Following several high-profile scandals, the Navy has not restarted a stalled plan to expand the number of SEAL platoons, the Navy said.
“If they’re not ready, that’s not fair to the platoon, it’s not fair to the SEALs, it’s not fair to that individual, and certainly not fair to the combatant commander who needs that platoon to do a mission,” Naval Special Warfare Command spokeswoman Capt. Tamara Lawrence told the Washington Examiner.
In August, Rear Adm. Collin Green, who leads the command, notified Navy leadership that the SEAL community’s discipline problem forced him to cancel plans to increase the number of platoons per team from seven to nine.
“We will grow at the pace of excellence,” Green wrote in the directive.
While the plan would not have increased the number of the approximately 3,000 SEALs in service, it would allow the teams to adjust the size of platoons based on the needs of a given mission, Lawrence said. More platoons require more leaders, but Green is concerned about putting people into those positions before they are ready.
Special operations forces have shouldered more than their fair share of deployments in the global war on terror for nearly 20 years. With a limited number of special operations forces in service, some have called for increases in the number of SEALs, Special Forces, and other elite units.
Brandon Webb, a former SEAL who spent more than 13 years in the Navy, said he believes the demands of the last several years have taken a toll on the force.
“The SEAL Teams have an incredible legacy and track record dating back to D-Day in WWII, however, almost 20 years of war and high operational tempo have caused very real issues in the SEAL community,” Webb told the Washington Examiner.
“This pace is unsustainable and has caused many issues now coming to light in the press, from Eddie Gallagher to the murder of a Green Beret in Africa. It needs to be addressed by senior leadership in the Pentagon, U.S. SOCOM [Special Operations Command], and WARCOM [Naval Special Warfare Command].”
The SEALs have spent time in the media limelight thanks to movies like American Sniper and books from former members, but their reputation recently has been marred by scandals. The killing in Africa occurred in 2017 in a botched hazing incident.
In addition to suspending the expansion of the platoons, Green instructed SEAL commanders in August to refocus the “ethically misaligned” community by conducting routine inspections and enforcing Navy grooming standards.
“These reminders that you’re in the Navy are important,” Lawrence said.
