEAL when I first met two of them in jump school while I was in the Army. My desire centered on the challenge. Challenges are something I’ve always liked, and I love it when someone says it cannot be done.
Bull. There’s always a way, especially if you’re flexible. The Teams have not only taught me the importance and strength of teamwork but also the value of being positive about accomplishing the task. I maintain this philosophy in my present career.
The day I retired from the Teams was the hardest day of my life. I will never hang the holster up, but I did have to hang up the chance to come in every morning and gather with the rest of the Special Warfare family. I miss that dearly. I know now what my former Teammates went through and what the Teammates behind me will be going through. It’s tough, real tough. You have to learn not to look back. You go ahead and do what makes you happy, but you never forget where you came from.
This book consists of the times I had and experiences I lived through with a number of my Teammates. Some names, places, dates, and all operational procedures were omitted to protect my Teammates and the Special Warfare community. This book has allowed the reader share the good and the rough times I experienced while in the Teams. A life in the Teams can be very beneficial if you so desire, and it can be very hard on you and your loved ones, even when the game is over and the final goal has been scored.
For those who are thinking about becoming SEALs, I want you to understand that it is not all glory. It is a very tough, exacting job. Many want it, but few are willing to pay the price. I feel lucky that I was offered the opportunity to do a job that most can’t ever try.
Those who desire to volunteer should understand that it is a mental job even more than a physical one. Physically, ignoring discomfort becomes second nature to you. Mentally, you have to look inside yourself and submerge what you want for the betterment of the Team. There is no I in the Team’s vocabulary. You must think positively and never say “No, I can’t do it.”
Today I look forward to the East and West Coast reunions as well as the muster held at Fort Pierce, Florida, every year. This is an opportunity to see how the community is keeping up with the latest technology and to meet Teammates of the past and present. Once a Teammate always a Teammate.
My company today, DSC Inc., is a takeoff from my Naval career. I put my college degree to work offering training in the tactical arena for law enforcement and government agencies. It keeps me active in the field I enjoy most. It feels good to pass on the experience that brought me home safe so that others may come home safe.
No one can successfully imitate or impersonate a real frogman or SEAL. That fact is glaringly obvious to any individual who has completed training and served with the elite of the elite. I do not consider myself the best, but I have been fortunate enough to serve with them. My life has been given to my God, my country, the Teams, and my family.
The Trident, that physical symbol of a Teammate, was best described by a Navy Cross holder, Barry Enoch. The eagle surrounds an anchor, the symbol of the service from which we come. It is grasping Neptune’s spear for the guarding of the seashores. The pistol shows that we are always ready to bear arms in defense of others. Above it all the eagle stands with its wings spread against the sky in which we move.
Barry Enoch states that the Trident is the only military emblem on which the eagle holds its head down; it is lowered in remembrance and respect for all those who served, were wounded, or gave their lives in the Teams.
To end this first saga, here’s a short Team toast: “Here’s to it. Bees do it, dogs do it, if you can’t do it, fuck you, call us and we’ll do it.”
GLOSSARY
Boot (bootlegger) turn—A 180-degree turn done in a vehicle while it is moving forward. The parking or emergency brake is used in conjunction with the wheel to execute the turn. Called a bootleg because of its earliest use by moonshiners and bootleg liquor runners.
CCT (combat control team)—A team of Air Force personnel organized, trained, and equipped to locate, identify, and mark drop/landing zones, provide limited weather observations, install and operate navigational aids and air traffic control communications necessary to guide aircraft to drop/landing zones, and control air traffic at these zones.
CinC (pronounced “sink”)—The commander in chief of a Navy unit or the president of the United States. A Navy CinC is usually of flag rank (admiral) and is in charge of a large area, command, or fleet.
Crash (short for flash-crash)—A stun grenade or other distraction device. Throwing in a crash before entering an enclosed area can distract or stun the occupants for several seconds, giving the advantage of the first shot to those entering the room.
ENVIRONMENTS
Permissive—A situation where all the locals are backing your actions. This includes the local law enforcement and the public. You are able to travel reasonably freely. When you are going to take down a target, the only concern is what is within the structure or target itself. Example—a terrorist action.
Semipermissive—A situation where some of the locals are not hostile to your presence. Local law enforcement, government, or militias may be actively against your actions. You have to maintain a secure perimeter around the target area. Example—Grenada.
Nonpermissive—An open combat zone. This is not the same as a free-fire area where you are allowed to shoot first, but all locals and other forces are considered hostile unless proven otherwise. Example—Vietnam.
Escape and evasion (E & E)—The procedures and operations by which military personnel and other selected individuals can leave an enemy-held or hostile territory and return to friendly hands.
HUMINT (HUman INTelligence)—Information gathered on a subject by people on the ground, either trained intelligence specialists or locals.
J turn—A 180-degree turn done while a vehicle is moving backward. The turn is primarily accomplished by using the steering wheel.
Loadout—The equipment, munitions, and materials for an operation or exercise. A loadout can include all the weapons, ammunition, and equipment used by a single man or by an entire unit.
Navy platforms—Ships and other assets of the U.S. Navy used to launch from or go to during an operation.
NVDs (night vision devices); also NVGs (night vision goggles)—Electro-optical devices that are handheld, weapon mounted, or worn over the eyes to magnify or convert available light and allow vision at night.
THREATCON (TERRORIST THREAT CONDITION)
WHITE—Nonspecific threat of terrorism against U.S. military personnel or facilities in a general geographical area. This threat may be based on information that terrorist elements in an area have general plans concerning military facilities.
YELLOW—Specific threat of terrorism against U.S. military personnel or facilities within a particular geographical area. This threat may be based on information that terrorist elements are actively preparing for operations in a particular area.
RED—Imminent threat of terrorist acts against specific U.S. military personnel or facilities. This threat may be based on information regarding plans or preparations for terrorist attack against specific persons or facilities.
Trident—The common name for the Naval special warfare insignia. It is a large, gold, uniform device made up of four parts: the anchor, which symbolizes the Navy; Neptune’s three-pronged trident, which symbolizes the underwater world; a cocked flintlock pistol that shows the Team’s constant preparedness for war; and behind it all is the bald eagle, symbol of the United States of America.
WarCom; also SpecWarCom and NavSpecWarCom—The Navy Special Warfare Command, the overall command structure for the Navy SEAL Teams and all their attached units.
WMD (weapons of mass destruction)—Nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons that will affect an area or population far out of proportion to the physical size of the weapon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dennis Chalker, until recently a Command M
aster Chief for Navy SEALs and BUD/S Training, was a “plank holder,” or founding member, of SEAL Team Six.
Kevin Dockery is a field curator for the UDT/SEAL Museum in Fort Piercem, Florida, and a military historian.
CREDITS
Jacket Design: Richard L. Aquan
Jacket Photograph: Louis Psihoyos / Matrix
COPYRIGHT
ONE PERFECT OP. Copyright © 2002 by Bill Fawcett & Associates. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ePub edition March 2002 ISBN 9780061751295
Print edition first published in 2002 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
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