Dick Couch

Dick Couch
Born	Mississippi
Occupation	Author, professor

Dick Couch is an American author and former Navy SEAL.

Biography

Dick Couch was born in Mississippi and raised in Southern Indiana. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967. After attending DASH controller training, he reported aboard the naval destroyer USS Mansfield DD728. He graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 45 in 1969, and was the class Honorman. He graduated first in his class at the Navy Underwater Swimmers School and the Army Free Fall (HALO) School. As Whiskey Platoon Commander with SEAL Team One in Vietnam,^[1] he led one of the few successful prisoner of war rescue operations of that conflict.

Following his release from active duty in the U.S. Navy, he served as a maritime and paramilitary case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1997, he retired from the Naval Reserve with the rank of Captain. At that time, he held the senior command billet in the SEAL reserve community.

He and his wife, Julia, live in Idaho. However, he is currently serving as a Professor of Ethics at the United States Naval Academy.

The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy SEALs and the Winning of al-Anbar

In a book published by the Naval Institute Press, former U.S. Navy SEAL Dick Couch reports on the actions of the SEAL Task Unit during the Battle of Ramadi in Iraq's al-Anbar Province between 2005 and 2007. Couch details the previously unrecognized importance of the SEALs in winning the fight to control Ramadi. Calling the Battle of Ramadi one of the most significant military engagements in the global war against terrorism since 9/11 and the most sustained and vicious engagement ever fought by SEALs, he describes the success of special operations forces and Navy SEALs fighting side by side with conventional forces. Couch identifies the SEALs' ability to adapt and evolve in this deadly urban battle space and argues their code of brotherhood is a key to their success on the battlefield, giving as an example the story of PO2 Michael A. Monsoor, who saved other members of his sniper team by diving on a grenade and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Ramadi.

Published works

Fiction

• Seal Team One (1991)^[2]
• Pressure Point (1993; 2006)^[3]
• Silent Descent (1994).
• Rising Wind (1996).^[4]
• Covert Action (2005).

Non-Fiction

• The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228 (2003),^[5][6]
• The Finishing School (2005),
• Down Range: Navy SEALs in the War on Terrorism (2006).
• Chosen Soldier: The Making of A Special Forces Warrior (2007)
• The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy SEALs and the Winning of al-Anbar (2008)

References

1. ^ "There but for the grace of God. Dick Couch. United States Naval Institute. Proceedings. Annapolis: Aug 2001.Vol.127, Iss. 8; pg. 78
2. ^ "Paperbacks -- Seal Team One by Dick Couch," review by Kaganoff, Penny. Publishers Weekly. New York: May 10, 1991.Vol.238, Iss. 21; pg. 277.
3. ^ "Fiction -- Pressure Point by Dick Couch." book review by Steinberg, Sybil. Publishers Weekly. New York: May 11, 1992.Vol.239, Iss. 22; pg. 53. "Taut writing and crisp dialogue further enhance the appeal of one of the year's better adventure novels." "Violence-glorifying first novel."
4. ^ "Fiction -- Rising Wind by Dick Couch." book review by Braun, Patricia. The Booklist. Chicago: May 15, 1996. Vol. 92, Iss. 18; p. 1576
5. ^ "The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228," book review by Doug Pricer. Military History. Herndon: Jun 2002.Vol.19, Iss. 2; pg. 70. "..an impressively researched look into the heart of a culture few Americans, including many military enthusiasts, truly grasp."
6. ^ "The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228," book review by Jennifer M Price. Sea Power. Washington: Apr 2002.Vol.45, Iss. 4; pg. 99. "His insider's view draws the reader in and makes the book a fast and enjoyable read"

External links

• Dick Couch Interview on USNI Blog

Persondata
Name	Couch, Dick
Alternative names
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Date of birth
Place of birth	Mississippi
Date of death
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