Posted on 11/02/2015 12:33:38 AM PST by pboyington
The Navy SEALs have been everywhere in the media in the last few years: in films, books, magazines, video games, on news shows and the Internet. While publicity is always good for the military, is this the type of PR you want for a covert special warfare unit? Are the SEALs a special operations group or a circus act in wet suits?
Every time I turn on Fox News, some muscle bound SEAL is on promoting a book like “Manage your company like a SEALâ€, “The SEAL Cookbookâ€, “160 Ways to Garrote a Tango.†If they’re not pumping up a book, they’re constantly opining or shooting a back azimuth to Ainsley Earhardt’s green room.
The bad guys already know that the SEALs are top-notch killers, why the need to constantly self-promote? The SEALs are starting to look like the real estate broker who advertises on the front panel of a shopping cart. “Need help killing the Tangos? Call 1-800-USN-SEAL.†Maybe they could even do a buddy promotion like some real estate teams, “The Bizzy Blondes, Bob and Bud. We kill bad guys so you don’t have to.†“Have Glocks will travel.†“Terrorists check in, but they don’t check out.†“Just a little C4 knocks down the door!â€
Next thing these guys will be showing up on late night TV pushing meds and protein shakes with Chuck Norris and his wife. “When nature needs a little push, try some SEAL-LAX.†“Having gravity issues… how about a little SEAL-AGRA?â€
On Amazon, just typing in the term, “Navy SEALs†will get you 44,400 results. Typing in “Army Delta Force†will get you 1,213. Is there a problem here, SEALs? That’s one heck of a lot of publicity; everything from movies to books to toys and cleaning products that have to do with a direct action, special recon, anti-terror unit that supposedly operates in secret.
The public’s interest in the SEALs really started in the early 1990’s with the Charlie Sheen movie, Navy SEALs and the publication of the best-selling book, Rogue Warrior, by Richard Marcinko. Demo Dick Marcinko was the original commander and the brains behind SEAL Team Six. Marcinko was and is hated by the military establishment, which is why I like him. He has since gone on to write successful and highly-entertaining novels about fictional SEALs and SEAL operations.
After 9-11, with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan underway, the SEALs became the golden, go to boys of the Bush White House and then the Obama administration. If a couple-hundred terrorists needed to be greased, call the SEALs. If some troops on the ground were in a world of hurt, call the SEALs. If some old lady in Baghdad lost her cat in a tree, call the SEALs.
Perhaps more than anything, it was the Bin Laden raid in May of 2011 that really created the SEALs publicity monster. After the Bin Laden Raid, the SEALs seemed to be ubiquitous hybrids of rock stars and NFL Super Bowl champions. The Navy jumped on the bandwagon and whole-heartedly assisted Hollywood with the movies; Act of Valor, Lone Survivor and American Sniper.
Next came Fox News: the SEALs are Prime Rib with A-1 steak sauce for their conservative audience. One of their anchors, Jenna Lee is married to a former SEAL. The rest of the Fox News ladies are more than infatuated with the super troopers. Is it the sun tans, the muscles, the crew cuts; or the fact that they do more real world dangerous stuff in one afternoon than an anchorwoman’s husband will fantasize about in a lifetime?
But, the SEALs are not Top Gun pilots. Their mission is unique and their methods and operations are highly classified.
For instance, after the Bin Laden Raid you had several former SEALs, like Robert O’Neill who claimed to be the SEAL who killed Bin Laden, a fact that was disputed by other SEALs who also claimed to be the guys who whacked Bin Laden. How many SEALs did it take to kill Bin Laden? One, two, three; the world may never know.
O’Neill is not the only one who has come under fire. Former teammate Matt Bissonnette published the initial first-person account about the raid, “No Easy Day,†using the pen name Mark Owen and had to pay millions to the Defense Department from the subsequent profits. The Pentagon also has an open investigation into potential leaks provided to the producers of the blockbuster film, “Zero Dark Thirty.†And a 2012 trailer for a video game in the “Medal of Honor†series includes insights from two anonymous SEAL Team Six members who some accuse of releasing sensitive tactics and procedures.
And, then there’s Delta Force…
Until last week’s non-combat, combat raid, the only Delta the country knew was the airline that lost your luggage. Sure Delta has had a little publicity in the past. There were the Delta Force movies in the 1980’s and “Blackhawk Down†in 2001, but what does the public really know about Delta? Uh…not much. When does the public ever hear or see anyone from Delta? Uh…never and you know why? Because the public DOESN’T HAVE A NEED TO KNOW.
Delta has conducted hundreds of successful operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they don’t send their alumni on Fox News in tight silk suits that are more expensive than Andrea Tantaros’ boob job. Delta knows what OPSEC (operations security) is and they maintain it.
