Navy SEALs reprimand meant to send message to other SEALs
By Chris Lawrence
The disciplining of U.S. Navy SEALs who aided a video game maker was conducted in a more public fashion than typically done in order to send a message to the SEALs community about keeping classified information secret, CNN has learned.
Seven U.S. Navy SEALs have been reprimanded for giving up classified information connected to their work so a video game could seem more realistic, according to a Navy official.
The seven were charged with the unauthorized showing of their official combat gear and dereliction of duty for disclosing classified material, according to the official, who is familiar with the investigation. The letters of reprimand will be "considered" when the SEALs go up for promotion, essentially ending any chance of advancement in the Navy.
At least one of the SEALs disciplined was part of the team that raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, a defense official said Friday.
The reprimand was not conducted privately, as is usually the case. The decision was made "at the command level" to conduct the disciplinary proceedings, with most members of the command present, "to send a message to other SEALs" that revealing classified information and publicly speaking about their missions is "unacceptable."
CNN has also learned that the public chastising of the SEALs is part of a broader concern about the increasingly public image of the special operations force. The Naval Special Warfare Development Group, popularly known as SEAL Team Six, was the subject of a recent TV movie about the bin Laden raid and will feature in another upcoming film about the rescue of a ship's captain kidnapped by Somali pirates.
The Pentagon says another member of SEAL Team Six on the bin Laden raid recently wrote a book, "No Easy Day," without clearing its release through government officials. The Defense Department official says all of these incidents factored into the command's decision to reprimand the seven SEALs in front of their entire command.
"Naval Special Warfare (NSW) takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and conducts investigations to determine the facts. We likewise take seriously the Non-Disclosure Agreements signed by Sailors and adherence to the articles of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice," Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, deputy commander of the Naval Special Warfare Center, said in a statement to Security Clearance on Thursday night.
"We do not tolerate deviations from the policies that govern who we are and what we do as sailors in the United States Navy. The non-judicial punishment decisions made today send a clear message throughout our Force that we are and will be held to a high standard of accountability."
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
My father in-law was a crew chief on a B29 during WWII. He and his crew had something to do with testing the A Bomb in the desert of the western US. He received a medal for his service. That is all we know. I tried to get him to talk about his experience so it could be recorded and saved in the museum in New Orleans. He told me he could not and would not talk about it. He had received no word from the Department of the Army that what he did and what he knew was declassified. He took that information to the grave last year, 72 years after he left the service. That is commitment. That is dedication. That is integrity. That is doing your duty! That is what it looks like! Today we have more leaks than a bucket full of holes. Suck it up, shut up, and do your duty!
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My dad is navy seal butthead and I say USA USA RAVEN SAY IT RAVENHAWK2029@AOL.COM
Seems the Navy Seals have lost their cache. They used to be unassuming warriors & now they are a bunch of publicity seeking braggarts. It defeats their purpose & credibility to be in the middle of so much controversy.
I really dont understand why they need to have all the 'silent pride'. Apart from security reasons, i dont see why a bunch of highly disciplined soldier cant have a public face. There is one thing being a glory hound, the other being in public with decency.
Fact is that nowadays seals feel the need to be recognized. Fact is they have done a lot and must get recognition for it. Otherwise they do things like the news reports or become mercenaries suddenly tasting the drug for money. Green Berets are Special Operations Forces too ... they dont necessarily 'boast' of this purposefully trying to keep a mysterious secretive image. It was good in the old days when the guys were really a humble lot. they are not so shy anymore, infact Special forces is the most talk about branch of the military in the US. Heck Armor and Cav who were supposed to be the glory boys are now the real silent pride guys and drone pilots.
Who cares. Its not like they were giving mission specifics away to people. Even if you knew what equipment they had its not like you can go to the naval armory and buy it.
Ya smart. We only spent millions training these irreplacable supersoldiers. Lets drive them out now so some empty suit officers can grandstand for publicity and enhancing thier own resumes.
if our enemys want intel, they go http://www.google.com. the world knew about bin ladens death before the seals even made it back. thanks to our media and every dirtbag that had a piece init.
One thing I've noticed about dems and libs is that your first line of defense is name calling. For crying out loud, GROW UP. Act like an adult, even if you are not.
FYI, I have served in the military – 6 years.
obama and his crew can give details of Navy Seals Opns to movie producers, and that's not a problem. Navy Seals give some otherwise easy to come by Opns plans and that a mortal sin.
obama and his administration lose a drone in Iran, and nothing is done about it, nor printed about it after a week or so. One can only presume every American enemy now has the ability to build drones.
An American ambassador was tortured and murdered in Benghazi, and two former Navy Seals lost their lives trying to same him and 30 or so others. The best the administration can do is blame the attack on a dumb movie trailer found on a You Tube posting that had been out since Jul 2012, and only about 15 people had viewed.
If you want to respond, fine, but if you sound or act like a 5th grader, you are non-existent.
Lol you just complained about libs being namecallers, and in a nutshell called them "children". Hahahahaha!
Our leadership especially in the military has turned into a bunch of little girls. How in the h e l l do you lead from the front when you can't even keep your tampons straight? What leadership ?
You are not an American if you vote and then not accept the outcome. It's called Democracy with the God giving choice to chose who we"the people" decide to chose. So to all you Obama haters..... Deal with it or give up your citizenship and live elsewhere. We don't need boneheads like you all.
Angel – Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.
