Spec ops community responds to bin Laden raid revelations

Army Times — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:31:38 -0500

From: Army Times

As television and internet headlines explode with the revealed identity of the Navy SEAL who claims to have shot and killed Osama bin Laden, members of the special operations community are reacting with a mix of disappointment and tempered support, sometimes in the same breath.

After reports earlier in the week that former Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert O'Neill was set to come forward in a two-part interview on Fox News over Veterans Day, The Washington Post reported Thursday that O'Neill had confirmed his identity as both the shooter and the interview subject.

O'Neill, 38, did not respond to emailed requests for comment, but Defense Department officials confirmed to The Associated Press that O'Neill had been a member of SEAL Team Six and had been present at the bin Laden raid.

His coming forward marks the first time a specific SEAL has taken direct credit for killing bin Laden, a taboo admission in Naval Special Warfare and other special ops circles seen as a violation of their "quiet professional" ethos.

"I'm a little disappointed at some of the notoriety that's coming to these people who are speaking about the [Osama bin Laden] raid," said retired Capt. Dick Couch, a former SEAL who has penned dozens of fiction and non-fiction books based on third-person stories. "The people that have come public and are making use of this to spring themselves forward in a public way, I think it cheapens the SEAL brand to some extent."

In Couch's view, Operation Neptune Spear was so complex and involved so many people that it's unseemly for one man to take the credit.

"These guys on that raid were afforded a great opportunity: They got to go on the raid that every SEAL would have wanted to go on," he said in a Thursday phone interview. "One was privileged to pull the trigger."

In the special operations community, there remain doubts about whether O'Neill fired the shot that killed bin Laden, said CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen, who wrote the book "Manhunt" about the search for bin Laden and was the only outside observer to visit the compound where bin Laden was killed.

Other SEALs have given Bergen an account that differs from that of O'Neill.

"The point man — who hasn't been publicly identified, and won't be publicly identified, according to people who know him — shot at bin Laden as he poked his head out of his bedroom door, winging him — or mortally wounding him," Bergen said.

Then the SEAL on point grabbed two women in the room, worried that they had explosives, as O'Neill and fellow SEAL Matt Bissonnette finished bin Laden off as he was lying on the floor, dying, said Bergen, of the New America Foundation think tank in Washington.

Finding out who fired the fatal shot during the bin Laden raid is extremely difficult, in part because the bin Laden compound has been demolished, leaving no forensic evidence, Bergen said.

"There was no moon that night; there was no electricity in the house; there was no electricity in the neighborhood; everyone was on night vision goggles; there had been a helicopter crash; there were three firefights before the firefight that killed bin Laden; all of this took place in 15 minutes," Bergen said. "This is the confrontation with the most wanted man in American history, so I think people's recollections of what happened are likely to be clouded by all of those factors."

'You are a ghost'

A former Marine Corps intelligence officer who spoke to Navy Times on the condition of anonymity, said that while some may choose to come forward, he wouldn't disclose details of operations he'd been involved with, even after they're declassified.

"My professional reputation trumps all potential financial gain yet I completely understand why some decide to broadcast to generate an income," he said.

In the definitive account of the raid, author Mark Owen — a pen name for former Chief Petty Officer Matt Bissonnette — described himself as one of the three men whose bullets hit bin Laden, but gave credit to the "point man," the guy leading the group up the stairs through the compound.

"It doesn't really matter who shot him, and Mark Owen has never explicitly hammered that point home," his co-writer, Kevin Maurer, told Navy Times. "It was a team effort."

However, that account, which hit bookshelves a year after the raid, sent a shockwave through the "quiet professionals" of Naval Special Warfare.

"Any commander that's going to put SEALs in the field has to wonder, 'Am I going to read about this in a book sometime?' " Couch said.

Despite many operators' choice to keep quiet, the former Marine counterintel officer said, it should be a guy's story to tell as long as he's not breaking a contract.

"I was talking to a friend who is leaving that unit soon, who was not there for the OBL raid, and it's 100 percent accepted that while you are there, you are a ghost," he said. "Yet once you get out, it's up to you, unless you willfully break [a non-disclosure agreement],if you even signed one."

In fact, many in the community feel frustrated by the flag officers and political appointees who take credit for their missions, even covering missions in their memoirs.

"I believe there is an inversion of priority given to the actual folks who are responsible undertaking or actually performing the feats of skill needed to successfully complete special missions," the Marine said.

Still, talking at all is not doing the community any favors.

"NSW now has a reputation as being the most vociferous," he added. "Rangers are second place now, with Marines and Special Forces coming in last in line for public hero worship."

