Richard Marcinko
November 21, 1940
Richard Marcinko as Commanding Officer of SEAL Team 2
Nickname	Dick
Place of birth	Lansford, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Navy
Years of service	1958-1988
Rank	Commander
Commands	Seal Team 2, Seal Team 6, Red Cell
Awards	Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Valor Device and three Gold Stars, Navy Commendation Medal with one Gold Star, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star
Other work	CEO of SOS Temps, Inc. and Red Cell International, Author, Talk Show Host

Richard Marcinko Commanding Officer of SEAL Team 6

Richard 'Dick' Marcinko (born November 21, 1940 in Lansford, Pennsylvania), is one of the United States' most accomplished and recognized special operations experts, with over 30 years of experience in a variety of specialties including counter-terrorism, intelligence and special operations. He has a B.A. in International Relations from the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and an M.A. in Political Science from Auburn University. He currently lives in the Alexandria, Virginia area. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... SEAL Team SIX patch The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group; otherwise known as NAVSPECWARDEVGRU, the NSWDG, or simply as DEVGRU; is the premier Navy SEAL unit and the United States Navys primary Counter-Terrorism and covert operation unit. ... Red Teams or Red Cells are U.S. government parlance for teams or units designed to test the effectiveness of U.S. tactics or personnel. ... The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Valor device, also known as V-device, V device, and Combat V, is an award of the United States military which is authorized by the military services as an attachment to certain awards and decorations. ... Gold and Silver Award Stars An Award star is a decoration issued by the United States military to denote multiple military awards issued to personnel of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and United States Marines. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... Gallantry Cross Medal and Unit Citation The Vietnam Gallantry Cross is a military decoration of South Vietnam which was established in August 1950. ... Bronze and Silver Service Stars A Service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Lansford is a borough located in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Intelligence (abbreviated or ) is the process and the result of gathering information and analyzing it to answer questions or obtain advance warnings needed to plan for the future. ... A B.A. issused as a certificate Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      International relations (IR), a branch of political science, is the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, United States is a graduate school operated by the United States Navy. ... Nickname: The Cradle of History, Californias First City Location of Monterey, California County Monterey Government  - Mayor Chuck Della Sala Area    - City 30. ... “M.S.” redirects here. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a state university located in Auburn, Alabama, in the United States. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia Founded 1718 Mayor William D. Euille Area    - City 39. ...

Career

After enlisting in the US Navy in 1958, Marcinko worked as a teletype operator at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy.^[1] The restless young sailor got into a fight with another sailor and sent him to the hospital.^[1] According to his biography, his commanding officer sent him to UDT training as punishment, where Marcinko wanted to go, anyway; he went so far as to claim that he found the rigorous training "perversely enjoyable".^[1] During his first assignment to UDT-21, his superior was Chief Petty Officer Everett E. Barrett. Barrett was a crusty, gruff-talking man and Marcinko often said he was the most profane man he ever knew. However, Barrett was mentor to Marcinko and encouraged him to enter Officer Candidate School (OCS). Barrett taught his young protege to look after and mentor the men who served under him. He referred to this leadership technique as "Barrett's First Law Of The Sea." Marcinko always revered Barrett and mentions him in every book he has written. In fact, he dedicated one of his novels to Barrett and the first Navy SEAL Roy Boehm as two leaders who always led from the front.^[1] The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Naval Air Station Sigonella, the Hub of the Med, is a U.S. Navy installation at an Italian Air Force base in Sicily, Italy. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Roy H. Boehm was born in Brooklyn, New York. ...

Marcinko was commissioned as an Ensign upon graduation from OCS in December of 1965.^[1] In June of 1966 he transferred to SEAL Team Two and received orders for Vietnam.^[1][2] Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

Vietnam

On May 18,1967 Marcinko lead his men in an assault on Ilo-Ilo Island where they destroyed a large number of Vietcong personnel and six of their sampans. The US Navy referred to it as "the most successful SEAL operation in the (Mekong) Delta." Subsequently Marcinko was awarded the first of his four Bronze Stars, as well as a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, from the ARVN.^[1] Upon arriving in the United States at the completion of this tour, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade.^[1] May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (139th in leap years). ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... A sampan carrying passengers to the outlying islands off the Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong Sampan on the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), China A sampan (舢舨) is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from twelve to fifteen feet long. ... Gallantry Cross Medal and Unit Citation The Vietnam Gallantry Cross is a military decoration of South Vietnam which was established in August 1950. ... The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ... A Lieutenant, Junior Grade, is a division officer in the United States Navy. ...