That'll be a wish come true. Get over losing and sthu
There is a little bit of a problem with your reasoning, one it means we have to accept whatever the administration does (judging from your post i don't think you like bush). Two you would have to concede the fact that president is right. and last the quote meant if didn't vote you shouldn't complain
Great game. Thanks guys!
Guess it wasn't SOCOM 5.
This is true: Kevin Bulter, VP of Silent but Deadly, is likely going to be the next person taken down in the current stopping-Navy SEAL-leaks-to-video-game-makers-and-pimplyfaced-geek-gamers crackdown unfolding across the nation. And alas/consequently, SOCOM 5 Navy SEALs will not be made. A thankful nation of cyberwarriors will then rest easy at night, knowing Butler was finally brought to justice. Up next: air soft warriors and the Navy SEALs who love and leak to them.
EVERY MILITARY KNOW THE SEALS TACTICS. DUH. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE ? SEAL HAVE BETTER WEAPONS AND BETTER EQUIPMENT
Remember when groups like SEAL Team Six quietly assassinated the bad guys and we never heard a thing about it? Ahhhh, those were the days...
Was that before or after Obama made the movie about it?
Good lord, wont you losers ever stop??
Obama made Navy Seals starring Charlie Sheen?
OBAMA HAD TO TELL AMERICA, VOTES.
Dont be mad because Rummy's cronies couldn't buy enough
Agree, where is the honor of this new generation of seals. Some secrets are supposed to remain secret. Some situations require to get a job done, and nobody needs to know the details of it was done.
Best movie quote for this.
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post."
i love how they get mad at these guys for supposedly giving out classified info but there are leaks in the current admins team every day you read articles about sources that were not athourized to speak its ridiculous its okay when the president does it but there is a double standard when a solider does it when the administratiom is giving it out to build political brownie points
These SEALs, as well as the moron who wrote the book, are embarassments. This is not about democrat or republican. This has NOTHING to do with Obama. Both political party administrations have used SEALs for decades to carry out operations that the public never knows about....operations necessary to keep Americans safe. Years ago, you would NEVER hear a SEAL even talk about what they have done. Try and find a SEAL to tell you about what they did in Vietnam....you won't. Now, for financial gain, these disgraced, greedy men, are selling out their stories and fellow SEALS. To the SEALs who keep us safe and keep their mouths shut, I thank you!
I agree. Although action games are perfectly fun and enjoyable, the way that MoH Warfighter was made was not okay. Its good to see there's people with fresh opinions like yours.
Wait a minute our fun filled, hollywood ,go on enormus trips at our expense,that got in a second term ,by a narrow margin I must say.spilled his guts about osama bin laden but that was ok?.Do as I say not as I do?
Big difference.... When our President informs the nation about the killing of a mayor enemy of the nation, something that we as a nation are expecting to happen at some point ( by the way.... what was is that Bush said a few years ago when asked about Bin Landen?? oh yea!!! " I don't think about him much anymore"" wow)... And by the way, Obama didn't barely win by a narrow margin, he kicked Mitt Romney's ass....330+ and also over 2,5 m popular votes..
These guys did it for monetary gain....
Love how yesterday this article said it "ended their career's" but me and other called bs on the terrible reporting and now it's changed to the letter being "considered" upon their advancement. It's hilarious to see media run out to report a story when they don't even have all the facts. GJ CNN
Kinda depends what "ending their careers" mean to you. I for one know for a fact not being allowed to advance in the military is as good as career over. In the military people do not aspire to stay in one position, their aspirations are to advance and if these guys are charged and decide to move on from the military these charges equal horrible records/resume.
Yes I do understand that, but what you have to understand is that they can still be put in positions where even though lower rank they are in charge of people of higher rank. So as they "might" not be able to advance...if say they're already e-5, e-6 they will still be very much an active part of their team and still make a very comfortable living. Either way it sucks but they'll still be doing their job
I find it interesting that we have never heard of so many infringements of military protocol from elite forces before the Obaman administration.
Really? Ever heard of Valerie Plame? Thr Mai Ling Massacre? Abu Ghraib?
about time someone brought it up im tired of all these people talking trash like the presidents before them had a handle on thngs when they would purposely divolge information especially vallery plame best example of them all
Were you born last night? You Obama haters really need a filter between your mouth and your brain. Ps... Don't blame the president for the actions of individuals.
Pathetic that these elite soldiers would step outside of their trusted duty to fellow seals and the country they are sworn to protect to help out on a video game. The makers of the game and the Seals have obviously forgotten, it is just a game. It does not have to be real. At least not to this extreme. And no matter how real they make it, it is still not the same as actually being in combat. In combat you only get one life. And we wonder why kids have a difficult time telling fantasy from reality.
True. One has to now wonder how much their leaks will adversely affect America's cyberwarfare abilities. The biggest remaining question: how will the infamous mole Kevin Butler be dealt with?
just shows that they are just Americans at heart.
So you're against capitalism. You must be communist.
Honor. Some have it, some don't. People trade it off for quick cash every day. Bankers, elite soldiers, anybody with some valuable info they promised to protect. This just shows the military is not some special breed of human as they like to market themselves as. Confidential info is worth something to someone and if they think they're underpaid and underappreciated they'll take the payoff. It takes decency and honor to accept your responsibility and turn down easy cash – some have it, some lose it along the way, and some never had much of it to begin with.
Well, they did fight for their country in a time of war. Something less than 1/2 of 1% of all Americans choose to do. I guess, they aren't that special.
