Navy SEALs Caught Up In Drug Sweep

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | June 19, 2004

[Wolfie]

Navy SEALs Caught Up In Drug Sweep

U.S. being forced to transfer some units

More than a dozen sailors, including eight SEALs, are being investigated after testing positive for illegal drug use, the Navy confirmed yesterday.

Seven sailors assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Command, including five SEALs, failed drug tests in early May while they were on a training exercise in Thailand.

Other sailors reported seeing the commandos using drugs in Pattaya, a Thai beach resort.

That was enough for Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, the Naval Special Warfare commander, to order a drug-testing sweep of 3,300 of the 4,600 men and women under his command.

The only people not tested were those deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries and those on leave or on temporary duty.

In the sweep, six more sailors tested positive, including three SEALs, one student and two support personnel.

Some of those who failed the drug tests are assigned to units based at Coronado's Naval Amphibious Base. Others are from units in Little Creek, Va.

The episode is forcing the early replacement of two SEAL platoons overseas by two stateside units and has embarrassed units that have been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan in the war on terrorism.

"We identified the problem," said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Bender yesterday. "We investigated the problem, and we'll hold those accountable for their actions."

The investigations are being conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and could result in criminal or administrative action. No charges have been filed.

The Navy has a zero-tolerance drug policy, and sailors caught using drugs usually are discharged. "This is something that's not taken lightly. One is too many," Bender said.

The sweeps come as the Navy is trying to increase its number of SEALs. The war on terrorism has increased the need for special operations forces such as the SEALs, Green Berets and Army Rangers.

Training SEALs is time-consuming and costly. Each two-year training process includes the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL class and advanced weapons and tactics training. It costs several hundred thousand dollars to train each commando.

The SEALs and special warfare crewmen were in Thailand for Cobra Gold, an annual multinational training exercise.

After other sailors reported the possible drug use, 10 sailors were asked to take drug urinalysis tests. Nine volunteered and the 10th was ordered to take the urine test, Bender said.

Seven sailors, five SEALs and two combatant crewmen tested positive. They were flown back to their units in San Diego and Little Creek. Navy law enforcement agents searched barracks and buildings used by the sailors in Guam and Singapore but found no drugs. Their stateside units were not revealed.

The two SEAL platoons, each with 16 commandos, will be replaced this month with two similar units from the United States, Bender said.

No operations or exercises were affected by the suspected drug use or testing, he added.

"This did not affect our readiness," he said, pointing out that only one-fifth of 1 percent of the drug tests were positive. "We have not missed a beat."

Drug use by such forces is worrisome, said defense analyst Ivan Eland, because the small units, often working in hostile territory, require teamwork.

"They are endangering their own lives but also the colleagues in their units," said Eland, senior fellow of The Independent Institute in Oakland.

Last year, 21 special warfare sailors were discharged after failing drug tests. In 2002, positive tests forced out 32 sailors assigned to Naval Special Warfare.

Adm. Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, has called for a 25 percent reduction in drug use this year.

[JRPerry]

This is the attitude that destroys a fighting force. Discipline trumps valor every single time. You are condoning disobedience to command and I do not accept your rationalization.

Thankyou for your service to our country.

Same to you ... thanks for your service to our country. I assume I am correct am I not? FWIW you are wrong Bonaparte. Completely wrong. And what I wrote had to do with "attitude" you self rightious ... whatever. But then again someone such as yourself, with an obvious Napoleonic complex ... you would have a difficult time understanding the difference between 'tude and attitude ... dude. If you get my drift. In the meantime I was Distinguished Honor Grad from 11 different schools including Jumpmaster School, 11C BNCO Academy, Eighty-Deuce RECON and Ranger School ... and was a NCO of the Year in 1982, The Year of the 82nd. So you go ahead and pass your little judgements about our young fighting men and how going one toke over the line errodes your little command structure slick - how is promotes disobedience to your jack boot strap authority. Officer right? What units did you serve? Anyway, it's tight @$$es like you that give conservatives a bad name quite frankly. You really need to get a life beyond the O.D. green in your head.

BTW - you're welcome ... for my service that is. :)

Regards

[JRPerry]

still, not many can say they actually jumped on acid...and those who can won't tell.

Mortar Maggot huh? A CSC or something else? Yeah I remember the days when privates would volunteer for police call on Sunday mornings so they could pick up the roaches flicked out the windows on Saturday nights.

Falcon Brigade myself. Spent many a day in the field behind a plotting board and a PRC 77 taking calls from an F.O. and sending rounds down range with the 81s - a former FDC Chief. Area J was something else ... mustuv run every inch of that sand pit at one time or another.

