A look at SEAL Team 6

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - They are highly specialized, almost mythological, black operatives whose missions are classified.  The elite warfighters report solely to the president.

Following 9-11, members of SEAL Team 6 deployed to Afghanistan with a joint task force for the sole purpose of finding Osama bin Laden. Nearly 10 years later, they succeeded.

It was only when Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips was rescued two years ago that SEAL Team 6 melted into our vocabulary.

"The heroes are the Navy, the SEALs, and those who brought me home," said Maersk Line Ltd President and CEO John Reinhart reading a statement from Phillips to the media in April 2009.

Off the fantail of the USS Bainbridge rocking in the seas SEAL snipers took positions. When they saw the pirates had a gun on Phillips, they fired. Three shots, three pirates killed. Praise from the public followed for the faceless, nameless heroes.

To say SEAL training is tough is an understatement. The drop out rate for the 21 week course is nearly 70 percent. It takes a special warfighter to rise to DevGru's level. Those warriors and how they train remains a mystery.

No one will ever know exactly what took place in those 40 minutes when the SEALs stormed Osama bin Laden's Pakistan compound. The commanding officer congratulated his team but told them to keep the details to themselves.

With all the attention, the military remains sensitive about their existence but judging from the celebrations outside the White House Sunday night, a grateful nation is thankful to acknowledge it.

"I'm glad the SEALs went in there and did it. SEAL team 6 is an elite group," said one man.