Tier One vs. Tier Two Navy SEALs - What’s the Difference?

U.S. Navy SEALs are no strangers to the public spotlight. From high-profile missions capturing national headlines to blockbuster movies and best-selling books, they’ve become a household name. Hell, even your grandma would know who they are. 

But how did the SEALs come to be so widely renowned as one of, if not the best, U.S. military special operations force? That reputation didn’t just come out of thin air - they had to earn it. From having arguably the toughest military training in the world, to being at the forefront of some of the most crucial missions in modern times, Navy SEALs have consistently proven they are a deadly fighting force capable of handling whatever their country asks of them. 

But the bar goes even higher than that. Within the Navy SEALs is their Tier One Unit, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as DEVGRU for short but commonly referred to as SEAL Team Six. Unlike the regular SEAL teams, this elite unit operates in the shadows, and is often tasked with the highest-value missions entrusted only to the best operators. 

But if the Navy SEALs are so capable, why do they need a Tier ONE unit? What’s the point? What separates a Tier Two Navy SEAL from a Tier One Navy SEAL? And most importantly, what do both bring to the table in the world of Special Operations? Keep reading, and we’re going to answer all of those questions for you, and much more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: THE DEFINITION OF THE “MILITARY TIER” SYSTEM

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: WHO ARE TIER ONE SEALS?

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: WHY WERE TIER ONE SEALS NEEDED?

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: SELECTION AND TRAINING

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: CONCLUSION

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: THE DEFINITION OF THE “MILITARY TIER” SYSTEM

Before we dive into the complexities and differences between Navy SEALs and DEVGRU, we have to make something clear first… Call it a disclaimer, if you will. Outside of the Tier One units, military units aren’t really referred to by their numbered tier. Also, you’re not going to see the Navy SEALs referring to themselves as a Tier Two unit, nor would you really see DEVGRU refer to themselves as a Tier One unit. The tier system is generally an unsaid or unwritten way of “organizing” or marginalizing military units. In a nutshell, the Tier Two and Tier One terms are more for simplicity’s sake. Don’t let the number define the unit - SEALs and DEVGRU are more accurately represented by their respective missions, purposes, and funding. 

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: WHO ARE TIER ONE SEALS?

Navy SEALs are the heart of the Naval Special Warfare combat forces. They’re a multipurpose combat force organized and trained to conduct a variety of special operations missions in all environments. SEALs conduct clandestine missions infiltrating their objective areas by SEa, Air, and Land, which is exactly what SEAL stands for. 

Their proven ability to operate across the full spectrum of conflict, coupled with their ability to provide real-time intelligence and eyes on target, offers unmatched versatility on the battlefield in the face of rapidly changing crises around the world. Their stealth and clandestine methods of operation allow them to conduct multiple missions against targets that larger forces cannot approach undetected.

When you see a Navy SEAL, you know that they possess incredible amounts of discipline, professionalism, and mental fortitude, which enable them to do the impossible. 

So you know that Navy SEALs are known for their capabilities, lethality, and difficult training, but what separates a DEVGRU operator from a SEAL in the regular SEAL teams? Well, for starters, DEVGRU operators aren’t your typical Navy SEALs. Most of them have multiple years of experience and deployments under their belts in the SEAL teams. For that reason, it’s typical that members are already well into their 30’s, which means that they are a much more mature group. They’re not your fresh off the block 20 year old SEALs, if you will. They are hand picked to try out for this prestigious unit, and must meet the high standards expected of a Tier One operator in order to be accepted into DEVGRU. 

But why did the SEALs put together some of their best operators into an elite Tier One unit? To help answer that question, we’d have to take you back four decades. 

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: WHY WERE TIER ONE SEALS NEEDED?

Stemming from the humiliating failure of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, the aborted mission to rescue 53 American hostages seized at the American embassy in Iran would lead the U.S. military to conclude that a “no fail” unit was needed in the realm of counterterrorism. The goal was to avoid any future repeats of the failed embassy rescue. Recognizing a need for an elite counterterrorism unit that could also provide capabilities in maritime ops, the Navy tapped Commander Richard Marcinko to create a SEAL unit that could respond quickly and fiercely to terrorist situations. This is where SEAL Team Six was created. Although only two SEAL teams existed at the time, it is thought that Marcinko named them Team Six to make the Soviets overestimate how many SEAL teams they had. He was given six months to get it up and running, or the entire project would be scrapped. Needless to say, he was successful. Present day and over 40 years later, the unit boasts an impressive resume in the operations they’ve participated in.

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO SEALS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

But DEVGRU isn’t exactly like it was when it was stood up. As with all things in life, things change over time. For starters, while it’s still a common moniker, they are no longer officially called SEAL Team Six. DEVGRU’s mission set has evolved from its strict focus on counterterrorism into a multi-functional SOF unit with a worldwide operational mandate. 

