SEAL Team Two
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| SEAL Team Two | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | SEAL Team Two |
| Dates | 1962–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Special operations force |
| Garrison | Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek |
SEAL Team Two is one of the United States Navy's principal maritime special operations units established in the early 1960s to conduct unconventional warfare, direct action, reconnaissance, and counterinsurgency operations. Rooted in the legacy of World War II naval special operations, the unit has operated across multiple theaters including the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. SEAL Team Two has conducted high-profile missions alongside units such as United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, United States Army Special Forces, Joint Special Operations Command, and allied formations from United Kingdom Special Forces, French Navy Commandos Marine, and German KSK.
History
SEAL Team Two traces its doctrinal and organizational origins to wartime units such as Underwater Demolition Teams, Office of Strategic Services, Frogman Corps and Naval Combat Demolition Units that operated during World War II and Korean War. Established in the context of Cold War tensions and actions like the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the team was formed alongside SEAL Team One and later complemented by units such as SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams and Naval Special Warfare Development Group. During the Vietnam War SEAL Team Two elements served in the Mekong Delta, along major riverine environments, and in close coordination with Military Assistance Command, Vietnam and South Vietnam. In the post-Vietnam era SEAL Team Two saw deployments during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, operations associated with the Invasion of Grenada, and contingencies in the Mediterranean tied to crises involving Libya and Yugoslavia. Following the September 11 attacks the unit participated in campaigns related to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, collaborating with coalition partners including Royal Marines and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.
Organization and Structure
The team is organized into task elements modeled on small-unit maritime strike packages, with components aligning to platoons, task units, and dedicated support detachments. Elements have been integrated with higher-echelon commands such as Naval Special Warfare Command and operational tasking through United States Special Operations Command. SEAL Team Two has coordinated with naval platforms including Amphibious Ready Group, Aircraft Carrier Strike Group, Special Operations Task Force, and assets like P-3 Orion, P-8 Poseidon, and MH-60 Seahawk. Logistics and intelligence support draw on units such as Naval Intelligence Command, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and regional combatant commands like United States European Command and United States Africa Command.
Missions and Operations
SEAL Team Two has undertaken a spectrum of missions: direct action raids, ship boarding and maritime interdiction, combat search and rescue, strategic reconnaissance, and foreign internal defense. Notable mission types include maritime boarding operations in conjunction with United States Coast Guard, tunnel and cave reconnaissance similar to operations in Okinawa and Afghanistan, and hostage rescues comparable in concept to the Operation Neptune Spear planning environment. Deployments have placed elements aboard USS Peleliu (LHA-5), USS Wasp (LHD-1), and other amphibious assault ships, and cooperating with aviation platforms like Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. The team has supported multinational efforts such as counter-piracy patrols near Horn of Africa sea lanes and interdiction missions associated with Operation Odyssey Dawn.
Training and Selection
Operators originate from candidates who complete Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S), follow-on training at Navy SEAL Tactical Training, and receive certification through a program akin to Special Operations Combat Medic and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE). Selection emphasizes maritime skills derived from historic programs like Underwater Demolition Team training and modern joint courses with Air Force Combat Control School, Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal training, and allied exchanges involving Special Air Service instructors. Professional development includes foreign language training with Defense Language Institute, advanced marksmanship similar to United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, and staff courses at National Defense University.
Equipment and Tactics
SEAL Team Two employs small arms and systems common to special operations units: rifles such as the Mk 18 Mod 0, M4 carbine, precision rifles like the MK 12 SPR, sidearms including the SIG Sauer P226 and Glock 19, and support weapons like the Mk 48 machine gun and M240 machine gun. Maritime platforms include SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), rigid-hulled inflatable boats used with shipborne cranes, and diving systems derived from closed-circuit rebreathers. Air insertion techniques use helicopters such as MH-60 Black Hawk and tiltrotors like the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, with parachute operations referencing High Altitude Low Opening and High Altitude High Opening profiles. Tactics integrate techniques drawn from Naval Special Warfare Development Group experimentation, close-quarters battle methods used by United States Army Rangers, and surveillance tradecraft employed by Central Intelligence Agency personnel.
Notable Members and Honors
Members of SEAL Team Two have been recognized with decorations awarded across the U.S. military honors system, including the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, and Purple Heart. Individual operators have gone on to serve in institutions such as Naval Special Warfare Development Group, hold billets at United States Special Operations Command, or transition into roles with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency. The team’s legacy intersects with public accounts involving figures associated with Operation Red Wings-era narratives, regional Mediterranean operations featuring Operation El Dorado Canyon context, and post-9/11 counterterrorism campaigns recognized alongside awards such as the Presidential Unit Citation.