One Perfect Op: An Insider's Account of the Navy SEAL Special Warfare Teams

Dennis Chalker says "the greatest challenge offered by the U.S. military [is] to become a Navy SEAL." A former SEAL himself, Chalker tells of his life and times in one of the military's most elite units. Much of One Perfect Op describes the extensive training each SEAL goes through, not only to become a SEAL but to remain one: "Our training had been hard and dangerous for a reason: you train as you fight." And the training certainly was hazardous--Chalker describes how one of his teammates was killed during an exercise. About half the book goes by before Chalker sees his first real combat, during the invasion of Grenada in 1983. His unit was tasked with protecting the island's governor. He also saw action in Panama and on a number of other operations, though he often leaves out the names of places and dates because these remain classified. His career was certainly varied. He was once part of "Red Cell," a special SEAL team whose job was to play the part of terrorists and test the security of naval facilities. At another point, he stormed a hostile beach to help a family escape. His equipment included all the standard SEAL hardware--guns, night-vision goggles, etc.--as well as a baby carrier and pacifier. Richard Marcinko writes the introduction (Chalker served under him), and his fans will easily become Chalker's fans as well. --John Miller