THE BULL FROG: HOW THE SEALS HONOR THEIR MOST SEASONED COMMANDO
July 11, 2023Matt Fratus
Bull Frog
Naming Naval Special Warfare's Bull Frog is a rare and unique tradition. US Navy photo.
Rear Adm. Dick Lyon served 41 years in the United States Navy, first with the Scouts & Raiders, then with the Underwater Demolitions Teams, and finally with the SEALs. He made history twice during his career. In 1974, he became the first SEAL to ever achieve the rank of admiral. Then, upon his retirement a decade later, he was anointed the SEAL Teams’ first Bull Frog — a distinction less than 20 others have earned since.
But what, exactly, is a Bull Frog?
Bull Frog Navy SEAL
Rear Adm. Keith B. Davids, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, presents a representative trophy during the Bull Frog turnover at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. “The Bull Frog” title is given to the longest continuously serving active-duty US Navy SEAL. NSW is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force that gains and maintains access and placement for the Fleet and Joint Force. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Perlman.
Simply put, the Bull Frog title is bestowed upon the longest continuously serving active-duty SEAL. When a Bull Frog retires, the next longest-serving UDT/SEAL assumes his place. Naval Special Warfare Command honors this changing of the guard with a ceremony during which the new Bull Frog is presented with a trophy — a bronze bullfrog — that is engraved with the names and dates of service of all the SEALS who carried the title before him.
The Bull Frog name has its own history. A “Bull Ensign” — or the senior ensign of a ship’s wardroom — is responsible for “bullishly” mentoring junior ensigns. The term “Frog” is a reference to the SEAL’s predecessors, the UDT frogmen, who were active from the 1940s until the 1980s, when the last UDTs were transformed into SEAL Teams.
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