THE SEAL THING

Things are happening too fast out there and I've got a life - this blog is just a hobby - maybe this weekend I can get on to some issues which surfaced this week - I want offer up analysis but it seemed this week there simply wasn't enough time - S.L.


SEAL Book on the Osama Raid:

The title itself is a play on the saying "Last easy day was yesterday." This is a slogan the SEALs seem to have taken ownership of, although this was what they told me on Day One of the Special Forces Combat Diver course. I have also heard this phrase at Camp Mackall, where we conduct various phases of the Q Course.

This whole thing is weird on so many levels. The operators in Tier One units are consummate professionals who exist under a strict code of silence. The penalties for knowingly disclosing classified information are clearly stated on Standard Form 312 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION NONDISCLOSURE STATEMENT that we are all required to sign; $25,000 fine and up to ten years in prison.

We all know this; we are reminded often: "Do not write a book."

Now his name is out there - predictable - in writing this book, this SEAL risked potential exposure of himself and his family to retribution by the al Qaeda terrorist network.

And so this begs the question: Why did he do it.

When nothing makes any logical sense on the surface of a thing, we have to sort through it all to find the logic to it. Possibilities:

A) Money. This one falls through the cracks when you balance it out against the risk of fines & imprisonment.

B) He really is that stupid. This makes no sense - you have to have a brain to make it to the upper levels of military elitedom.

C) Hollywood was already briefed by the Whitehouse and so the cat's already out of the bag. Possibly - which leads to my personal theory:

D) This is yet another attempt by Team Obama to discredit the SEALs and other operators behind the Special Ops OPSEC Dishonorable Disclosures video that blasted the Obama Administration for this very thing.

In other words, "Look - the SEALs themselves are leaking info; not just us!" They have already tried to limit damage with the bait-and-switch HuffPo article. We'll know if this is the deal if the SEAL who wrote this book escapes persecution.

I haven't read the thing yet - I just hope he gives credit to JSOC and acknowledges that the SEALs had adult chaperones along for the ride.

However it comes out in the wash, this kid is an idiot for doing what he did. He violated the Special Operations code of silence knowing full well the potential outcome, and for the rest of his life nobody in the community will trust him. Bad move, brother.


Who says that? I say that.

- STORMBRINGER SENDS