He speaks with wistful bitterness of how in the aftermath of No Easy Day’s publication, he reached out to that SEAL Team 6 commander who fashioned the fake headstone to explain that he’d never intended to put out anything that would endanger his teammates.I find this fascinating.
The Navy captain responded to the text from Bissonnette with the words, “Delete me.”
Ahead of the publication of his latest book, the current head of all Navy SEALs, Rear Adm. Brian Losey, repeated that sentiment in a letter to the community that seemed timed for Bissonnette’s 60 Minutes appearance this weekend—and the advertised appearance of a SEAL who calls himself “The Shooter” who is slated to appear talking about the raid on Fox News later this month.
“A critical tenant of our ethos is ‘I do not advertise the nature of my work nor seek recognition for my actions,’” says the letter obtained by The Daily Beast, signed by both Losey and the SEAL Force Master Chief M.L. Magaraci.
“Violators of our ethos are neither teammates in good standing, nor teammates who represent Naval Special Warfare. We do not abide willful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety and financial gain, which only diminishes otherwise honorable service.”
The letter goes on to say “All members exposed to classified information have a duty to protect this information, regardless of what may be reflected in the media, accurately or otherwise,” and finishes by saying the command will seek judicial consequences against those who “willfully violate the law and place our teammates, our families and potential future operations at risk.”
Early on I was slamming the way that the SEALs all seemed to be attention seekers. I compared how working with Green Berets was a painless, enjoyable experience (well as enjoyable as an op can be) ... How Rangers were just confused Marines and how Navy SEALs always came off as too cool for school.
When the former Top SEAL and SOCOM Commander McRaven was doing his "around the world tour" and then was confronted by a retired US Army Green Beret General, who admonished him for being in the public eye so much...while a room full of reporters laughed at the weathered old snake eater, my stomach turned.
Now we have this.
The SEAL Community has turned on one of their own because he published a book on the Bin Laden raid.
I wonder what made this one book too many? I wonder why it suddenly became an organization that works in the shadows? I wonder what happened to have them finally get the message that an old, retired, two star snake eater was trying to get across to them.
I don't know what happened or why, but it really looks like the SEAL community is toning down its act.
