A History of the Navy SEALs

The Navy’s Sea, Air, and Land Teams, known as the Navy SEALs, is a special operations force associated with the Naval Special Warfare Command. The SEALs' main function is small unit special missions in various environments such as jungle, urban, arctic, mountainous, and more. Their missions typically center around intelligence gathering or high-profile kill targets. The role of Navy SEAL is exclusively reserved for individuals who have a high degree of direct action and special reconnaissance experience.

The SEALs were originally established by John F. Kennedy in 1962 to conduct Unconventional Warfare. The SEALs have a rich, important history through WWII as through WWI the U.S. realized that vast improvements would need to be made in the Naval Department in order to claim victories in warfare. 

Navy SEALs Emblems and Patches

The SEAL Special Forces Badge, also known as the “Seal Trident,” was created on October 16th, 1970. Originally, it came in gold for officers and silver for enlisted members, but by 1978, the silver version was abolished. Being made only in gold, both for officers and enlisted, is what makes this Navy SEAL emblem so unique. The symbol consists of an eagle simultaneously grasping a Navy anchor, trident, and flintlock-style pistol. Many consider it to be the successor to the Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) Insignia, which has the same features but without the eagle. 

The Underwater Demolition Team was a special non-tactical amphibious unit of the SEALs. Many adopted the name “Frogmen” for the unit members. Underwater Demolition patches are now commonly signified by a determined frog, paying homage to the Frogmen nickname. 

Shop U.S. Navy Military Patches

Among our selection of patches, you will find a variety of general and specific patches. We offer the basics, like the SEAL insignia and Underwater Demolition insignia, as previously mentioned, as well as the Seals Sea Air And Land Special Forces patch, which offers a beautiful interpretation of each realm. We also offer a wide selection of SEAL team patches like our SEAL Team Two, Four, and Ten patches, among others, which add some individuality to the selection. Additionally, we offer badges like the Navel Underwater Demolition Team 12 patch, the Mobile Support Team Two patch, and the Special Warfare Group Two patch among many more specialty patches. Browse below to see even more of our Navy SEAL emblems and patches!