Richard Marcinko
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Marcinko (born November 21, 1940), is a retired Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 and a former Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...

. He was the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group , commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six , is one of the United States' four secretive counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units .The vast majority of information about DEVGRU is highly classified, and...

 and Red Cell
Red Cell
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. "Red Cell" was purported to be a U.S. Navy SEAL team which had been organized to attempt to infiltrate and otherwise test the security of U.S...

. After retiring from the Navy, he became an author, radio talk show host, military consultant, and motivational speaker.

Early life

Marcinko was born in Lansford, Pennsylvania
Lansford, Pennsylvania
Lansford is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Allentown and 9 miles south of Hazleton. Settled in 1845, Lansford was incorporated in 1876. In 1900, 4,888 people lived in Lansford; in 1910, 8,321 people inhabited it, and in 1940, 8,710 residents called Lansford home....

 and is of Slovakian descent. After attending Admiral Farragut Academy
Admiral Farragut Academy
Admiral Farragut Academy is a college preparatory school with Naval training founded in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey by, among others, Admiral Samuel Robison, one-time President of RCA, and former Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is named after Admiral...

 in Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...

, Marcinko enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 in 1958 as a radioman. Later commissioned as an officer, he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

 from the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...

 and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 from Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...

.

Vietnam

On May 18, 1967, Marcinko led his men in an assault on Ilo-Ilo Island, where they killed a large number of Vietcong and destroyed six of their sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...

s. This action would be called “the most successful SEAL operation in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...

” by the US Navy. For leading it, Marcinko was awarded the first of his four Bronze Stars, as well as a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.

Marcinko returned to Vietnam with SEAL Team 2 after a few months stateside as OIC of Eighth Platoon. During the Tet Offensive, Marcinko ordered his platoon to assist US Army Special Forces at Chau Doc
Chau Doc
Châu Đốc is a district and town in An Giang Province, bordering Cambodia, in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 112,155. The district covers an area of 100 km²....

. What began as an urban street battle turned into a rescue mission of American nurses and a schoolteacher trapped in the city's church and hospital.

After completing his second tour in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 and a two-year stateside staff assignment, Marcinko was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...

 and assigned as the Naval Attache
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...

 to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

 in 1973. After serving in Cambodia for 18 months, Marcinko returned stateside and assumed command of SEAL Team Two.

SEAL Team Six

During the Iran Hostage Crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...

 in 1979, Marcinko was one of two Navy representatives for a Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...

 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
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw was an American military operation ordered by President Jimmy Carter to attempt to put an end to the Iran hostage crisis by rescuing 52 Americans held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran on 24 April 1980...

. In the wake of the debacle, the Navy saw the need for a full-time dedicated Counter-Terrorist Team and tasked Marcinko with its design and development.

Marcinko was the first commanding officer of this new unit. At the time, the Navy had only two SEAL teams. Marcinko purportedly named the unit SEAL Team Six in order to confuse other nations, specifically the Soviet Union, into believing that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 had three other SEAL teams that they were unaware of. He personally selected the unit's members from across the US Navy's Special Operations community, including a special counter-terrorist tactics section of SEAL Team Two, codenamed MOB-6. SEAL Team Six would be the Navy's premier counter-terrorist unit, like its Army counterpart Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...

. While typically a two-year command in the Navy at the time, Marcinko commanded SEAL Team Six for three years, from August 1980 to July 1983.

Red Cell

After relinquishing command of SEAL Team SIX, Marcinko was tasked by Vice Admiral James "Ace" Lyons, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, with the design of a unit to test the Navy's vulnerability to terrorism. This unit was the Naval Security Coordination Team OP-06D, unofficially named Red Cell
Red Cell
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. "Red Cell" was purported to be a U.S. Navy SEAL team which had been organized to attempt to infiltrate and otherwise test the security of U.S...

. In 1984, Marcinko hand-picked twelve men from SEAL Team Six and one from Marine Force Recon.

This team tested the security of naval bases, nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...

s, ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s, civilian airports, and an American embassy. Under Marcinko's leadership, the team was able to infiltrate seemingly impenetrable, highly-secured bases, nuclear submarines, ships, and other purported "secure areas" such as Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...

, and disappear without incident. These demonstrations showed that a vulnerable military resulted from the replacement of Marines and Air Force Security Police by contracted private security agencies often started by retired military personnel.

Marcinko has claimed, among other things, that Red Cell successfully captured nuclear devices from United States Navy facilities, and proved the viability of plans to:
  • penetrate and attack nuclear-powered submarines
  • destroy subs by using them as dirty bomb
    Dirty bomb
    A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....

    s
  • capture launch codes for nuclear weapons aboard the subs by using mild torture
    Torture
    Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...

     techniques on personnel in charge of launch codes.


