SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

I've now read three books on the US Navy SEALs. This will be a combined review I'll post on all three books, because I feel each one is important to understanding these elite warriors. Ever since Operation Neptune Spear, and the announcement that SEAL Team Six had successfully raided a compound in Pakistan and killed Osama bin Laden, I had been wondering why it was that SEAL Team Six had been sent, rather than our other elite counterterrorism unit, the mysterious Delta Force. After all, the mission took off from an airbase in a land-locked country, traveled over land to their target hundreds of miles inland, and then returned, having not flown over any major bodies of water at all. Why send the Navy, when an Army unit presumably could do the job just as well?I've always been interested in the military, and military training. Though that particular life was not for me, I've always admired those who choose it, and been proud of my veteran relatives. I've watched countless boot camp documentaries, shows on special forces fiction and non-, and I want to understand what it takes to be a warrior. To understand what it takes to be a warrior tasked with taking down the most wanted terrorist in the world, I wanted to read books that would explain their training, their lives, and their physical and mental toughness.The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228 by Dick Couch was the first book I read. It covers the entire Basic Underwater Demolitions/SEAL training course for Class 228. In the introduction, the making of a SEAL warrior is already made clear. Couch, a former Navy SEAL himself, Class 45 during the Vietnam era, explains that the Marine Corps builds 20,000 new marines a year for a force of 174,000, trained over eleven weeks. For the Army, the very tough Ranger School graduates 1,500 soldiers a year from their eight week course. With a twenty-seven week course, only 250 men a year graduate BUD/S, and even then, they are not yet SEALs. BUD/S only earns you a chance, and at least another six months of training await these men before they earn their Trident, and become a SEAL. The Warrior Elite covers the 27 weeks of BUD/S, following along a single class from day one of Indoc to graduation. But first Dick Couch tells the story of Kim Erksine in Grenada, a SEAL who led his eleven men during a mission that went bad when they were unable to use their radios. Along the way, he describes how their training, beginning with BUD/S, shaped their decisions and actions each step of the way. They made it to the water, many of them wounded, but all of them alive and still fighting. Eventually they swam out into the ocean and were picked up. Kim Erskine credits his and his men's survival to the knowledge that each of them had survived BUD/S. Already, it's clear. SEALs don't quit. So how does the Navy find men who just won't quit? They do everything they can to make BUD/S volunteers quit, and then trains the rest. 114 men had orders to BUD/S Class 228, and on Day 1, only 98 are still on the roster, 16 gave up before it even started. At any time, a BUD/S student can quit, and many do. After two weeks of Indoc, where BUD/S hasn't even begun yet, the class is down to 69 men. At graduation, 10 men remain from the original class. Another six would graduate later with another class, having been rolled back for medical reasons. The story of what those men went through to graduate, and to earn the right to continue their training and perhaps become SEALs someday, is what The Warrior Elite explores. Frequently reading the book, I exclaimed out loud "wow", I just couldn't believe it. Everyone talks about Hell Week, the week in Phase One that weeds out a significant number of students, most on the very first day, but that is just one very hard week out of 27 very hard weeks, and the men who survive it learn that to be a SEAL is to only have harder weeks ahead.While The Warrior Elite covers post-BUD/S training briefly in the epilogue, The Finishing School: Earning the Navy SEAL Trident, by the same author Dick Couch, covers this training in much greater depth. This second book is a sequel researched and written in the years following 9/11, and as such a higher emphasis is placed on protecting the identities of the warriors who are training to become qualified SEALs in the platoons, and the secret tactics used by SEALs in their operations. In that regard, the book is much less comprehensive, and much less personal. While a great deal of information is given on the recent reorganization of the SEAL Teams and their deployments, less information is given about actual training. It's hard to read The Warrior Elite without also reading The Finishing School, without the second book you're missing half the story, but The Finishing Book is sadly not the complete story, either. It's understandable for security reasons, but for somebody with a fascination for military training and tactics, as well as the men who go through it all, it's disappointing. Again, though, the lesson is clear in The Finishing School. Not everyone who gets through BUD/S is going to become a SEAL. Some quit, some disqualify for medical or performance reasons, and the graduating class is smaller than the class coming in. One thing that The Finishing School does very well is explain the warrior culture of the SEAL Teams. These are quiet professionals who work together in close-knit groups. All of them are eager to get on deployment, and each of them maximizes their opportunities to continually learn and get better whenever they can. Those who are lone wolves, and can't work safely in a team, are quickly removed from the organization. As always, it pays to be a winner, and no man is left behind.The third book is SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, by Howard E. Wasdin and Steven Templin. This book is very much a memoir, rather than a detailed day-by-day log of the training done in SEAL Team Six. In fact, for somebody wanting to read about the internal workings of the Navy's most elite-of-the-elite warriors, they wouldn't get very many details at all. What you get, instead, is a sense of the sorts of men who do what Howard Wasdin did, volunteer, and then keep volunteering, for the hardest jobs they could find, always looking for a bigger challenge. At times, Wasdin comes across as incredibly arrogant. He seems to put down other members of the special forces community, as well as federal law enforcement, at numerous occasions. We may never know, since members of SEAL Team Six, the CIA, and Delta Force are so tight-lipped, just how much of it is completely accurate. But nonetheless, this is a story of the sorts of brutal childhoods that spawn special forces operators, and the psychology of a warrior during training and in combat. Wasdin, I think, is more humble than he comes across. What he is, is a straight-shooter. If somebody else screwed up, he says so. At times hilarious, and at times horrifying, the story of Howard Wasdin from childhood to adulthood, with military service in between, is incredibly engaging. I had difficulties putting it down, and read through the entire book in just two sittings. While nowhere near as comprehensive as The Warrior Elite or The Finishing School, it gives us a window into the minds and lives of the men who got bin Laden.I highly recommend all three books, and in the order I read them. Having read each one, I've come to understand, perhaps, some of the reasons why President Obama ordered SEAL Team Six to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. I'll leave it put to you to decide for yourself why that might've been, but if I learned anything at all about SEALs, reading these three books, it's that they always work as a team, it pays to be a winner, and they'd rather die than quit.I give this book four stars. While it's a fascinating look into what sort of man decides to have this kind of life, it's sadly not a very comprehensive look into SEAL Team Six, itself. Considering this unit was not even acknowledged to exist until recently, that's understandable. What insights it does give, are invaluable. As others have said, it's not terribly polished, either. Those of us with an interest in special mission units, and the military in general, will find it lacking, but in this dangerous world where these men carry out dangerous missions, it's essential for their safety. If anybody wants the real story, they'll have to join the elite of the elite for themselves. Considering the enormity of that challenge, we'll have to admire these quiet professionals from afar and be satisfied when they tell us anything.