Marcinko immediately returned to Vietnam after a few months stateside, again with SEAL Team 2 as the officer in command of Eighth Platoon. During the Tet Offensive his platoon was sent to assist the US Army Special Forces at Chau Doc.^[1] What began as an urban street battle turned into a rescue mission of American nurses trapped in the city's church and hospital.^[1] Combatants Republic of Vietnam, United States of America, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia National Liberation Front, Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders William Westmoreland Võ Nguyên Giáp Strength 50,000+ (estimate) 85,000+ (estimate) Casualties 2,788 KIA, 8,299 WIA, 587 MIA 1,536 KIA, 7,764 WIA... This article is about the U.S. Special Operations Force. ... Chau Doc (vietnamese: Châu Đốc) is a town in An Giang province, Mekong river Delta region, bordered by Cambodia. ...

After completing his second tour in Vietnam, and a two-year stateside staff assignment Marcinko was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and subsequently assigned as the Naval Attache to Cambodia in 1973.^[1] After serving for 18 months and upon leaving Cambodia for orders stateside, Marcinko became the Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Two.^[1] In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... Diplomat redirects here. ...

SEAL Team Six

During the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, Marcinko was one of two Navy representatives for a Joint Chiefs of Staff task force known as the TAT (Terrorist Action Team). The purpose of the TAT was to develop a plan to free the American hostages held in Iran which culminated in Operation Eagle Claw. In the wake of the operation's disaster at Desert One, the Navy saw the need for a full-time dedicated Counter-Terrorist Team and tasked Marcinko with its design and development. This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a grouping comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ... Combatants United States Iran Commanders Col. ... Operation Eagle Claw (or Operation Evening Light) was a United States military operation to rescue the hostages from the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran on April 24, 1980. ...

Marcinko was the first commanding officer of this new unit which he named SEAL Team Six. The men in the unit were handpicked by Marcinko, himself, from across the US Navy's Special Operations personnel. SEAL Team Six would be known as the US Navy's premier counter-terrorist unit. It has also been compared favorably to the US Army's Delta Force.^[1][3] Marcinko held the command of SEAL Team Six for three years from 1980-1983 instead of what was typically a two-year command in the Navy at the time.^[4] Seal team SIX patch SEAL Team SIX, is the U.S. Navys main counterterrorist unit, where operatives are drawn from the current SEAL ranks. ... Much of the following must be recognised as speculation as the United States Government neither officially recognises or denies the existence of Delta Force. ...

Red Cell

After leaving command at SEAL Team Six, Marcinko was tasked by Vice Admiral James "Ace" Lyons, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, to design a unit to test the Navy's vulnerability to terrorism. The name of the unit was Naval Security Coordination Team OP-06D. In 1984 Marcinko hand-picked twelve men from SEAL Team Six and one from Marine Force Recon and the unit was unofficially named Red Cell.^[4] Distinguish from Marine Recon Battalions . ... Red Teams or Red Cells are U.S. government parlance for teams or units designed to test the effectiveness of U.S. tactics or personnel. ...

This team tested the security of naval bases, nuclear submarines, ships, civilian airports and a U.S. embassy. Marcinko was directed to use his team to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities. As a result he was able to infiltrate seemingly impenetrable, highly-secured bases, nuclear submarines, ships and other purported "secure areas", including the U.S. Presidential plane Air Force One. USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of deep water navigation. ...

Among the other claims Marcinko makes are the assertions that Red Cell successfully captured nuclear devices from U.S. Navy facilities, and proved the viability of plans to penetrate and attack nuclear-powered submarines, to destroy the subs by using them as improvised dirty bombs and to capture launch codes for nuclear weapons aboard the subs by using mild torture against personnel in custody of launch codes. Former members of Red Cell, notably Steve Hartmann and Dennis Chalker maintain that these exercises were a cover to move SPECWAR operators around the world for covert missions against real-world terrorists.^[5] The term dirty bomb is primarily used to refer to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), a radiological weapon which combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. ... Torture is defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he... Dennis Chalker is an American author who has written several books together with Kevin Dockery about United States Navy SEALs. ...

