Navy SEALs are out there, and so are fakes, so how can you tell the difference between the two?

If a guy is willing to drop into the conversation that he was a SEAL, yet unwilling to answer any questions whatsoever about his time with the group, because—as he might say—such info is classified or sensitive, the individual might be a fraud.

Real SEALs identify themselves to each other by their BUD/s class as well as which team they served in. They do this via e-mail, on the internet, on their resumes. The information is not classified.

Accordingly, it’s perfectly okay, and not considered obtrusive, to ask a guy who has identified himself as a SEAL what his BUD/s class was. A real SEAL will usually tell you his class number without batting an eye.

If, after an individual gives you a class number, you still have reservations, there are a few other questions you can ask.

For example, how many candidates started in the individual’s class and how many graduated? Who was the Honor Man—or most distinguished candidate—of the class? When did he go to training? A real SEAL will give you the answers without hesitation.

A verified source and former SEAL, who requested anonymity, stated via e-mail, “If it comes to pass that a respondent is suspect, then the request for BUD/s class numbers and class/team-mates comes into play. Within a very short time a fake will stumble and fall all over themselves.”

Mark Divine, another former SEAL and President of NavySEALs.com, stated, “If you ask any SEAL what their BUD/s class was, they’ll not only be able to tell you what the class number was, but most of the guys in it, the time of the year they went through hell week, their favorite instructor, and some of the favorite sayings.”

“[BUD/s] is indelibly burned in your brain,” he added.

BUD/s information is not classified because the training is not considered a part of SEAL team operations. In fact, the entire twenty-six week training course has been extensively documented in The Warrior Elite, by former SEAL Dick Couch.

A common gambit by fake SEALs is to say that their membership can’t be verified because they served on a secret team, or in “black” operations. While there are indeed clandestine SEAL operations, there’s no such thing as a clandestine SEAL.

“While there are Classified Operations in any military unit,” the verified source said, “there are Frog and SEAL Data Bases in the hands of several Frogs or SEALs that a suspicious SEAL can contact to absolutely verify a Frog or SEAL’s service.”

Divine confirmed as much. “There are classified units, but there are no classified people in the military,” he noted.

Every SEAL contacted for this article said that there is one behavior that will identify an imposter: bragging.

Steven Collins, President of Black Ice Security and a retired Navy SEAL Master Chief, stated, “If an individual starts talking about ludicrous operations or really secret squirrel stuff, if he says things like ‘I can’t reveal…’ this or that, your radar should go up.”

“Real guys tend not to brag too much….They don’t get you curious, then shut you down. They will only tell you what they want you to know. But there is little BS about it.”

Collins added, however, that as a true SEAL grows older and becomes more removed from the military community, he may tell a few more stories. “Just take a look at the shelves in book stores,” he commented.

“Active SEALs and special ops guys are very muted and quiet about their service,” he continued. “You might be sitting next to a guy at church and never know, for a year and a half, that this guy is a SEAL.”

True SEALs remain low key not just for the sake of modesty, however. According to Divine, divulging even tidbits of sensitive information can be damaging to national security.

“It may seem innocuous, but if enough bad guys get their hands on little bits and pieces, it’s like a puzzle,” Divine stated. “They can put it together and it can have a damaging influence.”

“We know that because we practice gathering intelligence on other people, and that’s the way it’s done.”

While phony SEALs tend to speak gravely, and with great weight, about their “exploits,” real SEALs tend to speak obliquely, and with self-deprecating humor, about their careers.

“I’ll come up with a humorous story that typically shows how humor got us ‘spec ops’ guys through challenging situations,” said Divine.

“What you’ll find among SEALs and a lot of special ops guys is humor, and a lot of attempts at humor, to deflect tension.”

Collins said that the best way to identify a fake SEAL is to know a real SEAL. For those without that connection, though, several resources exist on the internet. VeriSeal, an unofficial clearinghouse for SEAL membership, can be accessed at www.veriseal.org. AuthentiSEAL, a similar site, can be found at www.authentiseal.com.

In addition, Divine’s NavySEALs.com assists in exposing and outing phony SEALs. By Divine’s estimates, he’s outed 50-60 phony SEALs through the site alone.

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