This is a powerful book that gives an inside view of the SEALS and, particularly, the exclusive Team Six. I admit I was somewhat annoyed with the self-aggrandizement of the author in some parts and the numerous mention of the Vuarnet and Ray-Ban aviator, Oakley and tea Rentz Revo sunglasses."While patrolling, I wore Revo sunglasses, made with NASA technology by the same Italian eyewear company, Luxottica, that owns Ray-Ban and Oakley. The Revos had the clearest lenses and the best polarized protection, and they stayed on comfortably."Then another ad reads, "I like to wear khaki Royal Robbins pants because they're easy to run in, have a lot of pockets, and look nice." Similar "ads" run throughout the book and, to me, they're quite obvious as they seem professionally written by a copywriter, not a former SEAL. The idea is that many people would love to look and act like a SEAL and they'll buy these products.I'm not sure, of course, but it appears the authors may have used product placement throughout the book. Product placement is a form of advertising where companies pay to have their products placed in books, television shows and movies. It's a form of subtle advertising and it's very effective.The author appears to do this with numerous products that he says he used while a SEAL and later in civilian life. This certainly doesn't take away from the story that's told. In fact, as a professional marketing consultant, I find it a very smart tactic.Am I sure that product placement is used in this book? No, of course not. But if the author isn't getting paid for the many mentions, he should be. But, now on to the story.The fight scenes are among the most revealing and interesting.I saw some sensitivity in him. For example, about a firefight in one developing country he writes, ". . . the smell of human waste and death--mixed with hopelessness--filled the air. Yes, hopelessness has a smell. People use the term "developing countries," but that is bullcrap. What developed in Somalia was things such as hunger and fighting. I think "developing countries" is just a term used to make the people who coined it feel better. No matter what you call them, starvation and war are two of the worst events imaginable."But, he adds, "Each time I made a shot, I immediately forgot about that target and scanned for another." Each kill was merely a target, not a human being. That's no doubt the only way a person can live this sort of life. He has to view a kill as a target through his scope."I was in my own little world, though. Nothing existed outside my scope and my mission," he says.The team members count on each other. Those who fail or can't make the grade don't have the respect of those who go through the training and come out on top. "A number of the racehorses were the biggest crybabies. They'd probably been number one much of their lives, and now when they had their first taste of adversity--BUD/S style--they couldn't handle it. What the hell is wrong with these prima donnas?"These losers were big on the football field and in various endeavors before SEAL training. But when it came to training for this elite group of fighters, they can't make the grade. They can't be counted on.At one point he and some of his buddies, also SEALS, were in a bar. Someone made an anti-American remark and the SEALS came unglued. After a good deal of commotion they were arrested.About their appearance in court the author writes, "The judge asked, "Why were three of these men taken to jail and immediately released, and Petty Officer [Dick] wasn't released until later?" The K-9 officer explained, "The dog bit him, and we had to take him to the doctor for a shot.""How long could that have taken?" the judge asked. "Well, Your Honor, he took a bite out of my dog, so I had to take my dog to the vet for a shot." The courtroom behind us erupted in laughter. The K-9 officer explained, "Your Honor, it really isn't funny. It took me months to train him, and I still spend sixteen hours a month training him. But since Petty Officer [Dick] bit the dog, it won't do the job anymore." He said, "The laughter rose to sheer pandemonium."But throughout the book, the author makes sure we know what an elite, very special group they are. 'Whenever the ship's crew saw us coming through the passageway wearing our camouflage uniforms and SEAL tridents, they said, "Make a hole, SEAL coming through.' It felt like being a celebrity."It's interesting how the troops, and perhaps especially the special forces, can see how politics plays a major roll on their efforts. The author says, "In spite of the gains, President Clinton saw our sacrifices as losses. Even though we could've finished the job of taking down Aidid and getting food to the people, Clinton turned tail and ran. He ordered all actions against Aidid stopped. Four months later, Clinton released Osman Atto, Omar Salad, Mohamed Hassan Awale, Abdi Yusef Herse, and the other prisoners."He adds, "We left our Somali friends dangling in the breeze. I felt like our sacrifices had been in vain. Why did they send us if they weren't willing to finish the job? We shouldn't have become involved in Somalia's civil war--this was their problem, not ours--but once we committed, we should've finished what we started: a lesson we are required to keep relearning over and over again."This type of thing happens time and again under many administrations. It must be disheartening and one has to wonder how many lives are lost unnecessarily because of politics.The book is fast-paced. It's a great action read. It's educational. The author writes like a simple guy who is sitting in his front room talking one-on-one. He doesn't try to write like a writer or impress with extra verbiage. Aside from the self-importance he obviously feels it's easy to like the guy. It would likely get old being around someone as macho as this guy sounds. But, as I said earlier, he no doubt had to think he was above the fold to do what he did and to be successful. He can't be condemned for that.Highly recommended.-- Susanna K. Hutcheson

