How San Diego’s new Navy SEAL Museum celebrates service, teamwork, and the spirit of the commando

Navy SEALs are among the most highly trained military personnel on the planet. With bootcamp, it takes 70 weeks to earn your Trident, including the notorious Hell Week — a grueling 6-day test of mental and physical endurance involving sleep deprivation and non-stop physical activity that culminates in a 13-mile paddle around Coronado in the dark. And that is only the beginning.

“Once you earn your Trident and get assigned, you go through another 18 months of training with your SEAL team before ever being deployed,” explains Brian “Beef” Drechsler, the executive director of the new Navy SEAL Museum that opened October 4 in Downtown San Diego.

Born in Pittsburgh, Drechsler, whose father and grandfather also served in the military, graduated from the Naval Academy and spent 25 years as a SEAL before retiring as commodore of the Naval Special Warfare Center on Coronado in June of last year. 

His retirement, however, did not last long. Drechsler, who is married and has three children, was offered the directorship position three weeks later, and he jumped at the chance.

An expansion of the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Florida, San Diego’s newest attraction is dedicated to preserving the history of the Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combat Crewmen, and other Naval Special Warfare personnel.

“In addition to the museum’s mission, a big part of my excitement has to do with its location. It’s in the building that was formerly the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is within a few blocks of both the USS Midway Museum and the San Diego Maritime Museum,” says Drechsler, noting how supportive both have been to their new neighbor.

As Drechsler sees it, the SEAL museum creates a triad of museums all within walking distance, and all dedicated to the region’s rich military and seafaring history. “Look at Harbor Drive,” says Drechsler. “It’s the perfect place for a family to take their children. Three museums, each one here because San Diego is a port city, and each one looking at the city’s history through its own lens. The Maritime Museum looks through the lens of maritime commerce. The Midway looks through the lens of service, teamwork, leadership, and naval aviation. Now, here we are, also focused on service, teamwork, and leadership, but looking through the lens of a commando.”

And as the museum is brand new, that lens of a commando offers an innovative, immersive experience through exhibits including The SEAL Mindset Theatre, a powerful documentary projected on three walls, during which visitors have a ringside view of the discipline, perseverance, and intensity it takes to become and continue as a Navy SEAL.

In Cause Higher Than Oneself, visitors are challenged to identify a mission or undertaking greater than themselves, and think about how they can lend support using their own skills and abilities.

There is a Virtual Reality SEAL Mission in which advanced technology is used to take visitors on a pulse-pounding, virtual journey into a hostage rescue mission. 

Featured Missions lets visitors navigate through eight Naval Special Warfare missions — from the landing at Normandy during World War II to Neptune’s Spear, the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

“The Navy had some UDTs [Underwater Demolition Teams], but the real birth of modern Naval Special Warfare starts with World War II and the scouting of beaches for the D-Day amphibious landing,” says Drechsler. “In Korea, we needed units that could operate not just in the water but out of the water, and then in Vietnam there was a need for unconventional warfare — people who could sneak in and do things surgically, such as capture a high-ranking individual. The needs change every 10 or 20 years. Adaptability is part of the job.”

The first two SEAL teams were established in San Diego in 1962, and from that point on, San Diego has been home to both Naval Special Warfare training and command. Prior to then, all the predecessor units leading to the SEALS were trained at Ft. Pierce, where the SEAL museum is currently celebrating its 40-year anniversary.

“We are one museum, with one mission and two locations, all under a national umbrella,” says Drechsler. “The goal is the same for both: to create impact and inspire.”

One of the last exhibits visitors will see is a Memorial Wall that honors all the fallen Naval Special Operators from World War II to the present day.

“We call it the Call to Action Wall,” says Drechsler. “The museum is not about inspiring people to join the SEALs or even the armed forces. Responsibility, Service, Commitment, Discipline: Those are our pillars, and they don’t only apply to the military. If you want to help in your community, you can go into law enforcement, you can be a first responder, you can be a teacher, or a volunteer. The bottom line is to be part of a cause greater than yourself.”

The new museum is focused on the visitor experience, and in addition to the immersive technology, there will be retired SEALs and Special Warfare Combat Crewmen on site as docents to answer questions and offer personal insight.

Occupancy is limited, and though tickets can be purchased at the museum as availability permits, Drechsler recommends reserving tickets on their website ahead of time. navysealmuseumsd.org