[RGSpincich]

Other sailors reported seeing the commandos using drugs in Pattaya, a Thai beach resort.

WTF some Dem Senator have a snitch?

[VaBthang4]

[Loserdpoian accent]
Yeah Wolfie! What are you?! Some WOT Bushbot!
[/Loserdopian accent]

[VaBthang4]

Amen.

[pageonetoo]

They should have just gotten pissy-assed drunk like the rest of these hardliners I have been reading in this post...

I am sick of the double standard by these a..holes. It is a far cry from smoking a little weed to becoming a junkie. It's a pretty short trip for alkies!

The point that leaped out to me was: ..."No operations or exercises were affected by the suspected drug use or testing, he added. As I have personally experienced, the effects are far easier to handle, than alcohol. No falling off barstools, no fights, no hangovers, and the only thing i can remember bad was giving me a pretty healthy appetite.

Yes, I have smoked marijuana. It is pretty cool. I drink, too, but can't stand being drunk! Get over it!

[fourdeuce82d]

Spent many a day in the field behind a plotting board and a PRC 77 taking calls from an F.O. and sending rounds down range with the 81s - a former FDC Chief.

Please allow me to introduce one non-pit digging, non-round humping, non-having-to-work-for-a-living FDC type to another-

JRP, meet neverdem.

neverdem FDC'd for my platoon twenty odd years ago.

neverdem, say hello.

And no jokes about the miracle of gun bunnies learning to type.

[pageonetoo]

Do you have a real life, or do just pretend to be such a contrary person?

[elfman2]

I don’t respect anything more than the most casual exposure to pot. As I recall, it’s a motivational inhibitor. I don’t claim to be above anyone who’s involved in the crap. It has its occasional place.

Nevertheless, I don’t think an exceptional fighting unit benefits by frequent use. They may “kick ass” despite of it, maybe, like peaceful Mormons despite Islam, but I think good leadership can steer most away from it before the age of 35 as you say.

I don’t say this as any sanctimonious zealot, just as someone who has experienced and has seen the crippling effects of it.

[elfman2]

" When I was in my fourth year of service in the Navy, a good man, a Vietnam vet who knew more about small-boat special operations than anyone before, or since, was drummed out of the service after twenty some-odd years for failing one drug test. "

I also saw some heavy penalties pounded on good men in the early 80s USMC. I think it was a tough, but necessary policy, with a lot of good men crushed by it.

[JRPerry]

Please allow me to introduce one non-pit digging, non-round humping, non-having-to-work-for-a-living FDC type to another-

LOL! I love it! Life is good when you are FDC. In Division we had jeeps and over with the 509th and 4/325 we had mules. Man, gun bunnies did have it rough that's for sure. Jumping baseplates and tubes and bipods ... and there there are us FDC types - handsome, intelligent ... we got all the girls too.

Twenty years ago huh? At Bragg? What unit? My old 1SG was Steve Slocum but we were over in Italy twenty years ago this year so you have probably never heard of Smokum' Slocum. Anyway, just thought we might know some of the same Airborne Brothers.

[JRPerry]

I don’t respect anything more than the most casual exposure to pot. As I recall, it’s a motivational inhibitor. I don’t claim to be above anyone who’s involved in the crap. It has its occasional place.

Honestly some of you need to get off of your high horse holier than thou preaching jigs. You take two sentences and five words and turn it into something that it is not. No one said it was being abused. No one said it was rampant and the whole division was being effected by its use ... know what? Nevermind. No wonder sometimes the libs eat our lunches. Some of you are scary the way you turn things around and point fingers and start preaching to other about things which you know nothing about. You take two sentences and five words of mine in another post and turn it into your personal plight to label something that you are ignorant about. Really guys, get a life. I am a granddaddy with a lot of money who has led a pretty good life. No hypocrisy allowed ... I ignore people like you who want to label everyone based upon very little information. Sorry.

Nevertheless, I don’t think an exceptional fighting unit benefits by frequent use. They may “kick ass” despite of it, maybe, like peaceful Mormons despite Islam, but I think good leadership can steer most away from it before the age of 35 as you say.

Who said a darn word about 'frequent use' and let me ask you something else ... what would you know about exceptional fighting units except what you have read in books? I do not have the time or inclination to explain to you the psyche of high speed fighting units but I will share this with you ... sometimes when you wind something really really tight it takes some special unwinding to loosen things up again before winding them tight again. To the person (and I use the term losely) who claimed discipline beats valor every time ... what a crock. It's 50-50 at best when the heat is on and the bottom line is that it takes a combination of both. And the only way to get the perfect mix is through comradreship and esprit de corp ... all that discipline jarhead mentallity BS goes out of the window with the truley elite troops and units. That's what makes our and the Brits the best in the world. So do me a favor and do not try to baffle me with anymore BS on this subject please.