Neither they, nor any soldier in the united states in the modern military has ever fought for their people. This is as ignorant of a statement as can be. They have fought for the enormous economic interests that want the war.
well said dobbs
Spot on. Those Seals are great.
Well, a miniscule punishment for the fine gents that serve our Country would be understanding, but to retire them is ridiculous, I shall be an Obama fan, but after the Seal Leak persay, I mean, it's not like they'll do it again, or find other ways of facking show off their equipment, too sever mate, too sever.
And when was it necessary to repeat the facking Team Number, Any other team on CNN worth mentioning? ..... ppoooooorrr people here aite.
Just like in combat there are no do overs. The men knew and excepted the responsibility as elite soldiers. There are hundreds more that train and test for these positions as the trusted few. No mistakes at this level. They should have been booted. They knew the rules going in and the violated them. Writing it off as a mistake is not except able especially when it comes to national security. You give these guys a pass and you are setting it up so more will be tempted. No exceptions !!!
I agree, too severe! What " classified information was actually leaked, they showed off their official combat gear, big deal, its hardly treason. These men deserve, at the very least, another chance!
"We do not tolerate deviations from the policies that govern who we are and what we do as sailors in the United States Navy. The non-judicial punishment decisions made today send a clear message throughout our Force that we are and will be held to a high standard of accountability."
But it's ok for Obama to produce the names of the members of SEAL Team 6? Yeah right, and I'm the Pope. Yet another reason Obama needs to be impeached.
Your man lost. Don't like it? – Too bad. You're free to leave anytime you want, Nancy.
yes, in fact, the president is allowed to do things that seals cannot. what a world. lol
Lots of d!ckless little clovers on here, I see. What a (for the most part) pathetic bunch.
Says the person hiding behind a keyboard and trolling/spamming the cnn message boards........
If I've offended you, it must be because you're a d!ckless little clover.
What a crock. Under paid and under appreciated by the government that sends them into harms way. They find a way to make some extra money and then get shafted.
They freely chose to be put in a position to be "sent in harm's way." They also knew the pay sucked. Too bad.
God you are more annoying than the usual people in here....you don't have a clue what your talking about so keep your mouth shut....you might learn something...
Sorry to break it to you, d0uche – but "heroes" they're not.
Yeah ok...coming from the guy living in his moms basement...your still an idiot stfu
CJ, the whole point of the reprimand is to make the SEALs job safer for them. If classified secrets of their equipment, training and methods are put out there to everyone, it makes it easier for their possible future targets to know what to expect and counteract them. Is a slightly more realistic videogame that earns a few SEALs a few extra buck worth a future mission failing, maybe with American soldiers dead and possibly including other SEALs, worth it?
they are not underpaid
The idea that any leaked info might not be used is totally downplaying the issue. Here's an idea. How about we pay these guys for risking their lives instead of giving it all to the cast of Jersey Shore....
You're not too f*****g bright, are you?
Yeah. It was reasonable. You don't want your best moves out there. The seals should have had meetings with their COs before doing this.
I support Obama 100%You're a hero but!This group of seals was formed by Obama noone knew of the team but Obama& these trained seals about the mission until osama bin laden was dead.My grief unfolded when everything was televised for civilians to see how?,the compound,the entry how?pictures of secrets,air craft there ability all I felt it made us vulnerable!!!I was for the first and only time in disagreement with our president Obama definitely dropped the ball The Seals are heroes but! we must only punish them by what was learned by our own president he can u can't Believe It!!.....SEALS We Love You But Dammit Obama!!!A secret .....we are lead by our leaders sorry Mr President i can't agree with you on this One.?#....was shown
The Obama admin. gave the right for the SEAL Team 6 show world wide, so they should also be reprimanded. I just don't understand all the intel that been revealed. Leave our military alone and don't take credit for what our guys do, so "We The People" can be FREE!!!
Wow, what a dumb thing to do. It's amazing how unpatriotic (and disrespectful) our country is becoming. From outsourcing jobs, selling secret information, to our political leaders lying and\or our President being ATTACKED all the time by Repubicans for no reason whatsoever. For example, some post here are slamming Obama for killing Bin Laden and letting us know. Get a grip and grow up. Any party should and would done the same thing – the world stopped, clapped and some even cried. Thank god most Americans are thinking – Forward!
The POTUS has nothing to do with the internal operations and decision making of the various branches of the military services.
the game sucks, why are people even talkking about it?
I have listened to the liberal and conservative news media analize the Bin laden thing to death. They showed detailed video, pics and verbal description of what went down plus Obamas reaction while watching it happen. Was all that just for show. Is that not what really happened. The gamer people could've made their game with everything that has already been spewed by the media. Why in the heck are they pointing the finger at these guys? Was the government hiding something? Were they not telling us the truth? Would OUR government really lie to us? Getting way past tired of our government trying to blame others for their own incompetence.
They are hiding military secrets and operations instructions that you and Joe Public do not need to know.
It is only to scare them, before the speak the truth about Osama
These clowns show be court-martial. The Army Special F are men. These seals act like boys.
Coming from a clown who has probably never served...tool
"Served" what? The banks? Corporations? Wall St? Tool.
Yeah served the banks.....you have he IQ of a box if crayons....
Can't stand how the article says "at least one Navy Seal from the Osama Raid," at least...what's that mean...Does it mean we can degrade one...at least one more from Team 6. It is when heroic justice becomes no longer heroic but disillusioned viewpoints of media and society that we've lost something. When an act of war becomes not an act of duty and protection for our own freedom but a sense of the inhumane, corrupt, defamed. When those who are to be honored gain no respect in the eyes of many throughout society, risking their lives than we have trespassed against our founding fathers we have trespassed against the hundreds of thousands of lives that fallen on our soil and overseas. We have gained a perspective that is not our own but foreign, alien, and obtuse.
your point is ?
