POSTSCRIPT: CLASS 228 AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM

The special operations camp in Afghanistan was close to the airport near Kandahar. Late afternoon on 15 February, 2002, barely five months after the attacks of September 11, a SEAL officer, a junior-grade lieutenant, dragged himself into the Naval Special Warfare compound at the camp. “Compound” is a loose term for the two old buildings surrounded by concertina wire that was home to the SEALs in southern Afghanistan. He was the third officer assigned to a SEAL strike platoon aboard one of the aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean. He had been cut away from his platoon to help provide security for some of the explosive ordnance disposal teams. As the coalition forces swept south, a great deal of ordnance and weapons were abandoned by the retreating Taliban forces. SEALs and Army Special Forces worked side by side with EOD teams to destroy this material. The officer had been in the field for the better part of a week and looked it. Carrying only his rucksack and rifle, he was looking for a bunk and badly in need of a shower.

“Sir, does the lieutenant need some directions or maybe some help with his gear?”

“Thanks, pal, but I can handle my own gear. What I need is a … well, I'll be damned. They must let just about anyone into this war.”

The enlisted SEAL, who was having a laugh at the officer's expense, had also just come in from the field and looked as scruffy as the new arrival. They grinned, then fiercely embraced each other. They were both from Class 228.

“What I could really use is a cold beer. Got any of that here?”

“We don't have any here, but the Germans do. They're special operations guys so they're pretty good about sharing. Since I had to carry you through training, sir, I suppose I can find you a beer.”

“You, carry me! That'll be the day.”

One has to be in the field for a week, humping a combat load, sweating all day, freezing all night, to really appreciate the meaning of a cold pilsner. Soon the two men were on a berm near the camp, enjoying a beer and watching the Afghan sun sink into the hills northwest of Kandahar. They talked about their platoons, what they had seen—what they had done. They talked about the other guys in Class 228. Because of luck, timing, and platoon deployment requirements, they were the only men in 228 who had made it to the combat zone to date, and for that, they toasted their good fortune. The others were still in various stages of platoon prede-ployment workup. Some would get there in the next few months. Some would deploy into other theaters where SEALs were needed. But mostly they talked about the war—their war. This is why they struggled through BUD/S and became Navy SEALs. These two brothers from Class 228 have come a long way in a short time, and they are just beginning their careers as Navy SEALs. One can only guess where the course of this conflict may take them. But tonight, they're content to sit in the dirt in a strange place a long way from home, share fellowship as warriors, and talk about their war.

The world has changed since Class 228 graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training some thirty-three months ago. The events of September 11 shocked us all, but for the military services in general and the Navy SEALs in particular, the odds of going into combat increased dramatically.

Yet, in many respects, nothing changed. Those SEALs deployed in and around the Middle East at the time of the 9/11 attack did what they were trained to do. Operations in Afghanistan were a validation of their forward-deployed posture. SEALs and other Naval Special Warfare assets in predeployment workup continued to prepare for deployment, albeit with a greater sense of purpose. Class 243 just graduated from BUD/S and is preparing to enter advanced training. The twenty men from Class 228 have all qualified as Navy SEALs. About half of them are now deployed, scattered around the world at various Naval Special Warfare Units or aboard U.S. Navy warships. Others are in platoons preparing for operational deployment. A few of them have returned from deployment and are attending advanced military schools and professional development courses to prepare them for their second deployment.

This is the life they have chosen, a life of continuous training and overseas operational duty. I stay in touch with the men of Class 228 by e-mail. To a man, they are proud to be in the teams; all are anxious to have a go at al Qaeda and those who would try to bring about a repeat of 9/11. They are like professional basketball players on the bench, waiting to get into the game or, in a few cases, back into the game—wanting their number to be called.

In the fall of 1999, when the men of Class 228 began their quest to become Navy SEALs, BUD/S was a serious business. Most of the men in Class 228 arrived at the Naval Special Warfare Center with the simple goal of getting through BUD/S—taking that first step toward becoming a SEAL and joining the teams. The notion of becoming a Navy SEAL and serving in the teams was exciting, more of an adventure than duty to country. When I spoke with them during training about what brought them to this place—and what kept them going when their bodies said “stop”— most talked about a desire to excel or to challenge themselves or to serve with an elite force. Few of them ever mentioned patriotism as the reason they came to BUD/S and endured all those hardships. All that changed with 9/11.

