Synopses & Reviews
Now including the Osama bin Laden mission The U.S. Navy SEALs—named for the three environments in which they operate (Sea, Air, Land)—descended from the underwater demolition teams (UDTs), the famed frogmen of World War II. During the Korean War, UDTs operated as part of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet and conducted perilous missions involving demolition, reconnaissance, and hydrographic surveys, all while enduring frigid waters and dodging water-based mines and North Korean soldiers. Today’s U.S. Navy SEALs have incredibly advanced mission capabilities compared to their predecessors, but the character and drive it takes to become a SEAL remain the same. To join the ranks of these brave, unconventional warriors, one must undergo months of brutally demanding training designed to break all but the strongest, leaving only the most capable men. And that’s just to qualify for additional training followed by a six-month probationary period assigned to a SEAL team. Ultimately, typically a full year after entering training, the moment comes when the coveted gold “Budweiser” SEAL qualification badge is pinned to the new SEALs’ chests. This updated and expanded edition of U.S. Navy SEALs contains more than a hundred color photos of today’s SEALs. New to this edition is detailed coverage of the Osama bin Laden mission, which thrust the SEALs of the Navy’s special warfare program onto front pages around the world, as well as SEAL operations against piracy on the high seas and SEAL combat operations in the global war on terror, particularly in Afghanistan.
Review
Military Trader, May 2006 (circ.: 7,000)
“Hans Halberstadt has written extensively on U.S. special operations forces. A talented photographer, he took most of the photos in this book. U.S. Navy SEALs is a good overview of the Navy’s special operations branch. It is a particularly good source of information on the organizations current-day training and equipment.”
Synopsis
Updated and expanded to include activities and operations in Afghanistan as well as: - The Osama bin Laden mission- SEALs at war- Counter-piracy ops- Weapons and equipment The U.S. Navy SEALs--named for the three environments from which they operate (SEa, Air, Land)--derived from the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) and other specialized units created during World War II. During the Korean War, UDTs operated as part of the Pacific Fleet and conducted such perilous missions as demolitions, reconnaissance, and hydrographic surveys while dodging water-based mines and enduring frigid water temperatures. Today's Navy SEALs have incredibly advanced mission capabilities compared to their predecessors, but the character and drive it takes to become a SEAL remain the same. To join the ranks of these brave, unconventional warriors, one must go through months of deliberately brutal training designed to break down the weak and leave only the strongest, most capable men. That is just to qualify for an additional training period, eventually leading to the moment when the coveted gold "Budweiser" is pinned to his chest. This revised and expanded edition of U.S. Navy SEALs contains more than 100 color photos of today's Navy SEALs, including six months of BUD/S where trainees are pushed to their limits and real missions where the old SEAL saying--"The only easy day was yesterday"--is proven time and time again.
Synopsis
Updated and expanded to include activities and operations in Afghanistan as well as:• The Osama bin Laden mission• SEALs at war• Counter-piracy ops• Weapons and equipment The U.S. Navy SEALs—named for the three environments from which they operate (SEa, Air, Land)—derived from the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) and other specialized units created during World War II. During the Korean War, UDTs operated as part of the Pacific Fleet and conducted such perilous missions as demolitions, reconnaissance, and hydrographic surveys while dodging water-based mines and enduring frigid water temperatures. Today’s Navy SEALs have incredibly advanced mission capabilities compared to their predecessors, but the character and drive it takes to become a SEAL remain the same. To join the ranks of these brave, unconventional warriors, one must go through months of deliberately brutal training designed to break down the weak and leave only the strongest, most capable men. That is just to qualify for an additional training period, eventually leading to the moment when the coveted gold “Budweiser” is pinned to his chest. This revised and expanded edition of U.S. Navy SEALs contains more than 100 color photos of today’s Navy SEALs, including six months of BUD/S where trainees are pushed to their limits and real missions where the old SEAL saying—“The only easy day was yesterday”—is proven time and time again.
About the Author
Hans Halberstadt studied documentary film in college and later took up writing, authoring or co-authoring more than fifty books. Most of his books have been on military subjects, especially U.S. special operations forces, armor, and artillery. He has also written extensively about farming and railroads. Halberstadt served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. He and his wife, April, live in San Jose, California.