A warning

O'Neill's revelation came days after Rear Adm. Brian Losey, head of NSWC, and Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci issued a reminder to special warfare sailors to stay out of the limelight when it comes to their service.

"At Naval Special Warfare's core is the SEAL ethos," according to the letter, which was obtained by Navy Times. "A critical tenant of our ethos is 'I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions.' Our ethos is a life-long commitment and obligation, both in and out of the service. Violators of our ethos are neither teammates in good standing, nor teammates who represent Naval Special Warfare."

In response, former SEAL Jonathan Gilliam posted an open letter to NSW, calling out Losey for publicly chastising SEALS rather than "silently and professionally," but also echoing the sentiment that they should keep their mouths shut.

"You are a leader in whatever you choose to do, however if you choose to subscribe to the 'notice me' rockstar mentality of today's generation and political leadership, our Brotherhood of super men will continue to take a super plunge," he wrote.

Naval Special Warfare has declined to comment on O'Neill's identity until after his interview has aired Nov. 11 and 12.

Also this week, Bissonnetteappeared on the CBS show "60 Minutes" on Nov. 2 to discuss his legal troubles and the release of his second memoir about his time in the teams.

Bissonnette is under fire from the Justice Department for opting out of the DoD vetting process for his first book. The Associated Press reported he is on the hook for $4.5 million for profiting from the unapproved book.

Bissonnette is now suing his former lawyer for advising him to publish without DoD's approval. He second book, "No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL," went through the process and features redacted passages.

Staff writer Jeff Schogol contributed to this report.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2014/11/07/spec-ops-community-responds-to-bin-laden-raid-revelations/18651055/

Response by SSG Robin Rushlo made Nov 10 at 2014 11:36 AM

SSG Robin Rushlo — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:36:13 -0500

He is really part of the ME first generation. Do whatever and say whatever to may a buck and whatever else be damn.

Get the duct tape and shut him up before he ends up hurting some one.

Response by SPC Anthony Rock made Nov 10 at 2014 11:46 AM

SPC Anthony Rock — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:46:05 -0500

This kind of makes me sick. This is like the guy at the party who says "I HAD SADDAM IN MY SIGHTS, BUT I GOT TOLD TO STAND DOWN AND NOT SHOOT HIM", but on a national level. If he's any kind of man, he'll take the proceeds he gets from this attention and donate them all to the families of SEAL's who have lost their lives in theater.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2014 11:50 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:50:06 -0500

This really disappoints and disgusts me as a service member and U.S. citizen. His willingness to disregard and violate the sacred OPSEC of the special operations realm jeopardizes the safety of his family, SEAL teammates, and the general population; all for his selfishness in claiming the glory and the almighty dollar! Did he forget the word TEAM? He wasn't the only person there that night. Hundreds of service members took an active role!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2014 12:10 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:10:10 -0500

I have no qualms with this ex-SEAL revealing that he shot Osama bin Laden as long as he is doing so with his integrity intact. Yes, members of the Special Operations' community are referred to as quiet professionals and should conduct themselves accordingly. But, he has since left the service and their is no secret that we killed Osama and as far as I have read or seen he didnt reveal any TTPs that would endanger current operators. We are doing the same thing here that we did to Chris Kyle in the sense that we chastised him before learning that 100 percent of the proceeds went to the family of fallen SEALs. In my humble opinion, he is no longer bound to anything militarily other than the brothers and sisters he served with.

Response by PO3 Brendan "Smitty" Smith made Nov 10 at 2014 12:13 PM

PO3 Brendan "Smitty" Smith — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:13:00 -0500

While I understand anger felt by some in the military community toward members of the Spec Ops community telling their stories, I just can't muster the same indignation. Maybe 10 - 15 years ago when I was still active and OPSEC still meant something I could, but today? Not so much.

Here's where I'm coming from. Today, ships movements get advertised on Twitter and Facebook, from the U.S. Navy's own official accounts. Really? Who needs to know that information outside of the families of those aboard? Nothing like giving home grown terrorists the date and time a Destroyer is going to return to port, so they can pull off their own USS Cole style attack, right here in America.

Also, on a slightly more relevant point, I can point out the specific moment I stopped being angry about Tier 1 operators coming forward. I'd say it was the exact moment where our government started using them as propaganda tools, leaking who was involved with what missions, and allowing Hollywood access to make films like Zero Dark Thirty.

If Hollywood can make millions off of them(Spec Operators), if our Politicians can bank political capital off of them, I have no problem with them telling their stories, their way. And, if they make a little coin along the way, good for them. My only request from them would be to donate a substantial part of the profits from their book/movie deals to organizations like the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Make sure some of that money the author makes goes to help team members that aren't in such an advantageous position.

