Navy SEAL Trident Patch: The Budweiser and What It Takes to Earn It
The Navy SEAL Trident — nicknamed the "Budweiser" for its resemblance to the Anheuser-Busch eagle logo — is the most recognized special operations badge in the U.S. military. It represents the completion of one of the most grueling selection and training pipelines in the world. Here's the story.
What Is the SEAL Trident?
The Naval Special Warfare insignia — officially called the Special Warfare Insignia — features four elements: an eagle (representing the nation and air operations), a trident (representing the sea and naval heritage), a flintlock pistol (representing land operations and the SEAL's direct action capability), and an anchor (representing the Navy). Together they represent the SEAL's ability to operate in any environment: sea, air, and land — the origin of the acronym SEAL.
BUD/S: The Road to the Trident
Earning the Trident begins with Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, California. BUD/S is a 24-week course divided into three phases: physical conditioning, combat diving, and land warfare.
The most famous part of BUD/S is Hell Week — five and a half days of continuous training with a maximum of four hours of sleep total. Students run more than 200 miles, spend hours in the cold Pacific surf, and are pushed to the absolute limits of human endurance. Hell Week occurs in the first phase and is designed to identify who has the mental toughness to continue.
The overall attrition rate for BUD/S is approximately 75-80% — meaning only about 1 in 4 or 5 candidates who start BUD/S earns the Trident. After BUD/S, candidates complete SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) before receiving their Trident.
The Trident Ceremony
When a SEAL is killed in action, a tradition has developed where fellow SEALs remove their Tridents and pin them — by hand, pressing the sharp backing pins directly into the casket — as a final tribute. It's one of the most powerful rituals in the American military.
Shop the Navy SEAL Trident Patch
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