Events following the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., have elevated special operations to the premier force in the fight against terrorism. Men entering BUD/S today can be certain of operational deployment in this war. For many, it will be a combat deployment. And while the training of Navy SEALs has not changed—they always train as if war is imminent—the fact that their teammates and fellow warriors may at any moment come face-to-face with the enemy cannot be ignored or forgotten.

The attacks have also changed the ground rules for journalists and writers like myself. There is now greater emphasis on protecting the SEAL identities, tactics, and mission profiles. And rightly so. We are at war, and the identities and methods of those in the fight must be respected and discussion of them restricted. I am currently at work on a new SEAL book, scheduled for release by Crown Books in the spring of 2004. It follows the path of a BUD/S graduate as he earns his SEAL qualification and prepares for operational deployment with his SEAL platoon. As with The Warrior Elite, I am following a group of men through their advanced SEAL training—the training BUD/S graduates must successfully complete before they are awarded their Naval Special Warfare insignia, the Trident. But I will never show you their faces or use their real names. I'm also observing SEAL platoons and SEAL teams preparing for operational deployment. However, there are certain training venues that I will not be allowed to see and certain aspects of this advanced SEAL training I will not show the reader. These restrictions are in keeping with a nation at war and a nation that cares about the safety of its warriors.

About Class 228—the men in this book. Since their BUD/S graduation, the men in Class 228 have gone through the normal progression of BUD/S graduates as they make their way into the teams. All attended Army Airborne School for military parachute qualification and all attended SEAL Tactical Training (now SEAL Qualification Training), both prerequisites to earning their SEAL Tridents. The five class officers attended the Junior Officers Training Course at the Naval Special Warfare Center. Most of the officers have also attended the schools that qualify them as range safety officers and diving supervisors, courses that allow them to better manage the safety of their platoon's training. All in the class have attended SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) School. Three have attended Military Free Fall (HALO) School and two have qualified as SEAL snipers. One in Class 228 has completed Army Ranger School, but others may attend as they rotate back from their first deployment, as scheduling and platoon training allow.

The enlisted men from Class 228 have attended schools and training that directly relate to their particular duties and special assignments within their platoons. These include the Naval Special Warfare Communications Course, parachute riggers school, a CRRC (combat rubber raiding craft—a military Zodiac) operations/maintenance course, and close air support (CAS) training. Officers and enlisted men from 228 have received specialized training in terrorism conducted at the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Many of them have attended the Navy's tactical Arabic language course, as well as other language courses. The three-month Arabic course is taught by contract civilian linguists who have native Arabic skills. In this course, SEALs learn to conduct basic field interrogations and to handle prisoners. Those who came to BUD/S with native language skills or basic language training are assigned to platoons where those skills are best used.

Two of the officers from Class 228 are now serving as platoon assistant officer in charge, or AOIC, while the other three are third officers. Third officers in a SEAL platoon are officers training to move up to the AOIC position. These officers will help with the platoon-officer duties and carry a weapon in one of the platoon's two squads. The platoon AOIC will be one of the two squad leaders in the platoon. He also serves in place of the platoon commander, or OIC, when the platoon commander is away from the platoon. On the following platoon deployment, he will become the platoon commander.

The enlisted men from 228 are all filling assigned roles within their platoons. Their duties include air operations, diving, communications, ordnance, CRRC maintenance, and intelligence. They carry a variety of weapons depending on the mission and their role in their squad or fire team. Some are “60” gunners and carry the Mk-43 machine gun. Others are “SAW” gunners, armed with the lighter squad assault weapon or the Mk-46—a 5.56mm machine gun. Those armed with an M-4 rifle usually have an M-203 40mm grenade launcher attached. When duties call for close-quarter urban battle or ship-boarding operations, most favor the Heckler&Koch MP-5 submachine gun. The standard issue secondary weapon in the teams is a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol. In the field, each man will carry a variety of grenades, signal devices, radios, and mission-specific equipment. They are all junior members of a SEAL platoon, perhaps the most lethal special-operations unit in the world. These new SEALS are still learning their craft and will look to the veterans for leadership and guidance, but they are full-fledged members of this combat team. They will be expected to move, communicate, and fight, and to do what is expected of a combat-capable Navy SEAL. They are, at last, members of the warrior elite.

