[Grampa Dave]

You replied, the reported rules of engagement during the assault on Noriega's private escape pod were a prescription for mayhem and tragedy raining down on -- once again -- our SEALs. Your suggestion that the SEALs were set up (by jealous "Brass?")in Granada and/or Panama is indeed chilling but, I pray, entirely outside the realm of possibility...

Maybe Travis can take a break from his current project and comment on Panama and Granada and the problems the seals ran into with the tactics of the Brass that put them into harm's way.

[Travis McGee]

In Grenada members of ST-6 were attempting an admin linkup with US naval forces already in the area by conducting a water paradrop with gear and boats from a C-130. It was not a "combat jump" or an insertion. They went out into the big swells and hard trade winds of the eastern Caribbean and were not seen again. Who screwed up is a matter of debate, but it sure wasn't like what they were used to training at the mouth of the Chesepeake Bay!

In Panama, the mission to destroy Noriega's personal "escape" Learjet with standoff weapons was changed to capturing the jet for use by the next president. The SEALs' screwed up modified plan was to cross an open runway, "hoping" not to be noticed. Instead they ran right into some of Noriega's hard corps personal guards well armed with belt fed weapons etc. Most folks blame the SEAL Team (deleted) CO for accepting the mission change, and not just saying "screw you" to whatever dips#!t State Dept type who thought that capturing the Learjet intact was worth changing the mission.