That’s why, at first glance, when you compare the missions and purpose of Navy SEALs to their Tier One counterparts over in DEVGRU, it’s compelling to come to the conclusion that there is a lot of overlap and very little difference.

For example, SEALs operate in the full spectrum of combat on special operations missions. Whether you place them in the jungle, arctic, desert, mountains, or even in the middle of the ocean, you can bet your ass that they’ll get the job done. While each respective SEAL team has a specialty or predominant geographical area they operate in, as a whole, Navy SEALs operate in missions such as direct action, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, hostage rescue, foreign internal defense, and the like. 

But that list of missions above can apply to DEVGRU as well, so what gives? For starters, since DEVGRU falls under JSOC as a Tier One unit, they’re afforded a LOT of funding for their mission and training needs. Since they’re expected to execute some of the most dangerous, high-stakes missions out there with the utmost precision, they need a lot of money to afford the world’s best equipment, a heavy training load, and the various other resources needed for that responsibility. While DEVGRU has a much broader mission set than their predecessors in SEAL Team Six, their bread and butter is still counterterrorism and hunting down high-value targets, no matter the obstacles that come in their way.

This isn't to say that the SEAL teams do not get their hands dirty in this line of work. However, objectively speaking, a DEVGRU operator will have more proficient skills and training under their belt than one of their SEAL Team counterparts. Which begs the question: What is the training that a SEAL receives to get into DEVGRU?

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO NAVY SEALS: SELECTION AND TRAINING

To get into DEVGRU, you have to be a SEAL first. As we previously stated, the Navy SEAL pipeline is arguably the world's toughest selection process. From the recruiting office all the way to when they pin on their trident, a fraction of a percent of people make it through. At Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Training, or BUD/S for short, where most people have already been filtered out in the first place, roughly 1 in 5 make it through. After BUD/s comes SEAL Qualification Training, Jump, and SERE training. Once a newly pinned SEAL arrives at their unit, they receive roughly 18 months of training before they’re operational.

Once operational, a SEAL must excel in their line of work in the teams for multiple years. During this time, they build upon and refine their skills as operators, go on multiple deployments, and slowly take on more leadership positions. After a SEAL has made an excellent reputation for themselves and is in peak physical condition, he may get tapped to try out for DEVGRU. This rigorous selection process is known as the “Green Team.”

The training inside Green Team is very demanding and carries with it an extremely high attrition rate. Less than half make it through the process. Think about that: a small percentage of candidates defy the odds to make it through the rigorous selection process to become Navy SEALs, and now over half of those Navy SEALs, who not only have completed the world’s toughest military training but have been operational for years, are being dropped from DEVGRU selection at such high numbers.

And there’s something important to note here. Other Tier One selection processes, like Delta Force, allow applicants from any job, special operations or not. Over at DEVGRU, they only accept SEALs, so if you want to be a DEVGRU operator, you have to become a SEAL first.

Over at Green Team, DEVGRU candidates are constantly observed and scrutinized by the DEVGRU instructors, are evaluated on multiple boards, psychological exams, and must show proficiency in the various skills that are needed to be a Tier One operator in DEVGRU. Candidates must not only complete this intense 6-month selection process but also be selected by the cadre to go operational within a squad at DEVGRU.

But it’s also important to recognize that DEVGRU isn’t just made up of Navy SEALs. There’s a whole infrastructure of support personnel that helps make the unit operate like a finely-tuned machine. Just as they do with their operators, they don’t just let anyone who wants to support the unit come in and work in DEVGRU. Support personnel go through a selection process as well. While it’s nowhere near the level that SEALs have to endure over at Green Team, the selection process filters out candidates to ensure only the most qualified, professional, and capable sailors make it to support this tier one unit. As for the SEAL Teams, their support personnel are screened in some fashion, however, it’s not to the level that DEVGRU does. 

TIER ONE VS. TIER TWO SEALS: CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, Tier 1 or Tier 2, Navy SEALs are Navy SEALs. They’ve endured and conquered some of the most difficult challenges that anyone could ever go through. While a Tier One operator over at DEVGRU might be the best of the best in the SEALs, there are still plenty of competent, talented SEALs in the teams that never go into that line of work. 

Their motto “The Only Easy Day was Yesterday” showcases the ever-growing standards Navy SEALs hold themselves to both on and off the battlefield. 

If you liked this comparison of Tier One and Tier Two SEALs, then you’ll love our blog post on how the U.S. Army Rangers compare to their Tier One counterparts in the Regimental Reconnaissance Company. Go check it out! 

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