Branch: U.S. NAVY | Unit: NSW SEAL Team Three, Naval Special Warfare Development Group(SEAL Team Six) - Red Squadron | Action: Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq, and other undisclosed locations.

Some warriors leave an impact through the missions they complete. Others continue serving long after they hang up the uniform. Alex West embodies both.

Alex West is one of those quiet professionals whose career spanned two decades at the very top of Naval Special Warfare. A retired Senior Chief Petty Officer, he served 20 years as a Navy SEAL, including 11 years with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) Red Squadron—the assault squadron known within the community as “The Tribe.”

West enlisted in the United States Navy in 1998 and earned his place among the Navy SEALs after graduating from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training with BUD/S Class 226. Following training, he was assigned to SEAL Team Three, where he served during the opening years of the Global War on Terror.

He participated in combat operations during the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, serving alongside the men who formed the tip of America’s spear during a defining period in modern military history. His performance eventually led to selection for DEVGRU, where he became one of the youngest operators chosen for the command.

During his years at DEVGRU, West operated in some of the most dangerous and demanding environments of the post-9/11 era. Over the course of his career, he completed 15 combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other undisclosed locations, including operations across Africa, a continent that became a persistent yet often overlooked front in America’s long counterterrorism campaign.

Among the most significant chapters of his career was his service as an assault team leader during Operation Neptune Spear, the 2011 DEVGRU mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. While that operation became one of the most recognized special operations missions in American history, it represents only a small portion of a career defined by repeated deployments, leadership under pressure, and years of quiet service. Much of what West accomplished remains outside the public record, reflecting the professionalism and discretion expected of the special operations community.

What makes Alex West’s story especially inspiring, however, is what came after military service.

After retiring from the Navy in 2018, West continued serving the veteran community by founding One More Wave, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wounded and disabled veterans with customized surfing equipment while fostering a supportive community centered on recovery, resilience, and camaraderie.

The organization’s mission recognizes that many veterans continue fighting battles long after returning home. Through surfing, shared experiences, and renewed fellowship, One More Wave helps veterans reconnect with the sense of purpose and brotherhood that military service once provided.

For veterans living with physical injuries, traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, or other invisible wounds of war, the organization offers more than recreation—it provides another mission, another team, and another reason to keep moving forward.

West has spoken openly about the effects that years of combat and repeated deployments can have on service members. His willingness to discuss those struggles demonstrates another form of courage: the courage to seek help, confront trauma, and use personal experience to support others walking the same path.

His life reminds us that the measure of a warrior is not found only in combat. It is also revealed through leadership, humility, resilience, and the willingness to continue serving others after the uniform comes off.

From the beaches of BUD/S, to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, to leading one of the most consequential special operations missions in modern history, and now through his continued dedication to wounded veterans, Alex West has lived a life defined by service.

His legacy is one of courage, brotherhood, perseverance, and service beyond the battlefield.

“Once a teammate, always a teammate.”

That principle continues to define his mission today, reminding us that the responsibility to serve does not end when the deployment is over—it simply takes on a new form.

OneMoreWave: https://onemorewave.com

Tier-1 Podcast: https://youtu.be/twyHykG3lO4?is=3PZ_8tHKxYPYLKLa 

Really goes to show that when the kit gets put up the work doesn't stop.