SEALs operate in all climates and all terrains. Each Team specializes in a particular region of the world - their "AO," or Area of Operations. Special tactics, techniques and gear have been developed over the years to enable the SEALs to excel in any environment - jungle, arctic, woodland or desert. Here we will outline all the unclassified equipment load outs for the teams in the various locations these items are needed.

Desert Operations
The purview of SEAL Teams THREE (Centcom) and EIGHT (Mediterranean and Africa). The SEALs proved themselves in this climate during the Gulf War an in Somalia. Overcoming the heat and arid climate poses special challenges. Mobility is a key factor, and Special Warfare relies on the Desert Humvee and the Desert Patrol Vehicle to move over long distances in the desert. Camouflage is also a challenge, as the desert provides little cover and concealment. Camouflage Netting is a must, as well as observation posts and a strong communications plan. Desert ops require stamina and a good working knowledge of the principles of hydration and survival in a temperate environment. 

Additionally, many team members attend basic and advanced language courses in Farsi and Arabic. This gives them the ability to converse at a base-line level to natives, which comes in handy if on a Foreign Internal Defense Mission. Often the forward deployed element will be assigned to a Naval Special Warfare Task Unit, which is comprised of members from the SEAL Team and the Naval Special Warfare Detachment nearest the deployment (Det Baharain for example). The NSWTU can be on land, or as in the case of the 87/88 operations in the Persian Gulf from a barge, surface vessel or submarine. The platoons utilizing the desert equipment such as the Humvee and Desert Patrol Vehicle will normally operate from a land based NSWTU due to the logistical complexity of coordinating an airdrop of this equipment

Arctic Warfare
SEAL Team TWO is responsible for Eastern Europe and the old Soviet Union. SEAL Team FIVE on the West Coast is responsible for the Northern Pacific regions - like North Korea and China. Both teams require a high degree of winter warfare training and are quite adept at operating in this forbidding environment.

Cold Weather and Arctic Operations can be some of the most demanding operations that the SEAL Teams tackle. Imagine locking out of a submarine with zodiacs in your dry suits under the arctic sea, transiting 35 miles in the bitter cold, going over the beach and changing to land gear, then patrolling inland on cross country skis to your objective. Travel is conducted at night, laying-up during the day in carefully concealed snow caves. After hitting the objective you must traverse a mountain range to rendezvous with your extraction platform twenty kliks away. That sounds easy right? Well, throw in a blizzard or two, an enemy very interested in your presence and vertical cliffs, and you have quite a challenge on your hands. Fortunately, SEALs assigned to operate in the more forbidding environments of the world train rigorously to adapt to and operate effectively in these environments. Training takes place in Alaska, Montana, Norway, Korea, Canada, Britain and other cold spots around the world. A Mountain & Arctic Warfare Platoon workup will include several months of specialized preparation including cold weather amphibious operations, ski patrols lasting several days, winter survival and avalanche training.

Cold weather equipment must be versatile and durable to withstand the cruel effects of the Arctic elements. The Winter Warfare SEAL Operator carries a first line, second line and third line of gear, as with other more temperate operations (see load out for more detail). The SEAL Operator must strive to produce heat from exertion in a sub-zero environment, and to prevent heat loss from radiation, conduction, convection evaporation and expiration. The clothing worn, and the way it is worn, is instrumental to survival. Three principals are key to the clothing design: insulation, layering and ventilation. The layering is important because due to the heat created by exertion, the operator must remove clothing while patrolling, but he must re-layer when idle to prevent hypothermia from setting in. Ventilation helps by preventing perspiration from dampening the operators clothing.

Arctic Warfare Load Out
The SEAL Winter Warfare Operator's load-out includes the clothes he wears and his three lines of gear, plus any additional mission specific
gear divided among the squad or carried in a tow sled. The First Line gear includes: survival gear, including signaling device, emergency rations, spare parts, E & E kit, map & compass, flashlight and the side arm. Second Line gear includes equipment carried on the operator's web gear, including primary weapon and ammo, short-term supplies (should the rucksack be ditched), grenades, water, med kit, smokes, flares, carabineers and other miscellaneous gear. Finally, the operator's Third Line of gear includes that equipment stored in the rucksack, including sleeping bag, ground pad, tent, food for the duration of the operation, gas stove & utensils, dry socks, clothing layers and a water container. Mountaineering gear will also be divided among the squad and carried with the third line, and each member will carry his personal ice ax and snowshoes attached to his rucksack.