How were they even able to consult on the game without clearance in the first place? Seems they shouldn't even have been given the opportunity on the matter and because it wasn't handled correctly in the first place, these guys get the backhand.
If the administration had kept their mouths shut about the raid on UBL (or OBL as it were) then this would not have been an issue. The administration leaked the information and made public, to a group of Hollywood and media types, who did what and how. Now that a former SEAL took a stand, published a book and undercut the administration they are lashing out. This is BS of the highest order. If the administration took care of SOF then this would not be an issue.
Like the Pakis were going to keep it quiet? Please, are you that naive?
from the commentary here I guess violating opsec only matters if you're a "librul". If you're a gun-totin, god-fearin, flag-wavin 'markin, why then it's yer job to wave your prong around in public t' show everone how big the dang thing is.
thankfully, the folks in question don't suffer from this condition cause they know that it's not the size of your unit that counts, but rather the skill of the operator. Unlike some of the posters here...
Department of Navy v. Egan, 484 US 518 (1988) ... The President can declassify anything he chooses to, anytime he chooses to. Ergo, it is *impossible* for a President to "leak" classified information.
Most people who reply in defense of what some of these SEALS have done (breaking the law with regard to classification and breaking their on-disclosure agreement) have probably never held a security clearance or signed a non-disclosure. The fact is that holding a clearance imposes obligations on the holder and implies trust. Those are the rules. If you don't want to accept the responsibility, don't accept the clearance. All jobs have responsibilities and rules and they apply to all who accept. Not just some. With the number of folks in oumilitary and special forces, I thank those who take this seriously and don't break the rules. Those are the ones that keep their promises to their brothers and our country. And I wish these psychos that don't know anything and keep blaming the president for everything would quit it. You don't know how stupid you sound...or maybe ou do and don't care.
Now we know who was leaking information on the raid. And you let the Republicans convince you it was the President.
A letter of reprimand is nothing. It costs too much money to train a SEAL. This will not affect their careers in any manner.
Playing a war video game to learn skills to defeat your enemy is like playing Madden to become a QB. Regardless, those SEALs should have kept quiet
I do not think that is accurate comparison . A untrained person clearing a corner of house for example. Vs someone that is trained clearing the corner . It is easy tactic to learn and the person that is trained has a clear advantage. It is as easy as Pie
See all those those war movies, where the credits list all the military advisors. Something tells me, a general is crying, cuz he didin't get his "cut".
OK, probably an ignorant question, but I really don't know anything about special operation so I'm going to ask and apologize in advance if it is a dumb question.
Give the size and scope of US Special Operations Forces (Rangers, SF, Delta, MARSOC, SEALS) why is it that the only ones in the media all the time are the SEALS? Are they actually doing more than everybody else or are they just more media friendly?
Bingo! You hear nothing but crickets from the Army SOF side of the house. That's probably all that needs to be said other than to draw your own conclusions on whether the SEALs are doing more (they're not), and if they are more media friendly, as in having big mouths. Even the 82nd Abn looks with derision on the SEALs at this point.
What's amazing is these HEROS give out basic operational info that everyone see's on tv today to a game maker and they lose their jobs. But the Obama Administration gives CLASSIFIED information about the bin Ladin raid to movie makers and it is just fine. Do I sense a double standard here? I have come to expect nothing less from this administration. At least the SEALS get the job done. That's something you can't say about Obama. WHAT A JOKE!!!
I agree with the public reprimand.
A tactic that is known: Is one that someone can figure out how to defend against it. So by disclosing tactics in Movies, Games, Books whatever. They have put other brother in arms lives in danger.
As are retired member of the Armed Forces, this one has me scratching my head. I have spent time with Special Ops, and the Seals are usually the sharpest tacks in the box. I was shocked, that they would break the rules, THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES KNOW, and get played by a video game manufacturer.
A letter of reprimand you get for being late too work. NOT GOOD ENOUGH A HIGHLY TRAINED WARRIOR.
IT'S TIME TO SIT THEM DOWN ON THE BEACH FOR AWHILE!!\
Make them go through BUDS again.
If you think the Seals punishment is too harsh: Should all government employees and contractors with security clearances also be allowed to get by with a slap on the wrist for releasing classified information that they personally deem to be "not a big deal"? If this was the case we could then do away with all security clearances and let each individual with access to classified data determine when and what classified data they will release to the public. I'm certain they could sell the data for more money than they would lose by having their pay cut in half for 2 months! This sets a very bad precedent. I support and honor the SEALS, but I'm surprised these SEALS still have their jobs.
Omg thank you.. someone who finally agrees.. You couldnt have put it better
This women just summed up all my thoughts..
Well said.
Ha its funny how one person can be so right and powerful with a few sentences thankyou:)
Right on the money. this pretty much extends to most paid positions of any significance. your employment contract spells out what you can or can't do while employed. The same thing those guys did would have let to immediate termination in most corporations. I am actually surprised they got off so easily.
