In the previous posts we learned about the birth of the Navy SEALs during and after WWII and their missions through the second half of the 20th century on land, sea, and air (or SEa, Air, and Land for the name SEALs). This post covers life for the Navy SEALs after 9/11. As we walked into the museum, we saw this model of Osama Bin Laden’s compound where he came face-to-face with some SEALs who were looking for him.
When we turned from this model, we saw the SEALs on land, in the sea, and in the air.
Let’s look a little more at these 3 areas.
sea
The main difference between the Navy SEALs and other Special Operations Forces is their ability to secretly infiltrate targets from the sea. Since long distances often have to be covered, they have their SEALs Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) that are mini-submarines deployed from dry docks shelters attached to Navy submarines. We’ll see some of these when we walk outside to see some displays. These SDVs and other boats provide them with a global reach leaving no enemy safe wherever they hide.
The display that showed the sea capability of the SEALs was the rescue of Captain Phillips from the Somali pirates in 2009.
rescue of Captain Phillips
Remember the movie that Tom Hanks starred in, Captain Phillips, about the Somali pirates? Since the museum has the actual lifeboat that’s the “stage” for about half of the movie, we finally decided to watch it this afternoon. Even though we knew the ending, it was really tense, and Tom Hanks did a great job. From what I read on the internet, the movie closely followed what happened in real life. Here’s the story.
According to Wikipedia, “The rate of attacks in January and February 2009 was about 10 times higher than during the same period in 2008.” At the height of the piracy, the total haul in ransom payments made to the pirates was estimated to be between $339 million and $413 million. The average pirate working on the crew was paid between $30,000 to $75,000 per person.
The attack on Phillips’ merchant marine ship was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in 2 hundred years.
On Easter Sunday, April 12, three SEAL snipers on the Navy’s destroyer that was patrolling the area find their targets and fire at the same time, killing the remaining pirates holding Captain Phillips hostage. Their actions delivered Phillips unharmed, ended the hostage drama, and sent a message to future pirates.
What happened to Captain Phillips? He was back onboard a merchant ship within a year.
Bet you have some questions about this time period and piracy around Somalia Coast. I did too, so here’s what I found.
Why was piracy such a big deal off the coast of Somalia? Here’s some information from Wikipedia that makes sense with what we saw in the movie:
“Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, in Somali territorial waters and other areas. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels, expanding to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War, around 2000.
“After the collapse of the Somali government and the disbandment of the Somali Navy, international fishing vessels began to conduct illegal fishing in Somali territorial waters. This depleted local fish stocks, and Somali fishing communities responded by forming armed groups to deter the invaders. These groups, using small boats, would sometimes hold vessels and crew for ransom. This grew into a lucrative trade, with large ransom payments. The pirates then began hijacking commercial vessels. With the region badly affected by poverty and government corruption, there was little political motivation at the local level to deal with the crisis. Large numbers of unemployed Somali youth began to see it as a means of supporting their families.”
So what happened to piracy off the Somalian Coast after this rescue? Here’s some information from Wikipedia:
“International organizations began to express concern over the new wave of piracy due to its high cost to global trade and the incentive to profiteer by insurance companies and others. The Somali government has been active in policing the area, though some believe that it wants to collaborate with the pirates as a bulwark against others and for financial gain. In the late 2000s, anti-piracy coalition known as Combined Task Force 150, including the Indian Navy, Russian Navy, and others, established a Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden. By 2010, these patrols were paying off, with a steady drop in the number of incidents. By November 2017, there were no major vessels or hostages remaining in pirate captivity. In 2017, a few incidents of piracy were reported as the navies of Asian and European nations began to more actively rescue hijacked ships including the bulk carrier.”
air
While the SEALs began in the sea, they are just as adept in the air. Often they’re transported to target areas in large C-17s, then transferred to fixed wing or rotary aircraft (helicopters), and then parachuting, fast roping, repelling, or casting into the water.
The Black Hawk helicopters are one of many that the SEALs have used to get to a hot spot.
The SEALs used a high-altitude parachute insertion 12 miles north (an article on the internet said 2 miles) of the Somali town of Adow and walked into town at night, resulting in deaths of 9 Somali pirates and the rescue of the hostages who were flown off in helicopters (this Black Hawk was used).
fast roping
Fast roping allows SEALs or other Special Operators to quickly descend from a hovering helicopter by sliding down a specially made rope using only leather gloves to control descent speed.
An entire SEAL squad can be inserted from 50-75 feet in seconds using this method when the helicopter can’t land.
land
Surprisingly, most SEAL operations take place on land. From patrolling on foot over formidable terrain to rapidly inserting small teams using utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), SEALs must master all methods of land movement, navigation, and communications.
Why dirt bikes? They can be used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, as well as for chasing enemy “squirters” who try to escape from the target area on foot.
Benghazi
Ty Woods and Glen Doherty gave their lives protecting others during an Islamic militants’ attack on the U.S. Embassy compound in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012. Ty Woods was a retired Navy SEAL working as a consultant for the CIA; he responded to the initial attack on the embassy. Glen Doherty, also a former Navy SEAL working as a CIA contractor in Tripoli, flew to Benghazi when he heard about the attack to provide support to U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and to his fellow SEAL.
Another sad day in the history of the Navy SEALs, and one that could have been avoided.
SEAL support
Support for the SEAL teams comes in many forms, including combat dogs.
warrior dogs
With speed, discipline, and ferocity, combat working dogs have transformed the tactics of the Special Operations community. These dogs have learned how to infiltrate by helicopter, parachute, or rubber boat. Their size and lightning speed create a tactical advantage for SEALS and otherSpecial Operations units.
This display has items belonging to Barry, a Belgian Malamud. Barry was the first dog used in service as he worked along side the SEALs in Iraq for 3 years and participated in 225 combat missions. Barry is credited with the largest explosives find to-date: 125 pounds of homemade explosives, 75 feet of detonation cord, 50 blasting caps, and 2 hand grenades.
This modern-day look at SEALs also had this display of arms that Barney remembered shooting from his days as a Marine.
Now that we’re caught up on what the SEALs are doing today, let’s look at what it takes to become a SEAL and the heroes who have been given the Medal of Honor.
