LCDR Mark D. Divine
is a Navy SEAL currently serving a one year
recall in support of Operation Noble Eagle
and the War on Terror. Divine was Honor graduate
of SEAL training class 170, and has served
for 14 years with the SEALs - 7 & 1/2 of which
were on active duty at SEAL Team THREE, SEAL
Delivery Vehicle Team ONE and Naval Special
Warfare Group ONE. Most recently he was Executive
Officer at Reserve SEAL Team ONE. After leaving
Active Duty Mark started NavySEALs.com, which
has become a leader on the web for Special
Operations news and intelligence.
You
Want Me to Do What? - Ever wondered
what it would REALLY be like to go through
Special Forces training? Get a comprehensive,
humorous look at the process through the eyes
of Jeff Kraus, the only man to succeed at
all three elite U.S. Military Special Operations
qualifications schools.
January 20, 2004
By Mark Divine
A Navy SEAL making a six-figure salary? After years of lagging
behind civilians in pay, SEALs are taking the initiative in improving
their careers.
When I was serving at Naval Special Warfare Group ONE [which is the
Navy
SEALs] in the late 1990's I had an opportunity to meet Navy
Secretary Richard Danzig. Sharp guy. At the time, it was the height
of the Clinton-era politically correct military, don't ask, don't
tell defense draw-down ("Peace Dividend"). Our SEAL junior officers
were leaving in droves - many going to venerable business schools
seeking to catch up to the outrageous salaries that their civilian
counterparts were making in the dot-com gold rush.
Asked what the Navy could do to make the SEALs' lives better, I said
"more pay,"
and cited the fact that a 28-year old SEAL risks his life daily to
serve his country and gets paid $60k. His cousin, serving at Yahoo,
risks nothing, and gets paid $150k. There is a pay gap for the "smart
guys," and it was causing our people to leave. This gap had been filled
for the other smart guys in the Navy (the submariners who get a rather
large
annual bonus to stay in the service). The SEAL officers, who are
at the very top of their class in virtually everything and who had
to go through a selection gauntlet akin to the astronaut program (about
2% of men who initially apply for the SEALs get to wear the trident,
and 20% of those selected for the initial Basic Underwater Demolition
/ SEAL Training [BUD/s] complete it) had no bonus at the time. (In
retrospect, it was the Clinton-era policies and the military's bending
over to accommodate them that was causing people to leave - but I
wanted more pay, so that was my primary reason.)
Secretary Danzig laughed at me and said: "We are not interested in
creating Utopia."
Hmmm - a six-figure salary as a commando. Still not Utopia. How about
a high six-figure salary, no uniform, no military regulations, work
with your old teammates on real-world operations, with the latest
weapons and gadgets, and superb training. All right - now that's Utopia.
Since the military was not interested in creating Utopia, the Operators
did it themselves - really. Welcome to the little-known world of the
Corporate Commando.
There has been some press on the huge contractor build-up in Iraq.
Little has been written about the explosive growth of the Special
Ops-for-hire-business. Companies with names like Blackwater, Dyncorp,
Combative Concepts, AMTI - all founded by former Special Operators
and staffed with a mix of crusty old farts as well as guys fresh off
a team - are securing million dollar contracts. These contracts are
to field multiple teams of former Special Operators from the Navy
SEALs, Army Special Forces and CIA Paramilitary (with fewer numbers
from the Rangers and Marines Recon) to do everything from protect
the Honorable Paul Bremer in Iraq and President Karzi in Afghanistan,
to conducting more esoteric intelligence and direct action-style missions
in support of U.S. strategic interests.
I could care less about the political implications of this unique
"outsourcing" arrangement. However, it is a very nice option for a
Special Ops warrior who is tired of the rigidity of the military system.
I imagine it will cause problems for retention at some point - but
for now there is enough room for everyone in the Global War on Terror.
Utopia: The contract commandoes are earning $150k to over $200k for
the Senior Leaders. They wear no uniform, and do not have the strict
U.S. code of Military Justice hung over their head, which will fry
them if they fart upwind of the wrong senior officer. They get new
weapons and refresher courses, real-world operating and can come home
after three months - then go back if they WANT to. Pure and simple,
this is the good life for a Special Operator. It is great to see this
valuable talent getting used finally, and for such a great cause.
It is even better to see Special Operators getting compensated properly
for the job that they do and risks they take. Over a three year period
these contractors will put away enough money to make up for the dismal
military retirement plan that they either did not vest in or earn
a whopping $2k a month after 20 years of service.
Time to go fill out my employment application..."Navy SEAL for hire!"