I don’t say this as any sanctimonious zealot, just as someone who has experienced and has seen the crippling effects of it.

Yeah right. Where did you see this, in the neighborhood among the local pot head burnouts? We're not talking about your local losers here incase you haven't noticed. We're talking about men who can run 12 miles with a 100 pound ruck before breakfast, then spend the rest of the day doing hand-to-hand and/or mastering their specific MOS. We're talking me who are in the field 9-18 months out of the year. You have not seen any "crippling effects" of any kind on any of these men so do not tell that lie. State your case but do not try to baffle with BS please. You do not have a clue about what we speak so stay out of the conversation and just ingore us if you feel compelled to comment on something and point fingers at us when you do not have a clue. We're from a different world than you. Listen and learn. Thank you.

[fourdeuce82d]

Jumping baseplates and tubes and bipods

ahem.

JR, 4.2" mortar maggots would never, ever, do anything as guache and vulgar as jumping our 300 lb. baseplates.
Please.

grin

I was a csc/107mm type. rode 151s myself- actually, I showed up march '81, and they had just got rid of the mules a couple of months before.

for all the snarky mocking of your FDC status...most 81mm gunners would have considered us perfumed princes-they humped, we rode.

Then again our tubes were longer, wider, thicker...and rifled. Chicks dug that.

Geeze- I love talking big military BS. neverdem will probably show up tomorrow, and whine about how uncomfortable his gamma goat was, and how sgt. shultz (not a joke) snored and farted in that nice warm waterproof cocoon.

[fourdeuce82d]

I was a dope head in the army. that was a failure on my part- I could have accomplished a lot more had I not taken that route.

Then again...had I been a squared away super troop kind of guy, I probably wouldn't have been a pot head. Go figure.

I have tremendouse respect for the little froggies- and I don't really care if they smoke dope to relax.

I care that they got caught. That's poor op-sec. These guys are supposed to be our ninja killers...and they got busted doing something lowly little E2s managed to get away with, guys who painted jeeps, cleaned commodes, and every now and then got pushed out of a plane.

sad.

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

If some guy is strong enough, smart enough, and disciplined enough to become a navy seal, then i dont give a damn what he wants to do. He has earned the right to take drugs, and screw you and anyone else who wants to foist their own moral views on the lives of free citizens.

[elfman2]

I read the first section of your rant in amazement and quit. Either you suffer from emotional problems or you were drunk on Fathers Day. Get lost.

[JRPerry]

I read the first section of your rant in amazement and quit. Either you suffer from emotional problems or you were drunk on Fathers Day. Get lost.

Wow elfman2, I guess you don't like being called on your sanctimonious BS huh? LOL ... so you follow one sanctimonious BS post (of yours) accusing our soldiers of being dope heads, with another accusing me of being drunk on Father's Day? ROFLMAO!

Like I said, it is sanctimonious BS like yours that gives the rest of us conservatives a bad name. No wonder some people run to the other party - they simply are disgusted by people like you who believe somehow that you are God's servant through which he points his finger. How absolutely disgusting and pathetic of you. Anyway ... go back to your books and hollywood movies about special military units ... study up some more - you need it - especially before coming around trying to preach the mental, physical and psychological nuances of a highly trained and motivated group of high speed soldiers in a crack military untit. You are probably one of those people that know just enough to fool some of the people some of the time. I have no doubt in my mind that you tell people you were a member of this elite unit or that elite unit - all conjecture manufactured in your head. How pathetic.

[leadpenny]

I can't believe what I'm reading in this thread. You two, and anyone else with the cockeyed idea that it is ok to do drugs anywhere in the military, are as wrong as rain.

[killjoy]

Sounds like they were seen partaking in some of the local "scenery" and got turned in. It still doesn't say what the drugs were but I wonder if any other commandos were observed having a drink somewhere.

They should be happy it was the US Government that found out and not the Thai Police. They have an incredibly low tolerance for drugs in Thailand.

[dljordan]

Man, when I was stationed at Alameda NAS in 69' I saw guys bringing back industrial sized plastic jars (must have gotten them from the mess hall) FULL of Thai Sticks. These guys had everything. Stoned all the time. Of course they didn't have the pee test back then. If you were able to stand inspection you were good to go.