The sharpshooters who ended the standoff with the Somalis over the weekend all underwent basic SEAL training at the Naval Amphibous Base at Coronado. On Monday, local SEAL commanders guardedly shared their pride in the mission.
Captain Richard Phillips was rescued Sunday after Navy snipers killed three Somali pirates holding Phillips hostage on a lifeboat. Vice Adm. William Gortney said the snipers were able to kill each pirate with a single bullet because they are "extremely, extremely well-trained.
Coronado is one of only two places in the world where the U.S. Navy trains its elite commando force. Capt. Chris Lindsay, who is the chief of Staff, Naval Special Warfare Command, at Coronado talked about weekend's events.
"The reaction here was certainly one of elation," Lindsay said. "Because we all knew a tense situation existed. We all know who might be employed.... So the fact that the guys came through and no American life was lost was just a huge success, and we're all very happy about it."
All SEALs undergo 18 months of basic training before graduating to specialized training, and the best of the best were called on Sunday.
"This is really the nature, the uniqueness, of Special Operations forces," Lindsay said. "They're so well-selected, so well-manned and trained, that is why the trust is so high: because the risk is often high."
The training is so difficult that only a handful out of hundreds become members each year. The training covers three phases in six months.
Local
"You want the best of the best," Lindsay said. " And there are guys in each unit who certainly specialize in different areas. At the same time, there are things that every SEAL is good at."
On Monday morning, the captain was resting comfortably on a San Diego-based U.S. warship, USS Boxer.
USS Boxer has more than 1,800 Marines aboard, mostly from Camp Pendleton, the Orange County Register reported. The Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (BOXESG) left Naval Base San Diego in January.