I have a security clearance but I have yet to learn anything to exploit 🙁
2 words.. OPSEC & COMSEC
It's about time someone took action to ensure these warriors zip their lips. This sort of thing seems to be happening all too often with military members writing books they shouldn't, showing weapons no one should know about or disclosing classified information. Perhaps the caliber of our forces has slipped a bit given the strain we've exerted to grow the force necessary for two wars... Dunno for sure. Steve USN (Ret) 1979-2000
As former military, I agree that what they did was wrong. As a video game player, can anyone identify the specific video game that the information was used for? I'd like to play a military/shooter type game that's as realistic as possible.
Medal Of Honor: Warfighter
I would advise you to not waste your time the game is terrible has gotten panned.
Its refering that this info was leaked to Medal of Honor: Warfighter. However if u want to play a game that is realistic u want to get Arma 2 or Arma 3 next year
"Seven U.S. Navy SEALs have been reprimanded for giving up classified information connected to their work"
Do we have their names?
testicles, testicles, check
no, "we" dont, why do you want to know the names? will you personally reprimand them?
Seals reprimanded for leaking classified information... What about all the leaks from the Whitehouse?
off topic
Silly. Point your finger elsewhere.
Sorry but its a valid point, National Security starts at the top so IMO it is a valid point I you want security kept zipping lips needs to start at the top
Pretty sure white house can release classified information if they clear it. Navy Seals have no such power.
Please have someone explain to you the difference between blame and responsibility.
Department of Navy v. Egan, 484 US 518 (1988) ... The President can declassify anything he/she chooses to, anytime he/she chooses to.
Great, that is the only info we need... now shut up your mouths and check you egos. Are you warriors or gossiping old women? The president is Command in Chief, you crew here are charged to salute and execute orders... now carry on, gentlemen! What this nation is; a whole lot more of discipline and a whole lot less of rock stars.
However treason is still defined as giving aid to the enemy. If the president gives aid to an enemy by declassifing information it is treason. So he should be careful when using this power.
I am so glad that these Seal members are being disciplined, and at a higher level. These people take an oath of secrecy and confidentiality, and it seems that more and more, these rules and very necessary precautions are being ignored.
There is an extremely good reason these operations and missions are highly and strictly supposed to be kept in confidence, and I feel some of these personnel are putting fame, the potential for wealth and notoriety way ahead of their own, their fellow Seals and armed forces, as well as allies and our nation's protection and well-being.
It's the ordinary soldier we should give thanks for. They bore the brunt of the war. They were not pampered with intensive training, best equipment, elite treatment, but they fought nonetheless, suffered, came home with disabilities, sometime in a casket.
did you just says the seals are "pampered"....lmao you know nothing
I don't know what the deal is here:
The U.S. already has the "alpha weapon" known as the atomic bomb. You know that thing that the U.S. is supposedly freaking out if Iran attains? I really don't think the U.S. is freaking that Iran is learning some combat knife techniques when an entire country can be incinerated off the earth.
What exactly are Seals good for? Illegal assassinations? If that's all they are good for, then their existence is morally and ethically wrong.
What exactly are the SEALS good for ? The fact that you even ask such a question indicates you know nothing about JSOC, it's 'members', or it's mission. Log off...you have nothing to contribute .
Because you do not use a bazooka when there is a home invasion – assuming you still want to live there. You use the right sized tool for the right job.
When I first read this comment from Shangey G., I didn't know if it was a joke, or if there could possibly be a moron this big out there. As I thought about it I've concluded that there are lots of morons like this out there, especially after the election this weak. What good are the SEALs? Do they just do illegal assinations? I am qualified to answer this question after 14 years in the navy, & the answer is this: As SEALs, let me just say that Rangers don't always lead the way. We can insert into anywhere on this planet in less than 12 hours in order to carrry out a number of missions including recon, intel gathering, hostage rescue, force support, force training, sabotage, target elimination, intel elimination, asset elimination, asset procurement, & target procurement. We can be sent to take targets alive, & yes sometimes dead. We wouldn't have it any other way. As much as we go through, our families go through just as much. There are things we do that will never be told about, & believe me when I say you will sleep better at night not knowing some of those things. You have no idea what we go through & how close things come somedays to messing up this country's entire way of life. Just know we are not just some over glorified hit squad. Just know that we are a part of why you have the freedom to sit here & type this kind of uninformed crap. Not trying to sound arrogant, just telling you the truth.
Thank you for your service. I sleep better at night knowing the good guys are on our side.
Shut up twit. RLTW and you sound like a real wannabe, whether you have a budweiser or not.
it's natural to put the SOF community into the limelight. They're the best, they set the standard for all kind of stuff. They are downright exciting. In turn, it's natural for them to enjoy that limelight, they bust their *55es, get really good at some really hard stuff and bring home the bacon for the USA (or save it). Like many people who are excellent, many of them probably wouldn't be that way if they didn't have a reasonably healthy ego (justified pride in capabilities and accomplishments). Which culturally they usually suppress, but here's an opportunity to let it out a little.
Problem is, both these natural reactions (can) produce bad results. A force that needs to come and go and it's like they were never there, needs to not be in the public eye. so maybe the military's PR people need to up their game, take SOF back less public, and sell them on mystery and rumor rather than letting Johnny Pimples think he's got all access via his Xbox. (And no, I don't care if this particular incident happened without authorization. The government sets the tone for how these units are presented (or not) to the public. They can set a different tone.)
FOX Newsflash: This is all a part of the cover up on Benghazi. In fact.. any news in the future is a direct result of Benghazi. In case someone missed it today... Boehner had a bowel movement.. and is blaming it on Benghazi.. as reported by FOX
In your own words....
"I really don't know why people like you are allowed to speak. I guess just making a blanket statement with no proof is acceptable among fools."