Civilian life

Marcinko has since published a VHS and DVD movie account of his "Red Cell" operations.In doing so he embarrassed several superior officers, whom he accuses of involvement in his subsequent conviction for misappropriation of funds and resources under his command. Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched... DVD (commonly known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...

His experiences led him to write his autobiography, The New York Times best-selling Rogue Warrior, and subsequent fictional sequels, some of which are co-written with ghostwriter John Weisman.^[1] Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... The New York Times bestseller list is a weekly chart in The New York Times newspaper that keeps track of the best-selling books of the week. ... Rogue Warrior, by Richard Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two U.S. Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. ... A ghostrider is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, or reports which are officially credited to another person. ...

He is currently CEO of SOS Temps, Inc., a private security consulting firm based in Washington, DC, whose clients have included the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the White House Fellows and the U.S. Army War College, and also of Richard Marcinko, Inc., a motivational and team-building company, which counts among its clients General Motors, AT&T, Domino's Pizza, Motorola, BellSouth and several other Fortune 500 companies. Through Eastern Michigan University, Marcinko also provides graduate-level presentations on topics such as terrorism, security and the adaptation of modern technology. He has a politically conservative talk radio show America on Watch with Dick Marcinko which is broadcast live on Saturdays (5:00PM - 8:00PM EST). He is also recently a spokesman for the Zodiac boat company's Zodiac Maritime Training Academy. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, also called Detroit Metro Airport, is an airport in Romulus, Michigan, near Detroit, Michigan. ... The White House Fellows program was established by American President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. ... The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre (2 km²) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks, a military post dating back to the 1770s. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... AT&T Inc. ... World locations Dominos Pizza, Inc. ... Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is an American multinational communications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Fortune 500 is a ranking of the top 500 United States corporations as measured by gross revenue. ... Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, MI, USA 48197) is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ... // The Allianz Arena stadium is commonly referred to as Schlauchboot (= Inflatable Boat). ...

Marcinko has partnered with Bethesda Softworks to produce a Rogue Warrior video game for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, that is set for release in late 2007. He has also collaborated with Strider Knives on two knife designs called the RW-1 and RW-2; RW signifying "Rogue Warrior". Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media Company, is a developer and publisher of computer and video games. ... // PC may stand for: Personal computer, the primary computing device for consumers Polycarbonate, a plastic polymer Political correctness, language that appears calculated to provide a minimum of offense Police Constable (also PC), in the UK and Canada Posterior commissure, brain landmark commonly used in biomedical image processing Presbyterian Church (USA... “PS3” redirects here. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged... Strider Knives, Inc. ...

Criticisms

Marcinko has come under criticism from individuals within the Special Operations community who feel that he airs too much dirty laundry, and lets his ego get in the way of truth.^{[citation needed]} While none of his stories are factually inaccurate, there have been discrepancies pointed out by other famous U.S. Navy members including Senator Bob Kerrey and his old team member Jim Watson.^{[citation needed]} Marcinko served time in federal prison under charges of defrauding the government over the price of contractor acquisitions for hand grenades. Marcinko maintains that he was the subject of a witch hunt; his detractors claim that he was able to beat any other charges with support from powerful governmental figures, as well as underhanded legal tactics.^{[citation needed]} Marcinko details his arrest and confinement in the last chapters of his autobiography.^[1] Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... Joseph Robert Bob Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) was the Democratic Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1989–2001). ... For the alcoholic beverage sold in New Orleans, see hand grenade (drink). ...

