My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America’s Deadliest Marksmen by Brandon Webb
“If you want to know what makes up the DNA of a Navy SEAL and have a behind-the-scenes look at the best sniper program in the world, then ‘hold 1 right for wind’ and read The Red Circle.”
Chris Kyle, SEAL Team Three Chief and bestselling author of American Sniper
“Impressive and well-written…The Red Circle is a great book.”
Howard E. Wasdin, Navy SEAL and bestselling author of SEAL Team Six
About the book
Brandon Webb’s experiences in the world’s most elite sniper corps are the stuff of legend. From his grueling years of training in Naval Special Operations to his combat tours in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, The Red Circle provides a rare and riveting look at the inner workings of the U.S. military through the eyes of a covert operations specialist.
Webb’s distinguished second career as a lead instructor for the shadowy “sniper cell” and Course Manager of the Navy SEAL Sniper Program that trained some of America’s finest and deadliest warriors-including Marcus Luttrell and Chris Kyle, that makes his story so compelling.
About the author
After leaving home at age sixteen, Brandon finished high school and joined the US Navy to become a Navy SEAL. His first permanent assignment was as a helicopter Aircrew Search & Rescue (SAR) swimmer and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator with HS-6. In 1997 his Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) package was approved. He would class up with over 200 students in BUD/S class 215, and go on to complete the training as 1 of 23 originals.
As a SEAL, he served with SEAL Team 3, Naval Special Warfare Group One (NSWG-1) Training Detachment sniper cell. And completed his last tour at the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) sniper course, where he served as the Naval Special Warfare west coast sniper course manager. Throughout his career, he completed four deployments to the Middle East, one to Afghanistan, and would later go back to Iraq in 2006-7 as a paramilitary contractor. His proudest accomplishment in the military was working as the SEAL sniper course manager, a schoolhouse that has produced some of the deadliest snipers in US military history.
An accomplished and proven leader, Brandon was meritoriously promoted to E-6 while serving as an advanced sniper instructor at NSWG-1. He was recommended and advanced to the rank of Chief Petty Officer (E-7) his first time eligible while at the sniper course. He has received numerous distinguished service awards, including the Presidential Unit Citation (personally awarded to him by President George W. Bush), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor in combat. Webb ended his Navy career early after over a decade of service to spend more time with his children and focus on entrepreneurship (both his parents were small business owners).
Today Brandon is focused on building his first billion-dollar business. He is the founder and CEO of the Hurricane Group, a Global Media to commerce business focused on military and outdoor entertainment (news, digital tv, & podcast), subscription-based clubs, and products.
Brandon is regularly featured in the media as a military and business subject matter expert. He has contributed to ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today Show, FOX News, CNN, the BBC, SIRIUS XM, MSNBC, and The New York Times.
Webb is a New York Times bestselling author. His books include The Red Circle (St. Martin’s Press) Among Heroes (Penguin-Random House), Benghazi, The Definitive Report (Harper Collins), The ISIS Solution (SOFREP books), and The Power of Thought (self-published). He has two books scheduled to publish in 2017. The Killing School: Inside the World’s deadliest sniper program, is set to be released with St. Martin’s Press May 2017. Total Focus: How to Make Better Decisions Under Pressure, publishes with Penguin Random House in August 2017.
In 2012, after losing his best friend, Navy SEAL & CIA contractor Glen Doherty, in Benghazi, Libya, he founded The Red Circle Foundation (RCF), a non-profit with a 100% pass-through model. Every dollar donated goes to the mission, and business partner donors pick up the Foundation’s overhead. RCF is focused on supporting families of the Special Operations community through emergency memorial, medical, and child enrichment programs (camps & scholarships).
Brandon is a member of the New York YPO (Young Presidents Organization) chapter and serves as a board member on the veterans’ advisory committee to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
He enjoys spending time with his tight circle of fantastic family & friends, being outdoors, and flying his experimental aircraft upside-down. He splits his time between his residence in San Juan, PR, and Manhattan, NY.
My thoughts …
I purchased this book at Barnes and Noble some time ago, originally reading it as research for the main character in Serpents Underfoot and its sequel, Montagnard. I just finished re-reading it, and for the second time, I could not put it down.
If you read and enjoy books like American Sniper or Lone Survivor, then this is another book you will absolutely enjoy. Webb takes the reader through SEAL training, the war in Afghanistan, his role in improving the SEAL sniper training program, and so much more.
This is not a book of nonstop SEAL adventure, though there is enough of that to satisfy most readers. This is a book about what it is actually like to be a SEAL written by a SEAL.
I give this book an easy 5 Stars and recommend it to all.
D.C. Gilbert 
Seems to be a book about military secrets…
Maybe … but you won’t find much you couldn’t find in Hollywood productions like GI Jane, 13 Hours, Lone Survivor, Black Hawk Down, or Zero Dark Thirty, or Tom Clancy books like Clear and Present Danger.
On another topic Darren, I enjoyed your Adirondack Bears book and have put a review of it on Amazon.com
Hi Denzil,
I am glad you enjoyed the book. It was fun to write as well as a great little trip down memory lane. And, thank you so much for the wonderful review as well. It is pretty apparent from your review that you enjoyed the stories, which makes me happy. Much appreciated!
Darren
Pleasure Darren. I’ve got the sample of your other one. But I’m in the middle of a Jo Nesbo at the moment!
Wasn’t there a time when Navy SEALs were not allowed to discuss inner workings of the teams? It’s very interesting to those of us out here, but should we allow our enemies to know as well? Just asking out of curiosity, I’m not criticizing Mr. Webb.
That’s a very valid point, GP! And I wonder about that myself sometimes.
However, I don’t think there was really much of anything in the book about methods or sources that would be beneficial to any enemy forces, except possibly the names of former SEALs.
You do get a great sense of the physical training, the hours on the sniper range, the comradery and hazing rituals, the SEAL mindset, and overviews of certain past missions.
I would think a book such as this would surely have to undergo scrutiny by the DoD before being published, but I don’t know that for a fact.
Thank you, DC.
Seems as though all military secrets are out in the open today. I feel eerie about it! Nonetheless, your review was well covered sharing secrets about our military’s special training. Maybe many of the tactics are outdated due to technology but any revelation of our nation’s military secrets (last or present) is an obvious submission that a one-world military is forthcoming.