Extreme Cold Water Diving
As you can imagine, diving in arctic regions is not particularly cozy and requires the right gear and a strong stamina. Dry suits are a must, and special adaptations of the dragger LarV allow divers to breathe underwater for suitable durations (the duration time of the dragger canister is dramatically reduced the colder the water temperature gets). The Mark 6 mixed gas rig is effective for SDV missions. Experimentation has been done with warm water circulation systems for cold-water wet suits, but an acceptable version has yet to be made. A good deal of research has been conducted on the effects of nutrition and certain dietary plans to enhance an operator's performance while operating in the cold-water environments. We will strive to bring you the latest and most interesting information regarding cold-water operation in this section.

Kayak
A unique form of insertion used for cold weather amphibious operations (especially by SEAL Team Two) is the kayak. This vessel is extremely covert, but not particularly useful in heavy surf. SEALs can transit long distances in a kayak and insert from this platform for dive operations or go over the beach and cache the boats for a land operation. The kayak is versatile and not easily detected, but leaves the operators exposed to the elements and enemy fire with only their personal armament to rely upon.

Jungle (Woodland) Warfare
SEAL Team FOUR on the East Coast has the South and Central America AO - full of jungle and mountainous woodland terrain. Team ONE's AO is the Southern Pacific region - including most of Asia (minus China, North Korea and Japan). 

SEAL operations in temperate regions require SEALs to operate in both wooded, semi-dense terrain and the extremely dense terrain found in the world's jungles. The equipment, tactics and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) are similar for both woodland and jungle missions. Most missions are conducted at the squad level and include a foot patrol of either long or moderate distances. Upon insertion, the squad will move out slowly in patrol formation. The Point Man leads the patrol, followed by the Patrol Leader. The radioman is close to the PL, providing instant communications with HQ or fire support when required. Following the Radioman is the first M-60 Gunner. His job is to lay a base of fire if the squad gets hit. This base of fire will keep the bad guy's heads down while the PL maneuvers the squad to flank the enemy or get out of dodge. The Corpsman (medic), who doubles as a Grenadier, comes next, followed by the second M-60 gunner. The Assistant Patrol Leader, who is usually the Platoon Chief or LPO, follows the second 60 gunner. The APL is responsible for his fire team, and for leading the patrol if the PL is wounded. The last man in the patrol is the rear security, who is essentially the back-up point man. He covers the squad's six as they patrol. If the patrol needs to backtrack, rather than do a 360, they will just reverse direction with the rear security becoming the point man, the APL becoming the PL and so on.

Jungle operations will usually entail a shorter patrol due to the dense foliage in jungle terrains. The point man may carry a shotgun, which will give him a broader kill zone in the close confines of jungle combat. It also helps clear foliage in the event of a firefight! Often a squad will have to hack their way through dense canopy with machetes, making for an agonizingly slow patrol. In the jungle, the squad will set tight perimeters when in a rally point or lay up for the day. Hammocks come in particularly handy, since there are numerous creepy crawlers who would love to eat Navy SEALs for dinner.

The Point Man
The Point Man is the eyes and ears of the squad. He is usually the man with the most finely tuned instincts and senses. He is the early warning device for the Patrol Leader, who must rely on the Point to alert the squad of any impending dangers such as booby traps, an enemy patrol or mine fields. The Point will walk from 20 to 30 yards in front of the patrol in a wooded area, and 10 feet or so in the Jungle, sniffing for danger. Often he will patrol with a small stick to feel for raised tripwires. He will stop and look, listen and feel frequently, using all his senses and equipment to detect anything abnormal. He will not normally use Night Vision Devices, for fear of ruining his night sight. The point will walk with a compass, following a general bearing provided him the PL. He is not responsible for navigation, although many points pride themselves on their navigation skills. He carries either a CAR-15 or Remington 870 or Mossberg Shotgun with buckshot for close in work in the Jungle. The point is a position of great responsibility and is usually given to an experienced SEAL who has developed a keen ability to detect the slightest hint of danger and take the appropriate action.

The Patrol Leader
The Patrol Leader is in charge of the mission, the squad and his fire team in a firefight. He is the Command and Control Center in the field, and all SEALs in the squad take their direction from him. Usually an Officer, he can also be a Senior Enlisted or Warrant Officer. His position is second in the patrol behind the point man. He plans every detail of the mission, including the navigation routes, the rally points, the lay-up points and other rendezvous points. All commands are given by hand signal, or verbally in a low whisper into the squad member's ear. The PL consults frequently with the Point during a foot patrol, ensuring that the squad is moving in the right direction and scouting out the best routes around difficult terrain features. Carrying a CAR-15 with M-203 grenade launcher, he uses the weapon sparingly, even in a firefight - his role being to direct the actions of his shooters, rather than focus his attention on his own rifle. His grenade launcher is handy for launching illumination rounds while the Grenadier/Radioman is tied up on the radio trying to raise the helo or fire support. The PL will always carry Night Vision Devices (NVD), but will use them only to scout ahead or for a recon, and he will give his eyes time to readjust after using them. Binoculars are a must, as well as the PRC 112 emergency radio. He carries a GPS Plugger (handheld) for back-up navigation and to double check positions while in a rally point or Lay-up. He will carry an MX-300 UHF radio for internal squad comms (to communicate with the APL) and a camera for Intel collection at the target or along the way. Depending on the length of the operation, he will have his first, second and third lines of gear on his back and waist, carrying up to 100 pounds for longer missions. Of course, the woodland cammies, jungle boots and bush hat (floppy) are standard for all operators on missions in the woodland and jungle environments.

