Thomas Hawkins

Tom Hawkins retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years of active service as a career SEAL and Naval Special Warfare (NSW) officer. He graduated from SEAL training with Class 38 in Little Creek, Virginia, and was assigned to UDT-21, where he served as a platoon commander and Submersible Operations Department Head. He later served at SEAL Team TWO, where he deployed to South Vietnam as a SEAL platoon commander. He commanded UDT-22 for 33 months during its reorganization as SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team TWO. He retired as Director, NSW Programs and Program Manager at the Naval Sea Systems Command. After leaving the Navy, Tom served in various defense contractor positions related to NSW, including requirements analyst and science and technical advisor to the Commander, NSW Group FOUR and within the Combat Development Directorate at the NSW Development Group until his retirement on 20 May 20 2014. Tom is past president of the UDT-SEAL Association, president of the UDT-SEAL Memorial Park Association, and served on the Board of Directors at the UDT-SEAL Museum Association. In 1999, Tom conceived the Navy SEAL Foundation; serving as founding President, Chairman of the Board, and Director, History and Heritage through 2007. Tom was featured in and served as an advisor the PBS documentary: Untold Story of the U.S. Navy SEALs and on the History Channel's Navy SEALs: America's Secret Warriors. He contributed five chapters to United States Naval Special Warfare U.S. Navy SEALs by Greg Mathieson and David Gatley. He is the author of The History and Heritage of U.S. Navy SEALs published by the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago. Tom's second book, America's Hidden Heroes: The History and Evolution of U.S. Navy Frogmen and SEALs, was published Press in February 2015. With Captain (SEAL) Norman H. Olson, he co-authored the Air Capabilities of the U.S. Navy SEALs, which was published in December 2017. These books are available through Phoca Press.com. With Lisa Merriam, Tom founded Phoca Press in 2014 to publish material of educational and historical importance, with a focus on SEALs, SWCC, and Maritime Special Operations.