One Super Duty as Tough as the U.S. Navy SEAL Behind the Wheel
Sooo... how 'bout it? Can you sneak silently onto an enemy beach in pitch-black darkness and affix explosives to an enemy stronghold? Can you jump out of a perfectly good airplane wearing a wetsuit, fins, and a parachute? Can you dive through murky waters to recover a .50 caliber machine gun from the deck of a sunken warship? Can you trudge through waist-deep snow undetected and draw a bead on an enemy target? Yeah, you may be tough, but there is an elite fighting group that's even tougher: the U.S. Navy SEALs.
First conceived and deployed in World War II to clear underwater obstacles and gather intelligence before invasions, the SEAL acronym stands for Sea, Air, and Land. SEALs are expected to be experts at completing missions on Earth's every surface, as well as in the air.
By now, we've showcased enough trail-capable Super Dutys that the big Ford's trail prowess and potential is no longer in question. The RRD-equipped F-250 is ready for the road or the rocks. It's as tough and versatile as Navy UDT-SEAL Conrad Purick himself.
UDT is short for Underwater Demolition Team, and these are charged primarily with clearing beaches, shorelines, and rivers of mines and other obstacles prior to a naval landing.
Until 1983, UDTs and SEAL teams existed as separate entities within the U.S. Navy. Since their missions and methods overlapped so extensively, the two entities were combined and have been known simply as SEALs ever since. Most of the personnel who were in UDTs and found themselves redesignated as SEALs refer to themselves as UDT-SEALs. The word "dangerous" only begins to describe the work environment of a UDT-SEAL. Think about all the hazards that await an off-roader in the dirt and add nautical and aviation hazards to the list. Oh yeah, you also have to avoid deadly enemy attacks. Risky, isn't it? Consider that UDT-SEALs are among the "first over the wall" in combat, and it's obvious that we collectively owe these brave men a debt of gratitude for their service to our country.
Saranac, New York's Conrad Purick is elite among the elite: he's a retired UDT-SEAL, which means he not only held one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, but he survived it as well. Conrad's son Jeremy is a key player at Rock Krawler Suspension/RRD Racing. The father-and-son team coordinated a plan to build a truck that would not only pay tribute to Conrad's fallen UDT-SEAL brothers, but would also showcase a truck as tough and versatile as the combat heroes it commemorates.