Radioman/Grenadier
The Radioman doubles as a Grenadier (as do most of the men carrying the CAR-15). The Radioman's job is to carry the squad's external communication equipment, and to use it skillfully when called upon by the PL to do so. A good Radioman can achieve communications with the HQ or fire support in any terrain or environment, utilizing field expedient antennae and trouble shooting the most difficult communication problems. He need not be told by the PL to call for fire support during a firefight, or to conduct radio checks with HQ on schedule. The radioman is responsible for preparing a detailed communications plan, with brevity codes, an execution checklist alerting the HQ upon the completion of key events (like insertion, compromise, target assaulted, ready for extraction, etc.). He will have primary frequencies, secondary and tertiary frequencies, back-up handsets, and batteries as well as a back-up radio if necessary. A few of the most common radios used are the LST-5 and URC-110 Satcom radios. These require a dedicated satellite or piggyback link. The PRC 117 is an excellent VHF radio. For UHF line of sight, the PRC-113 is preferred. For long range HF, the PRC-104 can transmit and receive clear across a continent if the conditions are right. The good Radioman is a force multiplier because he can amplify the combat power of a squad one hundred times by effectively calling in an air strike or fire support (Naval Gunfire, Mortar, Helo gunship or fixed wing attack). He is an indispensable member of the team.

The M-60 Gunner
The 60 Gunner is the bass guitar of the SEAL symphony - his job is to rock and roll with his weapon when the squad gets in a pinch, or to decimate the target with 7.62 rounds during the assault. Carrying the M-60 solo with 900 plus rounds of 7.62 link, the 60 man has a ton of firepower to lend to the team. This job is NOT easy. The M-60 is a heavy weapon, and the ammo adds even more weight. Often the squad must move at the pace of the 60 Gunners, because they are so heavily laden with the weapon system. But moving slow is good, and having the two 60's by your side in a firefight is even better. When both 60's are rocking and rolling, and the other instruments are playing their tunes in a live fire shoot, you are most likely pleased to be on the trigger side of the weapons. The special equipment that the 60 man carries are specialized web gear conformed to carry linked 7.62 rounds and extra flotation in the event a river crossing is required.

The Corpsman
The Corpsman is the doctor for the squad. He is also a shooter, first and foremost. However, he has the great responsibility of caring for the sick and wounded squad members during a mission. He will prepare a detailed analysis of the medical dangers associated with the environment and prepare a medivac plan in the event a wounded man needs to be removed from the field. The Corpsman has been to the Navy HM "A" school and the U.S. Army "Goat Lab", or 18 Delta medic course, which is eleven months in length. He has further field training with his various SEAL platoons. He is capable of triage, field surgery, suturing, resuscitation and other life saving skills. The corpsman will
also ensure that the SEALs are hydrating properly and provide them with antibiotics and other medicine if required. In a firefight, the Corpsman is a shooter unless a SEAL goes down, then he becomes a medic and focuses his attention on saving the wounded's life while the PL maneuvers the squad to a safe area where the wounded can be medicated. Yet another indispensable member of the Team.

The Rear Security
The Rear Security is the second String Point Man. He is often a Point in training. His job is that of a shooter in a firefight, but on patrol he is the rear end Point. He keeps his eyes and ears on the trail behind the squad. He travels slightly removed from the Assistant Patrol Leader (APL) and is often motionless, listening for any movement or unusual sounds from the direction the squad has just come. With the rest of the squad focused on the forward movement, it is a mistake to leave your rear unattended, and the rear security protects the squad from any ambushes or attacks from behind. If the squad gets the word to change direction from the PL, then the APL takes over, and he directs the rear security to move the squad out as Point Man. He carries his compass and map handy, and is an experienced navigator. Often he will consult with the PL and Point Man about the routes the squad is traveling, because he knows that at any moment he may be required to assume the duties of the Point Man. The RS carries a CAR-15 with M-203 and numerous smoke grenades to use during firefights to confuse the enemy. He will carry a few "drop-off " C-4 charges to leave behind him with a short fuse if the squad is being pursued. He will carry much the same other gear and equipment as the Point Man - having essentially the same role in the patrol.