<P> President John F. Kennedy, aware of the situation in Southeast Asia, recognized the need for unconventional warfare and special operations as a measure against guerrilla warfare . In a speech, to Congress, on 25 May 1961, Kennedy spoke of his deep respect for the United States Army Special Forces . While his announcement of the government's plan to put a man on the moon drew most of the attention, in the same speech he announced his intention to spend over $100 million to strengthen U.S. special operations forces and expand American capabilities in unconventional warfare . Some people erroneously credit President Kennedy with creating the Navy SEALs . His announcement was actually only a formal acknowledgement of a process that had been under way since Korea . </P> <P> The Navy needed to determine its role within the special operations arena . In March 1961, Admiral Arleigh Burke, the Chief of Naval Operations, recommended the establishment of guerrilla and counter-guerrilla units . These units would be able to operate from sea, air or land . This was the beginning of the Navy SEALs . All SEALs came from the Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams, who had already gained extensive experience in commando warfare in Korea; however, the Underwater Demolition Teams were still necessary to the Navy's amphibious force . </P> <P> The first two teams were formed in January 1962 and stationed on both US coasts: Team ONE at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, in San Diego, California and Team TWO at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, in Virginia Beach, Virginia . Formed entirely with personnel from UDTs, the SEALs mission was to conduct counter guerilla warfare and clandestine operations in maritime and riverine environments . Men of the newly formed SEAL Teams were trained in such unconventional areas as hand - to - hand combat, high - altitude parachuting, demolitions, and foreign languages . The SEALs attended Underwater Demolition Team replacement training and they spent some time training in UDTs . Upon making it to a SEAL team, they would undergo a SEAL Basic Indoctrination (SBI) training class at Camp Kerry in the Cuyamaca Mountains . After SBI training class, they would enter a platoon and conduct platoon training . </P> <P> According to founding SEAL team member Roy Boehm, the SEALs' first missions were directed against communist Cuba . These consisted of deploying from submarines and carrying out beach reconnaissance in prelude to a proposed US amphibious invasion of the island . On at least one occasion Boehm and another SEAL smuggled a CIA agent ashore to take pictures of Soviet nuclear missiles being unloaded on the dockside . </P>

When was the first navy seal team formed