Deep in the tropical rain forest, camouflage-clad men are working their way carefully through the jungle, posting guards as they cross rivers, blending in with the undergrowth as they move silently toward their target.

High on a snow-covered ridge, sniper team members - all but invisible in their white cold-weather exposure suits - set up their rifles and spotter scopes. They work quickly and carefully, oblivious to the sub-zero temperatures and swirling snow.

On the sun-baked desert floor, a small group of men in desert cammies move carefully among the mesquite and take up positions surrounding their objective. Suddenly, the simmering air erupts with the detonation of a Claymore mine and the heat is made that much more unbearable by the billowing dust.

These three land missions have not been carried out by Green Berets or Rangers or Marines - not by soldiers at all - but by sailors, very special sailors.

Many people think the U.S. Navy SEAL is strictly a combat swimmer and underwater demolition expert. There is a tendency to believe that the SEALs' operational environment is confined either to water or the well-defined perimeter of a beachhead. It is popular to think of the SEAL exclusively as a frogman - a web-footed warrior who carries out daring underwater attacks against enemy shipping and clears beaches and landing sites of enemy obstacles. That image is accurate to a point. But it is just a part of a more comprehensive role played by SEALs in special warfare operations. To classify these highly-trained sailors solely as sea raiders, more at home in the water than out, belies the overall adaptability and versatility of these unique, multifaceted fighting men.

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