The men from Class 228, indeed all operational Navy SEALs, are either on, returning from, or preparing for one thing—operational deployment. The only break from the platoon training-deployment cycle is instructor duty, which has its share of fourteen-hour days and travel away from home, or perhaps a total-immersion language school. Not all SEALs deploy in support of the U.S. Central Command with responsibilities in Afghanistan, but all those I talk with want to be there, or in another hot spot around the world, such as the Philippine Islands. If their duties take them to a theater where they are less likely to see action, they are very disappointed. Yet they know they must be ready; their combat skills could be needed almost anywhere, at almost any time. These warriors want to get into the fight and they want to contribute; they want to make a difference. The War on Terrorism is a global struggle, but the Central Command, with its focus on the Middle East, is where much of the action has taken place. Tomorrow it could be somewhere else. For this reason, Naval Special Warfare maintains a robust forward-deployed posture and rapid-response capability within its force structure.

One senior Navy SEAL was quickly drawn into the middle of this war. Following the 9/11 attacks, Captain Robert Harward was ordered to Afghanistan. He temporarily left his duties as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Group One, in Coronado and deployed as Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force-South during Operation Enduring Freedom. In this capacity, his duties included far more than just operational control of Navy SEALs. As the joint Special Operations Forces (SOF) commander, he commanded all U.S. and coalition special operations forces in southern Afghanistan. Commanding special operations in Afghanistan was a role Bob Harward seemed destined to fill and one for which he was uniquely qualified.

This 23-year veteran has extensive operational, staff, and command experience in special operations. He has a master's degree in National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies. He was the Honorman from BUD/S Class 128. And he knows the territory. Bob Harward graduated from high school in Tehran. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, he spent a summer hitchhiking across Afghanistan. He speaks Farsi.

As a deployed special-operations commander and “end user” of Navy SEALs in time of war, Bob told me about the warriors he led for six months in Afghanistan. His comments offer a compelling picture of what these elite warriors did in Afghanistan and why they were so effective in this rigorous, non-maritime environment:

Within weeks of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked Naval Special Warfare to conduct combat operations in Afghanistan. Our goal was to eradicate the Taliban and al Qaeda forces operating in the country. This call to action, in most aspects, was little different from the myriad of conflicts where SEALs have been called upon to quickly go in harm's way. We have gone before to places such as Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Haiti, Somalia, and Bosnia.

What was unique about this first stage in the War on Terrorism was the role SEALs would play. Not only would they fight throughout the country, from the desert plains of the southwest to the rugged mountains of the northeast, but they would also exercise command and control of a combined and joint war-fighting organization. The focus of their combat operations would be Special Reconnaissance and Direct Action missions. I was privileged to command this task force in southern Afghanistan, and the bulk of my staff were Navy SEALs. This Naval Special Warfare-centric organization would direct Army and Air Force Special Operations Forces as well as marines and the premier SOF forces from seven nations.

The tactical capability Navy SEALs demonstrated in the inhospitable conditions of Afghanistan validated the arduous training and physical hardships SEAL trainees endure in BUD/S and the intense training SEALs undergo to prepare for operational deployment. The corporate knowledge and experience of our leadership were tested at the operational level as well as the strategic level. All this, four hundred miles inland. I was immensely proud of my SEALs, indeed, all of the SOF forces under my command.

BUD/S, SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), and SEAL Platoon Training are the building blocks of the SEAL operator. Pushing yourself beyond your preconceived physical and mental limits, enduring and overcoming ambiguous situations, staying focused on the mission: these are the qualities required of a Navy SEAL. This mind-set is developed in BUD/S and crystallized during Hell Week. It is reinforced during SQT and refined in Platoon Training.