To jb1111: Take a deep breath, hold it, count to 10 .... ready, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10....exhale slowly. Repeat 3 times.
Feel better ?
No reprimand for Obama?
For a group of people who thrive and survive their missions using secrecy, they seem to like the limelight. First a book about the raid, after complaining that Obama outed them and now selling their secrets to a game maker.Doesn't seem very professional to me.The SEALs that made the film against Obama seem like a bunch of political hacks. Weither you like Obama or not, he made the decision. The raid would not have happened if he had not said yes and he would have been the one blamed if it had not succed
These men signed confidentiality agreements. They broke those agreements to make a buck. The information they gave to the game makers may seem "trivial" to civilians, but we don't know how it can be exploited. The fact that some terrorist group (homegrown or otherwise) can learn actual SEAL offensive/defensive combat strategy by playing a VIDEO GAME is scary to say the least. The punishment was appropriate. To show such poor judgement warrants limitation on the ability to be promoted into positions that would give them access to even more classified information. The fact that the reprimand was done publicly was necessary, because these types of lapses in judgement seem to be happening more often and on a larger scale.
OBAMA LEAKED FIRST.
AND INFO ON THE SEALS, TOO.
IMPEACH OBAMA AND ALL LEAKS WILL STOP.
THE SEALS REMAIN THE HEROES.
Really? Is that the best you've got? And I'm sure that Obama is at fault for EVERY leak that has ever occurred in US Special Forces. Right. I bet he was born in Mexico too, right?
boooooooooooooo. typical angry, rightwing extremist. get over yourself. Start living in reality.
Zack and right ... I think the point he is trying to make is if the Military can strip a career from these Seals for leaking out Information then he deserves to loose his job and be reprimanded. I don’t agree with him but I see the point he is making.
And you remain an idiot. You are not drinking the kool-aid, you are injecting it.
The Medications that you are taking are expired !! Talk to the Nurse !!!!
JB1111: What is wrong with you?
I really don't know why people like you are allowed to speak. I guess just making a blanket statement with no proof is acceptable among fools. Obama leaked nothing.. but what we do seem to be seeing is that todays SEAL's are leaking alot to benefit financially and politically.
Agreed!
RMJ – you do know that most of the military are made up of people 18 to 24 right? You know the maturity level at those ages are bad at best. Also, these games have strong appeal to people at this age. I guarantee that if they thought they were doing something wrong or letting out info that would hurt the Seals they would not have done it. So by your logic a decision of a kid should mess of their career for the rest of their life? I’m not saying they don’t need punishment but seriously you cant see how bad this is. I mean look at P Obama, he was a big time dope head in college. Is he a dope head now? No, he is the pres of the USA. He grew up and learned from his mistakes.
Age is not an issue. Adult is Adult. Don't be soft on crime.
I think the Navy Seals should give some idea about how to creat the game, but not give the secret of the Navy.
from John Bradford
"If you're going to shoot, shoot, don't talk"
So I see the self righteous have come out here and started running their yaps on nothing they know of. Imagine that. Off with their heads !! Morons. What information did they release ? Do you really know ? All your going on is this article and it really doesn't say much. But yet your calling for their discharge. Morons. From what the article says they didn't say much more than what you can see on the Seal page on Facebook for gods sake.
And yes, I served. 1st bat, 4th Marines. Beirut Lebanon, 1983. Barracks got blown up by a suicide bomber. And I still believe that they did nothing wrong. And the Navy flucked up by pushing this and making it public. I'm sure morale will suffer. I would never join the forces of today. Too politically correct and pandering to whiners.
OBAMA LEAKED FIRST.
(AND ABOUT THE SEALS ALSO.)
MAYBE THE SEALS LEARNED OBAMA'S LEADERSHIP LESSON.
OR MAYBE THEY WANTED A LITTLE PAY BACK BY REFOCUSING ON OBAMA'S LEAKS THROUGH THIS.
THE SEALS ARE THE REAL HEROES AND REMAIN SO!!
You keep getting dumber the more posts of yours I read.
jb1111,
You do not seem to understand that the President of the United States is the FINAL authority on classification. If he decides to release any information, it cannot be considered "leaking", since he has the sole authority to declassify anythning he wants. This makes all of your posts really stupid, since they are all incorrect.
They made a buck by giving away high classified training info..They sworn to uphold those secrets and they spilled their guts for a buck.They'ell have to live with their decisions.The secrets were kept that way in order for future seals to take their place and to have the upper hand.
US.Army 81 to 2002
President knew 78 hours in advance this were going to hapin he told the Navy to stand down, I did not think he care about our our people of land. I did not think he should have had be our resident again I think the people who vote fr him do not have brain fin there heads. from John
Where do you idiots learn your grammar?
Hey, you seem to be having trouble spelling "you're". Perhaps you should lay off the "moron" claims till fix that champ.
Actually, his use of 'your' (possessive) is correct in the above instance. the contraction of 'you are' would be inapposite.
BigSen – you know how much classified gear and such are worth to say someone like China or any Terroist group? These guys knew the rules when they joined up and they broke them – take your punishement and next time keep your mouth shut. I was USN in the IT field and it was made ABUNDANTLY clear what we could or could not discloose (pretty much nothing was OK without approval).
AND OBAMA LEAKED RIGHT AFTER THE RAID TO THE N.Y. TIMES.
THE SEALS REMAIN THE REAL HEROES HERE.
JUST COUNT IT AS A LEADERSHIP LESSON WELL LEARNED!
