[Lee Hyun-ho's Military! Talk]
News that a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps anti-aircraft fire over Iran's southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province on April 3 drew worldwide attention.
The pilot in the front seat ejected and was rescued the same day, but the weapons systems officer in the rear seat went missing after ejecting. Had the officer been captured by Iranian forces, it could have created a critical situation with adverse consequences for the U.S. war effort.
However, U.S. special operations forces were deployed and successfully rescued the officer after approximately 36 hours of search operations. U.S. President Donald Trump said, "The U.S. military completed one of the most daring search and rescue operations in American history, and he (the missing officer) returned safely."
So which special operations unit carried out what has been called one of the most daring rescue missions in American history?
They are operatives from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as "DEVGRU" — commonly called "Team 6" — the most elite unit within the Navy SEALs, which alongside the U.S. Army's top-tier special operations unit Delta Force — the same unit that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 — ranks among America's most prominent special operations forces.
The unit was established in the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw on April 24–25, 1980, a failed mission to rescue 52 American hostages held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which had been seized by Iranian protesters. The operation ended in failure so catastrophic that the military could not even recover the bodies of those killed — making it the most painful defeat in U.S. special operations history.
Navy SEALs: The Foundation of DEVGRU
First, let us examine the Navy SEALs, the foundation of DEVGRU. Established in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy's directive, the SEALs are classified as a Tier-2 unit within the U.S. Special Operations Command. They have been deployed in the Iraq War, operations against the Islamic State (IS), and the mission that killed Osama bin Laden, among others.
The Navy SEALs number approximately 2,500 personnel. Of these, about 2,000 are operators who carry out actual combat missions. As an all-weather special operations force, they operate across all domains — sea, air, and land.
The SEALs are regarded as the "elite of the elite" because of their grueling selection and training process. Entry requirements are extremely demanding. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and active-duty Navy personnel between the ages of 19 and 28.
The training program spans 62 weeks — more than a year — and is notoriously intense. More than 85% of all trainees drop out; out of every 10 who begin, at most two remain. As of 2023, the cost of training a single operator is estimated at $2 million (approximately 3 billion won).
Generous Budget and Broad Authority for Field Commanders
The organizational structure includes Naval Special Warfare Group 1, which oversees SEAL Team 1, SEAL Team 3, SEAL Team 5, SEAL Team 7, NSW Unit 1 (based in Guam), and NSW Unit 3 (based in Bahrain).
Naval Special Warfare Group 2 oversees SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4, SEAL Team 8, SEAL Team 10, and NSW Unit 2 (based in Germany).
Naval Special Warfare Group 4 oversees Special Boat Team 12, Special Boat Team 20, and Special Boat Team 22.
Naval Special Warfare Group 8 oversees SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2, Special Reconnaissance Team 1, and Special Reconnaissance Team 2.
Naval Special Warfare Group 11 oversees reserve units including SEAL Team 17 and SEAL Team 18.
DEVGRU, known as Team 6, selects only operators with the highest operational and combat capabilities through an even more rigorous screening process within the SEALs. The team comprises approximately 300 operators, supported by more than 1,000 medical and technical support personnel. The unit receives generous budget support, and field commanders are granted broad decision-making authority.
DEVGRU was re-established in 1987 as a counter-terrorism special operations unit, built upon the foundation of SEAL Team 6. Rather than falling under the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), it is assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and operates independently under its command.
As a special operations force regarded as the "Navy SEALs of the Navy SEALs," DEVGRU is classified as Tier-1 within the U.S. Special Operations Command — alongside the U.S. Army's Delta Force and the U.S. Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron — making it one of the most elite units in the U.S. military. It was originally established in 1980, led by veteran SEAL commander Commander Richard Marcinko.
This is why, as in the recent rescue operation of the downed pilot in Iran, DEVGRU operates under JSOC's command structure and is deployed on missions that are more dangerous, secretive, and sensitive than those carried out by the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) or the regular Navy SEALs.
