# SEAL team six column

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seal-team-six-column/794862>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 27, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seal-team-six-column/794862 "2017-08-27T19:55:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seal-team-six-column/794862/1 "2017-08-27T19:55:26Z")

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> **[Are the Navy SEALs really so special?](https://www.straightdope.com/21344445/are-the-navy-seals-really-so-special)**

Question was:

> [@](#):
>
> Why are Navy SEALs currently the “it” special forces? Why was SEAL Team Six called upon to assault the Bin Laden house, and not another SEAL team, or the Rangers or Green Berets?
> 
> — David

Article made no mention of the fact that SEAL team six/DEVGRU is the elite team of the SEALs, made up of SEALs from other teams who have shown exceptional talent (only about 8% of SEALs make it to DEVGRU). You become a member of DEVGRU by serving about 5+ years in another SEAL team and being asked to try out for DEVGRU by current members. They are like the pro bowl team in the NFL, the best NFL members get together to form their own team.

Also no mention of tier one units, and how they differ from other special forces units like the rangers, green berets, other SEALs. Units like DEVGRU have much more experience and talent than green berets, rangers, or members of other SEAL teams.

Also I was under the impression that Delta force was operating in the Iraq/Syria region while DEVGRU was operating in Afghanistan. I don’t know if that is true, but if so that’d explain at least in part why DEVGRU was picked to do the Bin Laden raid.

Also the government admits DEVGRU exists, I still don’t know if they admit that Delta force is real. So even if Delta has a role in an operation, I don’t know if the government can comment on it.

That is my understanding of the situation, info like that would’ve helped with the column.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seal-team-six-column/794862/2 "2017-08-27T20:03:35Z")

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Here we go

> **[How America decides which missions to give SEAL Team Six](https://theweek.com/articles/459146/how-america-decides-which-missions-give-seal-team-six)**
>
> Uncle Sam essentially took a page out of the same playbook that made Toyota a global powerhouse

> [@](#):
>
> McChrystal “gave” Iraq to Delta Force. He did so seeking to empower the officers and operators of Delta, promising them that no other unit would replace them as the primary Special Mission Unit in charge of the counterterror task force in Iraq until the war was won…At the same time, McChrystal did the same for SEAL Team Six, giving it operational control of Afghanistan, and along with it, Pakistan.