These core traits are essential to the strategic employment of Navy SEAL platoons as they deploy forward to meet SOF requirements in support of our national interests worldwide. Afghanistan was no exception. From the experienced frogman to the newest member of the platoon, fresh from SQT and his first platoon workup, these SEALs got the job done. Regardless of the terrain, the hardships, the ambiguity of the enemy and environment, or the personal risk; these SEALs adapted and they prevailed. In overcoming the enemy on his home ground, they completed another chapter in battle history of the teams. More than that, they set new standards that will serve as benchmarks for the new BUD/S graduates and the next wave of platoons that deploy forward in harm's way.

And the cycle continues. Young men join the Navy with the goal of becoming a Navy SEAL, and submit themselves to the terrible and challenging ordeal of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training. Those one in five who survive BUD/S move on to SEAL Qualification Training and other military schools en route to earning their SEAL Trident. As qualified warriors, they begin the dangerous and demanding profession of a maritime special operator—the life of a Navy SEAL. America is indeed fortunate to have had such warriors on call, in theater, at the time of the attack on our nation. It will need these warriors as we pursue this long and difficult War on Terrorism.

APPENDIX

BASIC UNDERWATER DEMOLITION/SEAL CLASS 228

LTJG William Gallagher, Springfield, Virginia	SEAL Team Two
ENS Jason Birch, Crofton, Maryland	SEAL Team Four
ENS Clint Burke, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	SEAL Team Three
ENS John Green, Los Angeles, California	SEAL Team Three
ENS Eric Oehlerich, Whitefish, Montana	SEAL Team Five
MN2 Zacharia Armstrong, Thornton, Colorado	SEAL Team Three
CMSN Tyler Black, Dayton, Ohio	SEAL Team Five
ABE3 Chad Cleaver, Costa Mesa, California	SEAL Team Three
GM3 John Collins II, Portland, Oregon	SEAL Team One
GM3 Warren Conner Jr., Tulsa, Oklahoma	SEAL Team One
AO3 Brendan Dougherty, Ormond Beach,	SEAL Team Four
Florida	EN3 Matthew Jenkins, Durham,
SEAL Team Four	New Hampshire
BM2 Adam Karaoguz, Canandaigua,	SEAL Team Four
New York	STG3 Casey Lewis, Noble, Oklahoma
SEAL Team Five	GM3 Sergio Lopez, Brooklyn, New York
SEAL Team Four	QMSN Daniel Luna, Santa Clarita, California
SEAL Team One	HMSN Marc Luttrell, Willis, Texas Eighteen-Delta School
IT2 John Owens, Fort Lauderdale, Florida	SEAL Team Three
ET3 Larry Romero Jr., San Diego, California	SEAL Team Five
PR3 Zachary Shaffer, Pacifica, California	SEAL Team Three

The following members of the original Class 228 were medically rolled back or were able to stay in BUD/S and graduate:

ENS Chad Steinbrecher	Class 229
HT2 Pat Yost	Class 229
PR3 Christopher Robinson	Class 229
IS3 Chris Baldwin	Class 230
PR3 Grant Terpstra	Class 230
IT3 Miguel Yanez	Class 230

HT3 Lawrence “Otter” Obst was never able to regain diving status due to persistent problems with his sinuses. PR3 Sean Morrison graduated with Class 230, Ensign Matt McGraw with Class 231.^*

^*Note: Enlisted ratings may vary from the text as several members of Class 228 were advanced on graduation.

INDOC AND FIRST PHASE

Let the games begin! Class 228 waits at the Combat Training Tank for Instructor Reno to arrive on the first day of BUD/S training. Of the men in this photo, only one graduated.

The men of Class 228 learn they're going to be cold, wet, and sandy until the day they graduate. Airman Harry Pell on the beach during Indoc. Pell, a former Marine Corps officer, was one of the many former I marines in Class 228.

Boat drills begin with the boat-crew leaders getting I their orders. Petty Officer Lawrence Obst, nearest M _ the camera, listens carefully.

Below: The IBS is an awkward craft, best suited to training and torturing SEALs-to-be. The members of Class 228, under their boats, struggle with the extended-arm carry.

Rock portage is a dangerous evolution. Here, the bow-line man and the first two members of the crew are already out and trying to hold the IBS steady.

Clint Burke leads Adam Karaoguz across the Burma Bridge. Big men like Burke (who's 6’5”) often have trouble on the O-course.

