<Li> Maersk Alabama hijacking </Li> <Li> War on ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve 2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen 2017 Marawi Crisis </Li> <P> The United States Navy's "Sea, Air, and Land" Teams, commonly abbreviated as the Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command . Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting small - unit maritime military operations that originate from, and return to, a river, ocean, swamp, delta, or coastline . The SEALs are trained to operate in all environments (Sea, Air, and Land) for which they are named . </P> <P> As of August 2017, all active SEALs are currently male and members of the U.S. Navy . The CIA's highly secretive and elite Special Operations Group (SOG) recruits operators from SEAL Teams, with joint operations going back to the MACV - SOG during the Vietnam War . This cooperation still exists today, as evidenced by military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan . </P>

What does seal stand for in u.s. navy seals