OR IMPEACH OBAMA.
Caps Lock key. Learn it, use it, love it.
Someone please take his keyboard.
Once again, you are simply incorrect. The president cannot "leak" anything – by definition.
Wow just Wow. So the Navy is going to ruin the Seals career and not allow advancement because of they helped design a game. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t agree with what the Seals did but I think the punishment does not fit the crime. I don’t remember anyone getting in trouble making the movie “Act of Valor”. Lets not forget that these soldiers risked their lives to bring us freedom. I say… yes let their be discipline but lets be reasonable. Trust me no secrets were revealed in the making of the game…
you were there?
When you are in the military there are strict rules of conduct. These rules are not easily forgotten especially when you are dealing with the best of the best.
They should still be allowed to advance, but they deserve some sort of discipline for there breech of conduct.
However, this discipline should not in any way take away from the service and skill these men take pride in.
No, I was not there, but I was in the military and I have a since of what these guys go through every day. I have also played the game and know what was in it. Should they get in trouble.. yes... career ruin?.. No... Every last person that has ever held a job has messed up in some way. Now if they released highly classified info that could bring down the Seals then by all means throw the book at them. But to do this over the gear they wear? Really? come one how classified can that be?? What they have a special laser gun in their belt or an invisible cloak? And as for the missing detail.. It is no secret on how the Seals work. Its in all the ads on TV and in the Movies we watched. Lastly, the military collaborated with the game developers on the last one as well.
DID YOU "AGREE" WITH OBAMA LEAKING FIRST RIGHT AFTER THE RAID LAST YEAR.
REMEMBER HOW THE N.Y. TIMES GAVE ALL THE GLORY TO OBAMA COMPLETE WITH CLASSIFIED INFO?
THE SEALS REMAIN THE REAL HEROES !!
IMPEACH OBAMA....... THE LEADER OF THE SEALS AND ALL MILITARY.
ONLY THEN WILL ALL LEAKS STOP.
On what grounds do you suppose we should impeach Obama?
*cricket*
many of you seem to not understand what is written above– these men are not being tossed out of the military, nor are they specifically being denied promotion.
they are being given a "letter of reprimand" which is basically a written slap on the wrist. the effect it will have is that anytime they are up for promotion, that letter will be know to the promotion board. it's up to them how they will consider it, if at all.
It's the least punishment that can be given.
I had a security clearance when i was in the service and we were told that a violation would guarantee a tour in Leavenworth, so these guys are getting off light for what they did.
that old WWII slogan of "loose lips sink ships" is true. believe it or not, and disclosure, especially public disclosure puts not only the current SEALS at risk, but all who follow them.
these guys are lucky they're not in the brig.
it's explained to all service members that you cannot write articles, books, etc. without prior approval. these guys violated the trust placed in them not out of mistake or ignorance, but for money.
I think judicially reprimanding them and preventing them from having any opportunity to ever advance in their career is excellent punishment.
They obviously love what they do to go through that level of training and willingly risk their lives. So, to realize that they will never advance in the military regardless of how hard they work and risk their lives is excellent punishment. I think this is a way for the government to allow them to leave the service on their own or, stay if they truly care about the work they do for their country. What a hard way to learn about betraying the trust of your nation.
Throughout the years former seals have gone into other government positions. With this on their federal government record they have killed their careers. I hope it was worth the money they got for giving out classified information.
Seriously, to divulge information about the military gear and equipment our nation has developed, and the tactics we use so a video game can seem more realistic?. Do our enemies not have access to video games? Is there someone involved with the development of this game who is being paid by a foreign country to get information about our military capabilities through a seemingly harmless "realistic" video game?
These are all questions the FBI and CIA should be asking and answering.
OF COURSE YOU DO REMEMBER OBAMA LEAKED FIRST TO THE N.Y. TIMES, J?
WHAT PUNISHMENT FOR OBAMA?
IMPEACH OBAMA.
ALL LEAKS WILL STOP.
It is reprehensible that these SPECOPs personell decided to do this. It is solely their decision to release this information and the reprocussions shouldn't be unexpected. A public reprimand like this could (and should) ruin their careers. I have the utmost respect for the SPECOPs community. I'm held to higher standards and they should be (and are) held to even greater standards than I am.
It cost a lot of time and money to train these individuals and one bad mistake like this to end it. Perhaps others should think long and hard about their actions before rolling over to adoring fans (such as myself). Think about what the air of mystery gives them. It gives them the element of suprise...and that's what they need to have. I worked with two of the SFGs in Iraq and I have the highest respect for what they are and what they do.
Just one soldier's opinion.
THEN YOU HAVE TO IMPEACH OBAMA, OLD SOLDIER.
OBAMA LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFO (AND ON THE SEALS) TO THE N. Y. TIMES RIGHT AFTER THE RAID.
THE TIMES EVEN GAVE RECOGNITION IN THE ARTICLES TO THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THAT INFO AS THEY GAVE ALL THE CREDIT TO OBAMA.
Stop regurgitating anonymously written urban legend emails discrediting Obama
It makes you look stupid and ignorant.
THE SEALS REMAIN THE REAL HEROES!!
Not when they leak classified information they aren't....or write books without having them vetted first.
That is complete horse crap guys. Have you seen the promotional videos that the Navy puts out detailing Navy Seal exercises, training and equipment. The things that are most secret aren't even possible to show to a game company. "special items" cant even come off the base. Its also interesting that no one above these guys new about it and approved it before they signed on especially with it being more than one guy. Special Forces are monitored heavily even while in service but off the clock. How much info is the enemy going to get off of a video game? Are you kidding me?