An interesting memoir from someone who fought in Mogadishu, Somalia.Having never watched "Black Hawk Down" and not really understanding what the mission was about, this have an interesting insight.I've read other reviews where people have been scathing towards the author and whilst everyone IS entitled to their own opinion, US commenting on what they should/shouldn't have done on certain missions is irrelevant.Even to the point of saying how much the author brags about their achievements. I'm sorry, but what he/ they have achieved throughout their training isWe're not the ones on the ground, putting ourselves in danger / having the intel available to make the decision on what action to take next.I've never served and I'm never likely to and whilst I may not always agree what the "media" let's us see, I'm bold enough to say, the decisions are not made lightly.Any military memoir I've read, gives me solid appreciation for what they have been through and because of their actions (and all those before, now and in the future), is what allows me to live freely.So I'll finish by saying, thank you for your service!

Grundsätzlich ist das Buch sehr interessant, daran gibt es keinen Zweifel. Ein Einstieger zum Thema SEALs kommt hier voll auf seine Kosten, jedoch ist der informative Mehrwert des Buches meiner Meinung nach sehr stark begrenzt, da es im Grunde keine neuen Erkenntnisse zu bekannten Einsätzen noch Erkenntnisse zu bisher unbekannten Einsätzen liefern kann. Der persönliche Werdegang dieser Soldaten sowie die psychischen und physischen Herausforderungen während Training und Einsätzen sind immer wieder sehr interessant und spannend zu lesen. Vor allem die dahinter stehende Willenskraft, Leidensfähigkeit und Unerschütterlichkeit sind Eigenschaften, die jeden einzelnen in seinem Leben weiterbringen können.Der wichtigste Einsatz, an dem Wasdin teilgenommen hat, ist als "Schlacht von Mogadischu" bzw. "Black Hawk Down" im Oktober 1993 bekannt geworden. Da dieses Thema sowohl in der Literatur und vom Film schon reichlich "beackert" wurde, ergibt sich hierbei leider nicht viel Neues, was natürlich nicht das Verschulden des Autors ist. Wenn man jedoch zu derartigen Themen viel gelesen hat, ist es einfach die ganze Geschichte nochmals "aufgewärmt". Viel interessanter waren für mich persönlich die Sinper-Einsätze in Somalia noch vor "Black Hawk Down" und die Verwicklung italienischer Streitkräfte bei der Unterstützung bestimmter Milizen. Kurzum, ein interessantes Buch, das leider vieles wiederholft, was anderswo schon mal geschrieben wurde. Dafür kann der Autor nichts, da er sich seine Einsatzgebiete ja nicht danach aussuchen konnte, ob es sie für die später Publikation eines Buches taugen... :-) Lesenswert!