Former members of Red Cell, notably Steve Hartmann and Dennis Chalker
Dennis Chalker
Dennis Chalker is a retired Navy SEAL, inventor and author who has written six books about the United States Navy SEALs.-Career:Chalker began his military service with the U.S. Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division. Upon discharge he tried his hand at a few civilian jobs and found them less...

, maintain that these exercises were a cover to move SPECWAR operators around the world for covert missions against real-world terrorists.

He retired from the Navy with thirty years of enlisted and commissioned service in 1988.

Prison

On 9 March 1990, Marcinko was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and fined $10,000 under charges of defrauding the government over the price of contractor acquisitions for hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...

s. Marcinko maintains that he was the subject of a witch-hunt
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...

 for his work with Red Cell and that the fraud committed revealed the weaknesses of military security. Marcinko has detailed his arrest and confinement in the last chapters of his autobiography.

Civilian life

Marcinko has since published a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....

 and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 movie account of his "Red Cell" operations.

His experiences led him to write his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

best-selling  Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior (book)
Rogue Warrior , by Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two United States Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, he was directed to use them to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities...

, and subsequent fictional sequels, most of which are co-written with ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...

 John Weisman.

He is currently CEO of Red Cell International and formerly of SOS Temps, Inc., a private security consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. He had a politically conservative talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 show America on Watch with Dick Marcinko which was broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...

 live. He is a spokesman for the Zodiac
Inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible. On boats longer than , the floor often consists of three to five rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed...

 boat company's Zodiac Maritime Training Academy, and served as a consultant on FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

's television series 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...

. He briefly collaborated with Strider Knives
Strider Knives
Strider Knives, Inc. is a custom and production knifemaking facility headed by Mick Strider and Duane Dwyer based in San Marcos, California.-Materials and design:...

 on a series of knife designs referred to as the "RW" signifying "Rogue Warrior" from 2008 to 2010.

Military awards

  • Special Warfare insignia
  • Naval Parachutist insignia
    Parachutist Badge (United States)
    The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy...

  • Silver Star
    Silver Star
    The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

  • Legion of Merit
    Legion of Merit
    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...

  • Bronze Star
    Bronze Star Medal
    The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

     with Valor Device
    Valor device
    The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...

     and three Gold Award Stars
  • Defense Meritorious Service Medal
    Defense Meritorious Service Medal
    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...

  • Navy Commendation Medal with Valor device and Gold Award Star
  • Combat Action Ribbon
    Combat Action Ribbon
    The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or...

     with three Gold Award Stars
  • Presidential Unit Citation
  • Good Conduct Medal
    Good Conduct Medal
    The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...

     with Bronze Service Star
    Service star
    A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...

  • National Defense Service Medal
    National Defense Service Medal
    The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
    The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

  • Vietnam Service Medal
    Vietnam Service Medal
    The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...

     with four campaign stars
    Service star
    A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...

  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star
  • Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Non-fiction

  • Rogue Warrior
    Rogue Warrior (book)
    Rogue Warrior , by Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, is an account of how he founded two United States Navy counter-terrorist units, SEAL Team SIX and Red Cell. Commanding Red Cell, he was directed to use them to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities...

    (1992) (with John Weisman) ISBN 0-671-70390-0
  • Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success
    Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success
    Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success is a book by United States Navy SEAL veteran Dick Marcinko, together with ghost writer John Weisman. In the book, Marcinko looks into the world of business management...

    (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

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) (with Jim DeFelice) ISBN 978-0743422482
  • Dictator's Ransom (2008) (with Jim DeFelice)
  • Seize the Day (2009) (with Jim DeFelice)
  • Domino Theory (2011) (with Jim DeFelice) ISBN 9780765325402

Articles


Advisory

  • G.I. Jane
    G.I. Jane
    G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures, distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training...

  • The Rock
  • 24 (Season 5)

Participatory

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

Video games

Marcinko has partnered with Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...

 to publish Rogue Warrior
Rogue Warrior: Black Razor
Rogue Warrior is a first person shooter video game. It was developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Bethesda Softworks...

for video game consoles and PC. Marcinko himself is the protagonist, voiced in the game by actor Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....

, trapped behind enemy lines in North Korea on a covert mission to assess the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The game received universally abysmal reviews, with critics citing poor AI, excessive use of expletives
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...

, numerous bugs, and shallow gameplay that featured only a 2-3 hour single player mode and multiplayer that included only deathmatch and team deathmatch.

External links

  • "Interview with the Sharkman" by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
  • Liberty Watch Interview (MP3
    MP3
    MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...

    ) Liberty Watch show 7-17-05 "America Armed & Free"
  • http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/crime/2011/05/04/ng.seal.team.6.founder.hln
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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