Bill Gallagher, Class 228's leader from start to finish, threads his way through The Weaver obstacle.

Drown proofing. SEALs and SEAL trainees must learn to be comfortable in the water. Here, trainees bob for air.

For Navy SEALs, water is a refuge, not an obstacle. Trainees are taught to swim with both their arms and legs tied.

Push ‘em out! Instructor Reno and Class 228 at the edge of the surf.

HELL WEEK

Chief Ken Taylor surf conditions—or surf tortures, depending on your point of view—Class 228 during Hell Week. Water temperature: 60 degrees.

Jason Birch pulls while the other members of his boat crew push as they run their IBS through the O-course. Cold, wet, and without sleep, a boat crew must perform as a team.

Class 228 does IBS sit-ups on the beach during Hell Week.

Even the strongest are challenged. Clint Burke shows the strain on Thursday night of Hell Week as he arrives at the chow hall. Note the bald spot on the top of his head from carrying the IBS.

Zack Shaffer waits by his IBS for the next surf passage race.

Zack Armstrong tucks into an MRE during Class 228's Hell Week. This was Armstrong's second Hell Week. Few men can do once what he did twice.

Trial by mud. Top to bottom, left to right: Will Koella, Harry Pell, Zack Shaffer, Zack Armstrong, Clint Burke, and Jason Birch—three officers, three enlisted men.

Wash down on the way to medical/hygiene inspection. Faces visible from front to back: Brendan Dougherty, Bill Gallagher, and Clint Burke.

The price of days on the run with no sleep. Here a trainee gets a foot lube after his medical inspection, then quickly goes back into Hell.

“You're secure!” The nineteen men from Class 228 who made it through to the end of Hell Week.

Those who didn't make it. The green helmets from Class 228 and the BUD/S bell. Each helmet represents a DOR—drop on request.

SECOND PHASE

Dan Luna demonstrates that “the only easy day was yesterday” as an instructor leaves him in a leaning rest. The weight belt and tanks weigh nearly 80 pounds.

Jocking-up in Second Phase. Left to right: Zack Armstrong, Clint Burke, Pat Yost, Jason Birch, and John Green.

Jason Birch awaits his turn for pool comps in Second Phase.

Two Second Phase instructors attack Matt Jenkins during pool competency testing. The trainees call it pool harassment.

The Wall of Shame. These 228 trainees will get a second chance to pass pool competency. If they fail, they will leave BUD/S.

This combat swimmer is geared up for a practice underwater ship attack wearing a Draeger LAR V Scuba. Day and night, members of Class 228 dove the Draeger and made mock underwater ship attacks.

THIRD PHASE

“You cannot just aim; you must hit.” Bob Ekoniak, A.K.A Instructor Ikon, coaches Bill Gallagher and Matt Jenkins at San Clemente Island on the use of the M-4 rifle.

Young warriors in the making: Adam Karaoguz and John Owens on San Clemente Island, ready for battle. Note the boom mics from their waterproof Saber radios.

Even in Third Phase, the trainees still have to “push ‘em out.” Now, though, they're expected to drop for 50 push-ups. Marc Luttrell (left) and Tyler Black are nearest the camera.

Matt Jenkins and Warren Conner carry two haversacks of C-4 to the beach. They're about to load it onto submerged obstacles for the underwater beach shot.

Top left: Charges set, Eric Oehlerich, Casey Lewis, John Owens, and Adam Karaoguz emerge from the surf. The det cord is for the backup electric firing assembly.

Bottom: Fire in the hole! Class 228's underwater shot goes high order.

Top right: Seaman Casey Lewis checks his equipment in preparation for Class 228's final battle problem on San Clemente Island.

The men of Class 228 as they listen to their graduation address by Captain Dick Couch. In a few minutes they will ring out of BUD/S and head for the teams.

Friends now! Adam Karaoguz and Class 228's First Phase proctor, Instructor Sean Mruk, on graduation day.

The last of the originals from Class 228 graduate. Left to right: Sean Morrison (began with Class 227), Chris Baldwin, Grant Terpstra, and Miguel (Yanny) Yanez. All graduated with Class 230.