Military awards

• Silver Star
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star with Valor Device and three Gold Stars
• Navy Commendation Medal with Valor Device and one Gold Star
• Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star
• Combat Action Ribbon with three Gold Stars
• Presidential Unit Citation
• National Defense Service Medal
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Good Conduct Medal with Gold Star
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Joint Meritorious Service Medal
• Vietnam Campaign Medal

The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Valor device, also known as V-device, V device, and Combat V, is an award of the United States military which is authorized by the military services as an attachment to certain awards and decorations. ... Gold and Silver Award Stars An Award star is a decoration issued by the United States military to denote multiple military awards issued to personnel of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and United States Marines. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... Gallantry Cross Medal and Unit Citation The Vietnam Gallantry Cross is a military decoration of South Vietnam which was established in August 1950. ... Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, and which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy (or Colonel in the Marine Corps), have actively... Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on... The National Defense Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States military and was the brainchild of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States military which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. ... The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military decorations of the United States military. ... The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. ... The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military award of South Vietnam which was established in 1966. ...

Bibliography

Non-fiction

• Rogue Warrior (1992) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-70390-0
• Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success (1997) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-54514-0
• The Rogue Warriors Strategy for Success (1998) ISBN 0-671-00994-X
• The Real Team (1999) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-02465-5

Rogue Warrior, by Richard Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two U.S. Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. ...

Fiction

• Red Cell (1994) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-01977-5
• Green Team (1995) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-79959-2
• Task Force Blue (1996) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-89672-5
• Designation Gold (1997) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-89674-1
• Seal Force Alpha (1998) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-00072-1
• Option Delta (1999) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-00068-3
• Echo Platoon (2000) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-00074-8
• Detachment Bravo (2001) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-00071-3
• Violence of Action (2003) ISBN 0-7434-2276-7
• Vengeance (2005) (with Jim DeFelice) ISBN 0-7434-2247-3
• Holy Terror (2006) (2006) (with Jim DeFelice) ISBN 978-0743422482

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... // Dick Marcinko John Weisman Pocket Books New York, New York 1996 ISBN 0-671-89672-5 Demo Dick finds himself in a web of lies when he tries to track down a ruthless militia group and more importantly, their arms supplier. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... // Dick Marcinko John Weisman Pocket Books New York, New York 1998 ISBN 0-671-00072-1 Political entanglements and Chinese influencing White House decisions require the Rogue Warrior to clean up the government. ... // Dick Marcinko John Weisman Pocket Books New York, New York 1999 ISBN 0-671-00073-X Demo Dick travels to Germany to recover some high-end American ordinance left behind from a post WWII / Cold War era. ... // Dick Marcinko John Weisman Pocket Books New York, New York 2000 ISBN 0-671-00070-5 Oil, terrorist, and the middle-east; that could never happen in real life. ... // Dick Marcinko John Weisman Pocket Books New York, New York 2001 ISBN 0-671-0071-3 Demo Dick joins British allies in battling IRA global terrorist in this multi-national thriller. ... Violence of Action (Atria Books, ISBN 0-7434-2246-5) is a 2002 novel by Richard Marcinko. ... Vengeance (Atria Books, ISBN 0-7434-2247-3) is a 2005 novel by Richard Marcinko and Jim DeFelice. ... // Dick Marcinko Jim DeFelice Atria Books New York, New York 2006 ISBN 978-0-7434-2248-2 While on a trip to Rome, Demo Dick finds trouble in The Vatican, leading him and his team on a worldwide adventure to track down terrorists led by a mysterious foe from Dick...

Articles

• 'Ethics in the war against terrorism' for World Defense Review

Filmography

Advisory

• G.I. Jane
• The Rock
• 24 (Season 5)

G.I. Jane is an 1997 action movie that tells the story of the first woman to undergo S.E.R.E. training. ... The Rock is an action movie released on Friday, June 7, 1996 that takes place on Alcatraz Island. ... 24 (twenty four) is a current U.S. television action/drama series, produced by the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide. ...

Participatory

• Red Cell (VHS & Special Edition DVD)
• Advanced Hostage Rescue (VHS & DVD)
• Navy SEAL: Tides of SPECWAR (DVD)

See also

• Tiger team

A tiger team is an individual, or more commonly a collection of individuals, who are employed or contracted by an organization to attempt to break its security, as a means of testing the reliability of that security. ...

References

Dennis Chalker is an American author who has written several books together with Kevin Dockery about United States Navy SEALs. ...

External links

• Richard Marcinko's Homepage
• "Interview with the Sharkman" by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
• Liberty Watch Interview (MP3) Liberty Watch show 7-17-05 "America Armed & Free"

United States Navy Portal

Military of the United States Portal