For the reason that delivery of the SEAL groups, NSW’s dedication to embracing variety, equality and inclusion left a constructive and lasting influence on its tradition. Accepting the very best and absolutely certified candidates has straight resulted in growing [as the SEAL Ethos reads], ‘frequent residents with an unusual need to succeed,’ into America’s best warriors.
Naval Particular Warfare’s lengthy historical past of inclusion started through the peak of WW II in 1945, previous to the institution of the SEAL groups, when Engineman 2nd Class Fred “Tiz” Morrison grew to become one in all solely six Sailors to finish coaching for the newly shaped Underwater Demolition Groups. He was the primary Black UDT Frogman and later grew to become the primary Black UDT teacher. Within the years to observe, UDTs would offer the manpower required to construct the primary SEAL groups.
In 1957, William Goines joined two international naval officers, 5 Army Rangers, 4 U.S. Navy officers and 85 enlisted Sailors for Frogmen coaching. He grew to become one in all solely 13 to cross three-weeks of coaching and a number of other years later, after present process particular person interviews along with his management, now retired Grasp Chief Petty Officer Goines grew to become one in all 40 Sailors, and the one Black man, chosen to hitch the newly shaped SEAL Staff 2. On the time, he was the primary and solely Black man on both SEAL group.
With an eye fixed in the direction of tomorrow’s combat, NSW management acknowledges it has to work laborious to maneuver the needle and welcomes every variety accomplishment alongside the best way.
“I imagine that successfully recruiting, retaining, and growing a various Drive will give NSW a major aggressive benefit,” mentioned Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander, Naval Particular Warfare Command. “Expertise is aware of no shade, class, gender, or creed. Variety is a power multiplier and makes us a stronger and extra succesful combating power. Having a variety of perspective and expertise will deliver us the combo of abilities, information, concepts and creativity that we require to resolve our nation’s hardest issues.”
In 2020, Cmdr. Blythe Blakistone made historical past when she grew to become the primary lady to command an NSW unit – Tactical Communications Command 1, which helps SEAL Groups, different particular operations forces, and traditional forces worldwide by offering tactical communications in all environments and ranges of battle.
A yr later, in July 2021, one other historic milestone adopted for NSW when the primary feminine SWCC candidate graduated from coaching. She earned and was accepted right into a group the place solely about 35% of candidates efficiently full coaching. Jobs as SEAL and SWCC operators have been open to girls Sailors since 2016, and since then, solely 18 girls have tried the bodily and mentally difficult coaching.
With an eye fixed in the direction of tomorrow’s combat, the Naval Particular Warfare Evaluation Command (NSWAC) was established Aug. 18, 2022. NSWAC’s mission is to conduct diversified outreach, enhance evaluation of NSW candidates, and assess leaders in any respect ranges for strategic selectivity and growth of its individuals. NSWAC conducts outreach and evaluation for potential candidates and selects people primarily based on character, cognitive and management attributes.
NSWAC outreach occasions span throughout the nation and educate younger leaders about profession alternatives inside Naval Particular Warfare. The NSWAC Outreach group, using active-duty SEAL and SWCC operators, engages with the general public at sporting occasions, excessive faculties, universities and extra. One of many important strains of effort for NSWAC Outreach is supporting occasions that promote variety, fairness and inclusion. Highlights of NSWAC’s outreach efforts embrace girls’s skilled soccer video games, traditionally Black faculties and universities (HBCUs) and ladies’s wrestling tournaments.
NSWAC not solely conducts outreach, but additionally evaluation. One among its evaluation packages is SEAL Officer Evaluation and Choice (SOAS). SOAS is a two-week program that assesses potential SEAL officer candidates in opposition to their friends in an equitable coaching surroundings. Potential candidates are chosen primarily based on the next traits: tutorial efficiency, dedication, communication abilities, conduct, honor, integrity, management, peer evaluations and bodily health.
“The evaluation and choice strategies, objectives and methods NSW implements now, will straight have an effect on how effectively we’re in a position to navigate future threats, as we transition from an period targeted on counterterrorism to that of strategic competitors with near-peer opponents,” mentioned Command Grasp Chief Deryck Dickerson, NSWAC. “Because of this optimizing Naval Particular Warfare’s organizational make-up now – hiring essentially the most certified, gifted and succesful individuals for the job – and fostering a tradition of cohesion constructed upon variety, will empower our workforce and maximize our capabilities to compete and win throughout all warfighting domains.”
The Division of the Protection is dedicated to variety, fairness and inclusion efforts.
In September 2021, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday outlined a aim for the U.S. Navy to turn into essentially the most numerous U.S. navy service department all through the following 20 years. In keeping with a 2020 DoD examine, the Navy already holds the highest spot for variety in terms of minority enlisted service members – greater than 40% increased than some other service.
On March 29, 2022, U.S. Particular Operations Command (USSOCOM) launched its Variety and Inclusion Implementation Motion Plan for Fiscal Yr 2022 – 2023, which outlines strategic actions, priorities, initiatives and measures of success in implementation of the 2021 USSOCOM Variety and Inclusion Strategic Plan.
Concurrently, in a memorandum to all SOF personnel, U.S. Particular Operations Command management acknowledged that the ‘expertise pool’ from which it attracts its power has modified in a myriad of the way. In parallel with the more and more advanced operational surroundings, and for the reason that demographics, expertise, motivation, and mindset of our nation have developed a lot, SOF’s method to variety and inclusion has turn into essential to optimizing its organizational make-up for future warfighting.
Since 1962, Naval Particular Warfare has been the nation’s premier maritime particular operations power – a extremely dependable and deadly power – at all times able to conduct full-spectrum operations, unilaterally or with companions, in assist of nationwide goals, and uniquely positioned to increase the Fleet’s attain, delivering all-domain choices for Naval and joint power commanders.
As a element of Naval Particular Warfare, Naval Particular Warfare Group 2 (NSWG-2) strives to supply, assist and deploy the best maritime commandos on the planet, enabling Naval Particular Warfare to conduct full-spectrum operations, unilaterally or with companions, to assist nationwide goals.
For extra information from Naval Particular Warfare Command, go to https://www.fb.com/NavalSpecialWarfare or https://www.nsw.navy.mil/. For extra information from NSWG-2, go to https://www.dvidshub.internet/unit/NSWG-2.