Delta is also a different state of mind than the SEALs. Delta was molded by the late Colonel “Chargin’ Charlie†Beckwith who had done a couple tours with the famous British SAS. Beckwith picked up on their laid back, but deadly ways and transferred the mentality over to Delta.
Not only does Delta have a different attitude than the SEALs, but Delta guys look different. They are very rarely, the testosterone-charged, pumped up, swaggering linebacker SEAL type, but rather regular looking dudes that perform incredible feats. It’s their low-key demeanor that allows them to blend into dark and nasty places all over the world.
Along with Delta remaining mute, when was the last time you saw guys from the Army’s super-secret Green Beret/Human Intelligence collection unit, known as “The Activity†pumping up a book on Fox News. Newsflash – guys from The Activity were on the ground collecting intelligence for the Bin Laden Raid. They were collecting intelligence for the SEALs. But, they never said anything. They never do.
It’s just not their style.
The problem is not really the release of classified information by former SEALs, but the inundation of the public with a myriad of open sources. There is so much information out there about SEAL training, weapons, equipment, methods, operations, utilization of intelligence sources, etc, that it is virtually a field day for enemy intelligence services. Believe me, there are enemy intelligence personnel who have created an excellent picture of SEALs order of battle, capabilities and dispositions just from the plethora of SEALs information that’s out there.
So, what’s the solution? Besides having SEALs sign NDAs, you can’t stop someone from writing a book if it doesn’t contain classified information. You can’t stop people from promoting themselves and trying to make money. That’s what freedom is all about.
But, there comes a time when former SEALs need to think long and hard about what they’re writing and what they’re talking about and if their constant media presence is endangering SEAL operations and personnel worldwide.
If Delta and The Activity can keep their mouths shut, so can the SEALs.
It’s time for the SEALs to return to the shadows with their special operations brothers.
To be fair, this “celebrity” phenom is not unique to the SEAL community. Lots of cashing in going on across all branches and I agree with you that people in this line of work need to shut their pie holes.
I know a guy who was a tier one operator in the early days. I actually knew him for about ten years before he said much about it and even then, it was very little. That’s the way it should be.
Not readable with all the weird symbols.
Not ringing a bell....
ha, your screen name is perfect for this thread aint it?
I agree with your Delta / Seal Team point.....but as for borrowing? These elite units have been borrowing from each other for decades, and for those old enough, centuries.
Is this writing of books and everything else making it easier? Well, probably.
i bet that would have been news to Michael P. Murphy, LT. USN, Medal of Honor Recipient... but he was KIA
Doubt he's a SEAL. Used to have a URL for a SEAL site that busted wannabes. Just Google or ask Travis Mcgee. Plus, there are a lot of guys who made it through BUD/S, but never passed the many months long combat training. I think that was the case with Jesse Ventura, not sure.
Active Duty ping.
7 Military threads in 7 days. Like or dislike the Military?
Read the threads, was asking about the poster.
Okay.
bkmk
That's where we differ. As long as they go through the same endurance training at BUD/S and then on to combat training with Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE), the more the merrier in my book.
The same with some advanced Rangers, Special Forces, Delta Force, Marine Force Recon, Air Force ground controllers and their rescue counter-parts, and Snipers from each branch of service. Build entire divisions of each, with dedicated in close air support they may need at any given time. Think A-10 Warthogs and C-130 gunships.
As you know all the above are the guys who often make the difference in close quarter combat in specialized/clandestine inner-city missions nowadays. We can't have enough of them in this new urban warfare environment.
I'd personally like to see entire divisions in each branch specialty, so long as they continue the harsh training requirements. Women, no, no, no, and damn no on subs for other reasons. What say you about the above?
A good many of them were Warrant Officers when I knew them. Damn fine bunch of fellas.
Nope. *Blue Light* was formed for hostage rescue, particularly in the aircraft-full-of-hostages days. Delta came along a year or two later.
The SAS, btw, was formed to destroy aircraft...German ones.
Indeed, why back when I was in my Quartermaster mess kit repair battalion [underwater] we were so secret even we didn't know what we were doing. Then along came MREs and they did away with the mess kits, and now I've forgotten what we did.
It was real secret though.
Seals are all enlisted? One of the dumbest things ever posted here.
“Seals are all enlisted? One of the dumbest things ever posted here.”
Yeah, I should have researched this prior to posting. But, now that I have your alias I just run all my comments by you before posting. So, now I’ve done some research, my error was using “all”. There are indeed officers in the Seals but most are running the missions from a command post. There are a few, 01,02 types, that go on missions but most teams at the special operator level are run by senior nco’s.
Probably something to do with immersion heaters....and MILGAS.
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