A former infantryman in the United States Marine Corps, Adam Schwarze joined the US Navy in 2012. Commissioned as a Naval Special Warfare officer, Adam Schwarze serves with the Navy SEALs in Honolulu.
Beyond the rigorous training to prepare them for special operations, Naval Special Warfare combatant-craft (SWCC) crewmembers complete additional training that qualifies them to transport SEALs to and from classified missions sites. In July 2021, a female sailor became the first woman to complete the 37-week SWCC course. This designation qualifies her to operate boats transporting Navy SEALs and to conduct other classified missions at sea.
Just a few years since military combat posts were open to women, this sailor is joining one of the three special boat teams associated with Naval Special Warfare. According to military policy for special operations forces, she has not been identified publicly by name. Typically, while approximately 300 sailors enroll in the SWCC course each year, only 70 complete it.
A US Navy SEAL officer, Adam Schwarze was active with the US Marines over the course of a decade before joining the Navy through the Naval Special Warfare program. Engaged in studies at Harvard University, Adam Schwarze is pursuing an international studies master’s degree and has undertaken certification in nuclear deterrence.
As detailed in the Department of Defense (DOD) News in 2020, an ongoing “nuclear triad” modernization process enjoys solid bipartisan support. This encompasses intercontinental ballistic missiles, bombers, and submarines, as well as control systems. One area of debate centers on the development of a separate low-yield class of tactical nuclear warhead, the W76-2. This could be deployed in situations such as a nuclear warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
According to W76-2 proponents, such a system would demonstrate to potential adversaries that even limited nuclear attacks would offer no practical benefit. Uncontrolled nuclear escalation would be the result of any attack, with many of the adversary’s cities hit. With this deterrence in place, they argue that America’s well established “no use first” policy would be solidified and nuclear war become even less likely.
After 10 years as a Marine, Adam Schwarze joined the US Navy as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in 2012. Meritoriously promoted multiple times, Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze is stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The only military branch to conduct operations from sea, air, and land, the Navy SEALs evolved out of underwater demolition teams formed during World War II. Originally used in Europe, these teams, known as UDTs, became critical in the amphibious landings required in the Pacific theater. In 1943, poor intelligence and lack of understanding of tides and beachhead conditions led to mass casualties at a landing in Tarawa, which prompted the need for formalized amphibious combat training.
A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Draper Kauffman created the UDT framework, recruiting the Navy’s best men and putting them through a series of courses involving swimming, explosives training, and small-craft handling. The UDTs’ first large-scale deployment came during the attack on the Mariana Islands and the Battle of Saipan in June 1944, and they continued to play a role in every significant US amphibious assault. In March and April 1945, nearly 1,000 UDT members participated in an operation in Okinawa. Once the war ended, UDT 21 was the first US military unit deployed to Japan, accepting the surrender of a Japanese unit.
A Hawaii-based lieutenant in the United States Navy, Adam Schwarze previously spent a decade as an infantryman in the Marine Corps. To stay informed on issues that affect veterans. Adam Schwarze maintains membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
To support and advocate for veterans’ access to high-quality and timely healthcare, the VFW publishes reports on the Veterans Choice Program, a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program that allows veterans to receive care from a community provider rather than waiting for a VA appointment.
In the past, VFW reports have helped effect changes including refined definitions of geographic eligibility. Previously, distance was defined “as the crow flies,” which prevented many veterans from access to VA benefits at community clinics. The new calculations considered driving distance from the veteran’s permanent residence to the closest VA facility. According to the revised criteria, any veteran whose permanent residence is more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest medical facility with a full-time primary care physician is eligible to participate in the program.
After a decade as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps, Adam Schwarze joined the Navy in 2012. Currently commissioned as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, Adam Schwarze serves with the Navy SEALs in Honolulu.
To celebrate the rich history of the Navy SEALs, the National Navy SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Florida, provides visitors with access to information, equipment, and artifacts. For an especially intimate experience, the museum offers tours led by elite museum docents. Named Special Access Programs (SAPs), these tours provide visitors with behind-the-scenes access to private areas, highly classified information, and exclusive features of the museum.
Offered just twice a week for 90 minutes, the tours feature SAP tour docents sharing unique SEAL stories and histories. Visitors are encouraged to preserve memories by taking group photos in restricted-access zones of the museum. Tour groups are limited to four people. For more information about SAPs and other programs, visit www.navysealmuseum.org.
Since 2012, Adam Schwarze has served as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition to working toward a master of liberal arts at Harvard Extension School with certificates in international security and nuclear deterrence, Adam Schwarze maintains membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
The VFW plays a key role in advocating for legislation that protects and serves United States veterans. The organization supports several key pieces of legislation currently under consideration, including the TEAM Act. Created to provide critical reform in the way the Veterans Administration (VA) grants benefits, the law would specifically help expand healthcare access for veterans with health issues related to exposure to toxic substances.
The TEAM Act would establish an independent commission to review incidents as well as conduct studies on the relationship between exposure and disease. Additionally, the legislation would make more veterans eligible for healthcare enrollment due to exposure-induced conditions. This would particularly benefit veterans who are in dire need of treatment but have not yet completed the VA disability claims process.
In a military career spanning 20 years, Adam Schwarze has helped develop technology to be used for in-water missions, including a portable underwater recovery system. Currently a Naval Special Warfare Officer in Honolulu, Hawaii, Adam Schwarze holds membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
The VFW celebrates veterans who continue to serve their communities through its #StillServing campaign. Created to highlight and amplify the work of veterans, the initiative recognizes veterans like Makissa Lewis, the founder and CEO of My Seester. Ms. Lewis founded the nonprofit organization to help female veterans access the resources they need to successfully navigate civilian life.
