Early Years
Author
He is the author of SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, an autobiographical memoir he co-wrote with Stephen Templin. The book details some of the extreme training that United States Navy SEALs go through, as well as his experiences in the Navy. The book also covers aspects of his personal life, including his marriages, his childhood with an abusive stepfather, and life after leaving the Navy.
The book has been adapted into a young adult version, I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior.
Howard E. Wasdinwas born on November 8, 1961. His mother ran away from Howard's biological father with Howard when he was an infant. Howard did not have a typical childhood. His mother ran away with him while he was an infant and then remarried when Howard was seven. His stepfather, Leon, beat him reguarly and then forced Howard to do the hardest and most grueling chores. When he was an adult trying to make money for collage he joined the fleet, serving in Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 7 as an antisubmarine warfare operator and rescue swimmer. HS-7 deployed aboard USS John F. Kennedy. In 1986 during a deployment aboard John F. Kennedy, Wasdin was aboard a helicopter that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean due to a loss of oil while tracking a Soviet submarine which had suffered an explosion and fire in a ballistic missile tube near Bermuda. Wasdin and crew were successfully rescued from the crashed helicopter which eventually sank after a salvage attempt. He was well liked among his peers. Wasdin served the rest of his active duty contract with HS-7 Squadron before re-enlisting to attend Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL selection and training.
Following his completion of training, Wasdin served with SEAL Team 2 in Little Creek, Virginia and was deployed in the Persian Gulf War. Later he was selected to join the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, (also known as "DEVGRU" and "SEAL Team Six")
DR. HOWARD E. WASDIN is a former SEAL Team Six member. After graduating with BUD/S Class 143 he was a top sniper on SEAL Team Six. He was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his involvement in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 known as Black Hawk Down. In that conflict he was wounded three times and nearly lost a leg. Howard served in the US Navy for twelve years before retiring due to injuries sustained in Somalia. He now lives in Georgia, where he is a practicing chiropractor and a leader in his community. He has been awarded an Honor and induction into The Jeremiah Milbank Society by the National Boys and Girls Clubs of America. This award was given for his contributions and “making a difference” at the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown.
Summary
Every year about 1,000 candidates sign up for Basic Underwater Demolition/Selection (BUD/S) Training. About 75-80% of the men never complete the notoriously brutal course. The ones who do complete the training become members of the Navy’s elite special operations force: the Navy SEALS. After graduating from BUD/S, Wasdin faced new challenges. First there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six. With a curriculum that included practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally as a member of SEAL Team Six he graduated from the most legendary and challenging sniper program in the country: The Marine’s Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the 18 snipers in SEAL Team Six, Wasdin became the best—which meant one of the best snipers on the planet.
Training
Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything quickly went wrong when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help, and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it become known, left 18 American soldiers dead and 73 wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His heroic actions earned him the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Warfare