Seal Team Six a.k.a Naval Special Warfare Development Group a.k.a it's current unknown name has become a ubiquitous name for the general public to consume post Operation Neptune Spear! And this book tells us about that fabled clandestine unit before it emerged from the cocoon of Neptune Spear!Written by Howard Wasdin, former operative, it's a delightful military memoir cum autobiography all rolled into one. Starting from a childhood with hard-as-nails and, sometimes, very rough parents, in this case his half-father, it takes one into the carefree youth of Howard where he would help out his family in the fruit business. Then his entry into the Navy as a Search & Rescue personnel. How he would join the SEAL's and end up joining the very unit he himself didn't know existed!His actions in the Gulf and in Mogadishu are a riveting read for any military buff. His regards and respect for the Delta Force, with whom he fought in Mogadishu, is praiseworthy!I'll not write more as I strongly suggest that you buy this book and know more of it's contents!

Das Buch „Seal Team Six“, ist kein reines Militärbuch, soddern eine autobiografische Geschichte über das Leben des Autors Howard Wasdin. So erzählt es auch von seiner schweren Jugend und berichtet über seine militärische Karriere, von Beginn der harten Ausbildung als Navy Seal, dem Training und den Herausforderungen und Missionen.Zwar geht das Buch nicht allzu tief auf besondere Einzelheiten ein, dennoch ist es spannend und auch für eine/n einigermaßen offene/n LeserIn nachvollziehbar geschrieben. Man sollte jedoch nicht annehmen, sehr viele Tricks und Kniffe der Seals zu erlernen.Natürlich ist Wasdin sehr patriotisch und stellt, was für eine/n durchschnittliche/n LeserIn merkwürdig sein kann, sein Land und sein Team vor die Familie.So sollte man also die Voraussetzung mitbringen sich nicht an diversen, nicht allzu schlimmen jedoch dennoch vorkommenden Äußerungen nicht stören zu lassen.Ich habe das Buch in englisch gelesen und kann es nur weiter empfehlen, natürlich gibt es eine deutsche Fassung, aber nachdem ich gesehen habe wie man hier alleine das Cover verschandelt hat, würde ich davon abraten.Howard Wasdin, erzählt sehr packend, berührend und manchmal unterhaltsam über seine Erfahrungen, nicht nur als Soldat in der Navy bzw. als Navy Seal und Sniper, sondern auch als Mensch. Er thematisiert sehr ehrlich sein Leben und spricht auch über die Veränderung die er durchlebte seit seiner Kariere als Seal und seiner Gefechtserfahrungen.Das Buch empfehle ich gerne weiter.Herzlichen Gruß

The book is not so bad, I can say above the average, very honest and candid but what upset me is the absolute false statement made about the Italian Army behavior during the authors tour of duty. To be honest the two cases of misbehavior described at page 198 were real and the military judge sentenced the offenders but is correct to remember that the Italian soldiers were not the only ones committing crimes ( see the Canadians and the French ) but that Italian contingent was the only one to be composed almost entirely of conscripts. About the behavior of Mister Marocchino (same page 198) he was acquitted in court of all charges. But what really upset me are the repeated and false charges to have prevented the capture of Haidid and to have played double game. The bad faith of the author is demonstrated by the following facts:- at page 177 he mention the ambush against the Pakistani soldier on June 5 were 35 soldier were killed (and not 24 as reported) but he forget to mention that was an Italian QRF composed by Carabinieri Paratrooper and Raider Paratrooper that saved the Pakistani and the Italian suffered 9 wounded during the fight;- worst, at page 198, dated September 2, he made the aforementioned impolite and unfair comments but, again, he forget to mention that on the previous July 2 the Italians build up a big operation to capture Aidid and that they were ambushed, after the ambush ensued a battle lasting several hours and the Italian were left alone. At the end the casualties were 3 Italian KIA, 36 WIA and the Aidid militia (according to Red Cross report) suffered 67 KIA and 103 WIA.Also , talking about double play , the author forgets that the son of Aidid was in Mogadishu as a corporal in the US Marines.Anyway the Italian contingent concluded his two years hunting for Aidid with 18 KIA and 108 WIA.