For example, My Seester provides assistance with educational options and financial support while offering mentorship and helping women cultivate positive relationships. The organization recently launched the Redirecting Energies To Invent New Art project, which aims to help female veterans express and process strong emotions through the creation of art. To read more of the VFW’s #StillServing stories, visit www.todaysvfw.org/.
Adam Schwarze is an experienced United States Navy SEAL officer who has served in US military conflicts in Iraq and has received multiple medals of valor. Adam Schwarze joined the US Marine Corps as an infantryman on his 18th birthday in 2002 and was commissioned as a Naval Special Warfare (NSW) officer in 2012.
According to NSW Command’s Rear Admiral Hugh Howard III, operations and the screening process for Navy SEAL teams will soon undergo significant changes. In speaking with the Associated Press, Howard explained that the SEALs’ counterterrorism efforts will shift its focus to global threats from international powers such as Russia and China.
The number of SEAL platoons may drop by up to 30 percent, but these platoons will feature more SEALs to better handle maritime and undersea enemies. Howard noted that the SEALs’ work in combating terrorism for the past 20 years has drained resources and, in turn, allowed Russia and China to enhance their global presence. Deception operations and intelligence collection will also be improved via upgrades to unmanned systems as well as cyber- and electronic warfare capabilities.
The screening process for Navy SEALs has also been altered in an effort to ensure that its leaders are of high character. To that end, Howard has implemented the Army’s “double-blind” interview process and incorporated additional psychological assessments to evaluate personality traits more effectively. More emphasis will also be placed on references from fellow candidates and subordinates.
A lieutenant in the United States Navy, Adam Schwarze is a SEAL officer who was inspired to pursue a career with the elite military unit following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since joining the military, Adam Schwarze has been involved in nine deployments and received multiple awards for valor.
Members of the US Navy can receive a range of personal military decorations and medals. The following are three.
1. Navy Cross Medal – Authorized in 1919, the Navy Cross is the second-highest decoration for US naval personnel. It is awarded to those who exhibit extraordinary heroism in the face of danger and personal risk. The decoration was designed by James Earl Fraser and first awarded following World War I.
2. Defense Superior Service Medal – Available to members of each branch of the US military, the Defense Superior Service Medal is awarded by the Secretary of Defense to honor those in positions of significant responsibility who have shown superior meritorious service over a sustained period. It was authorized via an Executive Order in 1976.
3. Legion of Merit – Established by an act of Congress in 1942, the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of all branches of the US military as well as to those from friendly foreign nations “who shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.” It can be granted for combat or non-combat accomplishments.
A graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, Adam Schwarze spent 10 years as a Marine before joining the US Navy as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in 2012. Adam Schwarze is pursuing a master of liberal arts degree with certificates in nuclear deterrence and international security at Harvard University Extension School while serving as a Navy SEAL lieutenant based in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The military’s only special-operations unit tasked with underwater special operations, SEALs undergo rigorous Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD/S) training. The second phase of training focuses on combat diving training, which allows them to conduct operations such as reconnaissance of enemy harbors.
During BUD/S training, SEALs learn the basic skills of underwater combat. In the Pool Competence event, trainees must complete a series of stressful underwater tests, maintaining their composure while performing tasks that require intense concentration and attention to detail. After BUD/S training, the SEAL Qualification Training course involves more advanced combat diving training, while those who become SEALs are required to receive the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) capability.
Schwarze has served in the United States military as a Navy SEAL since 2012. He devoted the 10 years before that to the Marine Corps and has served nine tours of active duty across both service branches. Today a SEAL lieutenant, Adam Schwarze continues a career that has seen him create blueprints and technologies to enhance his team’s ability to conduct critical underwater missions safely and efficiently.
Over the generations, the US military has led in technological, mechanical, and strategic innovations, many of which have found civilian applications as well.
For instance, in the early days of World War II, the Army needed a lightweight but sturdy reconnaissance vehicle, and the Jeep (its name derives from “General Purpose”) was born in 1940. Based on a design from the American Bantam automobile manufactured to Army specifications, a Jeep could tow anti-tank weapons, ford a river, be easily unstuck from mud, and serve as an ambulance. General Dwight D. Eisenhower credited it with clinching the war for the Allies.
Meanwhile, the idea for satellite navigation derived from American scientists’ tracking of radio signals from the Soviet satellite Sputnik as it orbited Earth in 1957. Observations from a team at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University formed the basis for work that would lead to the development of the military’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). By the mid-1960s, the Navy was using radio signals from its own dedicated satellites to aid ship and submarine navigation. These radio-based navigation technologies led to the creation of the GPS (global positioning system) out of the Defense Department.
In the late 1960s, a team of scientists at DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA’s successor) were looking for a way to facilitate communication with front-line units. The computer network they constructed linked mainframe systems at key government agencies, defense-related universities, and multiple contractors. By 1976, they had devised a communication protocol language and used packet switching to put together the “network of networks” that would become the Internet.
A graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minnesota, Adam Schwarze served in every phase of the Iraqi conflicts as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps. A Naval Special Warfare Officer based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Adam Schwarze is pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) at the Harvard Extension School with certificates in nuclear deference and international security.
One of 12 degree-granting schools at Harvard University, Harvard Extension School was founded in 1910 to broaden access to Harvard’s ample resources. Originally intended for the greater Boston community, the institution has since expanded to operate globally. The ALM degree program offers more than 20 liberal arts fields of study and several professional degree programs in areas including journalism, biotechnology, management, and information technology.
To enroll in a graduate degree program, applicants must hold an accredited bachelor’s degree and earn a B or higher on several designated pre-admission courses. As of 2010, more than a half-million students have taken courses at the school, while fewer than a thousand have earned a degree.
Adam Schwarze 