Josh, I agree, this is BULLS**T. The weaponry and tactics used in the Movie "ACT OF VALOR" which starred REAL SEALS was made with REAL gear and REAL tactics and yes REAL live fire. The movie was also made with full support of the NCA (National Command Authority aka the president), Pentagon and the US Navy. Anyone with a DVD player in their PC could stop action and do screenprints. Sounds like the brass is angry because they didn't get money for consulting. Even Tom Clancy novels describes and details the gear of special ops "kits".
Wait, so the White House can do it and aid a movie being made, but not the soldiers. So what happens when the White House puts out a story that may be untrue, will these guys be reprimanded for trying to get the truth out?
What does the White House have to do with this story?. Do you think the military personnel that worked with that Bin Laden film were dumb enough to give out tactics to film makers. The government has always used hollywood for propaganda. This is not something that was invented on January 20, 2009.
NO, J.
OBAMA LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFO (AND ON THE SEALS) TO THE N.Y. TIMES RIGHT AFTER THE RAID.
OBAMA WANTED ALL THE GLORY FOR HIMSELF AND THE TIMES GAVE IT TO HIM.
MAYBE THESE SEALS JUST LEARNED THE LESSON THAT OBAMA TAUGHT THEM.
OR MAYBE THEY DID THIS TO DIRECT ATTENTION BACK UNTO OBAMA'S LEAKING.
THE REAL HEROES ARE THE SEALS!!
It is called the chain of command, the seals did not clear their actions thru the chain of command. The president is to top of the chain. I am sure every ad or video released by the military or the white house has been reviewed for content at what the show is "day old" technology. I cannot wait until Electronic Arts get a visit from the FBI.
OBAMA LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFO FIRST (AND ABOUT THE SEALS) TO THE N.T. TIMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAID.
MAYBE THIS IS A LITTLE PAY BACK.
OR MAYBE THE SEALS LEARNED THE LESSON OBAMA TAUGHT. CALL IT LEADERSHIP LEARNED.
WHEN NO ONE IMPEACHED OBAMA OVER THIS ANYTHING WAS FAIR GAME.
GO AFTER OBAMA AND ALL LEAKS AND FUTURE LEAKS ARE GONE.
THE SEALS ARE THE REAL HEROES NOW.
The SEALS should have been given dishonorable discharges.
You know how much it cost to train these guys??!! On top of how rare a battle tested, experienced SEAL actually is (many die during war time)
Im glad you know the punishment when you know nothing about the situation or the intricacy of being a seal.
And how exactly do you know " Josh Perrella" and, is that your real name that you are broadcasting to the world?
Now I see this as the Navy just screwing up big time. Here was a chance to get some very good publicity and instead they now are getting bad pr. I dont know the moron who decided to push this, or the idiot who decided to go public with it, but it was just a plain bad move. Who would want to join up now ? Seriously, who would want to join a unit that punishes for thing as TRIVIAL as this ? Its not like they gave up secrets that will lead to another 911. The US military has changed a lot since I served in the 80's Its NOT a service I would volunteer for now though. To worried about being politically correct now. I can only imagine what this had done to not only Seal morale, but morale in general for all of our forces. Just disgusting....
AND OBAMA SHOULD BE IMPEACHED FOR LEAKING CLASSIFIED INFO ON THE SEALS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAID.
I BET THEY ARE JUST DOING THIS TO CALL ATTENTION TO OBAMA'S LACK OF LEADERSHIP IN THIS MATTER.
IMPEACH OBAMA.
THE SEALS ARE THE REAL HEROES.
THE SEALS ARE THE REAL HEROES.
You can hate the President all you want, truth is 61+ million Americans who love their country and despise hate voted for him. You relics of hate have fast become modern day neanderthals. It is so refreshing to know that there are 61+ fellow Americans who see beyond the color, economic position, education, car you drive, cost of clothes you wear and just simply evaluate people based on their character. The shocking thing is that there are people who don't even believe in God who already know that truth.
Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart- 1 Samuel 16:7
You are an idiot who should NOT post unless you have served. Just STFU.
@BigSen; How much did it cost the government to develope the combat gear these jerks may have compromised?
O they are jerks now huh...they didn't compromise anything just like the osama book...get a life
This worse, they have been humiliated before their peers. I doubt that they will ever go on a mission again,or if they do the chances of survival are low.
Wow....you are moronic...Seals don't get tossed to the side. They weren't embarrassed they got a letter of reprimand its the same thing you get when your late for work in the military. They put on the show slapped them on the wrist and went on about their day and the other seals on their team shrugged it off...you are waayyyyy to dramatic you have obviously never served in the military....
OBAMA LEAKED FIRST.
IMPEACH OBAMA.
NOW
OBAMA LEAKED FIRST WAY LAST YEAR, GIUK.
IMPEACH OBAMA.
You are correct. Obama and his underlings couldn't wait to flap their lips about Bin Laden. I was shocked at the detail that came from (un-named sources) in the GOVERNMENT.Were any GOVERNMENT officials fired? NOPE!And, now you can't get them to say a word about Benghazi....hmmmm. Are they STILL "investigating" why Ambassador Stevens and 4 others are DEAD....or as 1 grieving mother said,"my son was MURDERED by Obama." POTUS should be impeached for his NEGLIGENCE that resulted in 5 deaths.
Still just a fps on rails.