Response by SSG Leonard J W. made Nov 10 at 2014 12:16 PM

SSG Leonard J W. — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:16:01 -0500

I can honestly say that this SCPO did a good thing by completing his mission. He may have pulled the trigger that killed OBL, but let's be clear...he would not have pulled that mission off without his teammates. He not only violated their "quiet professional" code, but he also violated OPSEC. His Non-Disclosure Agreement is probably still in effect, which may subject him to some pretty unfavorable actions in the upcoming weeks/months/years that follow.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2014 12:29 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:29:45 -0500

I have to do this... Sorry Navy, at least you beat us in football.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Nov 10 at 2014 1:38 PM

SGT Ben Keen — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 13:38:08 -0500

What upsets me about this, is it doesn't really matter who pulled the final trigger that inserted the bullet into bin Laden's head. It was a team effort and the other members of Team Six did a great job in getting it done quickly and professionally. For O'Neill to come out like this is just selfish. But, he'll get his book deals and a movie or whatever made from his account. I just hope that one day he sees that some times the most powerful word isn't "I" but "we".

Response by SA Harold Hansmann made Nov 10 at 2014 2:19 PM

SA Harold Hansmann — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 14:19:03 -0500

Personally, I don't care who killed that monster. To all who were involved, a heartfelt THANK YOU. You have removed a stain on humanity. Bad news: there is a lot more monsters out there who need to be removed.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Nov 10 at 2014 2:47 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 14:47:47 -0500

He may have been the one who squeezed the trigger but there were a lot of people who put him in the hallway.

With that said, keep your pie hole shut.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Nov 10 at 2014 7:40 PM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 19:40:39 -0500

I am not and never have been in Special Operations of any kind. At most, my unit gave some on-call support to an Army Special Forces team operating in our sector banging out HVTs in Iraq. Having said that, it bothers me that this individual is choosing to go public with details that may be jeopardizing future operations in any way. How on earth do his actions make things better for his brothers/sisters in arms? How does the impact here possibly end up a net positive, instead of a net negative? It's very telling to me that members all across US Special Operations are angry at his actions -- shouldn't that tell the majority of the story here? Why would so many SEALS, Green Berets, etc. react like this to his actions if his decision here was justifiable in any way? I mean, come on...

My perception (from the outside looking in) on US Special Operations folks are that they are humble, quiet professionals who take pride in executing their missions and not needing glory. In my time in the Army, I never crossed paths with an SF guy who was strutting around trying to get individual credit for hitting targets, etc.

I admit that I may be off in my reasoning here, but overall my impression is that this guy was way off in his judgment, and it seems that his 'excommunication' from the Spec Ops community is justified.

PS -- thanks to Army Times for the solid article and analysis.

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Nov 17 at 2014 9:34 PM

Cpl Dennis F. — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:34:05 -0500

Who gives a s**t about all of this hoopla? Done is done.
The fact is, over 99% of the people posting about this have no business doing so. The air at that level is rarified. You are not and most likely never will be even remotely in his position, and are giving opinions based on pure ignorance....and should probably just STFU and keep your own counsel. They are his demons to deal with, period.

Response by TSgt Aubrey Sheffield made Nov 17 at 2014 11:56 PM

TSgt Aubrey Sheffield — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 23:56:59 -0500

This guy

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2014 1:56 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 01:56:23 -0500

I'm going to have to agree with Cpl Dennis F. in the fact that I know nothing of the Spec Op community. And they have their own way of dealing with these types of situations. Either way they are his demons and he has to deal with them. Right or wrong I do not wish to condemn this Seal. The stress of this mission would be over whelming to many.

Response by A1C Kenneth Crocker made Nov 18 at 2014 1:57 AM

A1C Kenneth Crocker — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 01:57:02 -0500

im just wondering why everyone on the raid is dead but this guy oh and you dont have to be in the know too know you just got to know where to look

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2014 5:47 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 05:47:24 -0500

Oneil and everyone on that raid are heroes. they deserve free beer, fat cuban cigars, and the hottest single girls in the room!!! they deserve the book rights, the movie rights, and a memorial in DC with their aliases in it until they go public with their names (if they choose to).

i once told some SF guys that we saw a truck full of RPGs while we were driving through a town. The Green Berets went and confiscated those illegal weapons with 1000s of pounds of explosives. Do i deserve the credit for a fight that i wasnt in because of my intel??? NO! the butt kickers get the props. they deserve it. they put their lives on the line every mission. they live in the cold and hungry for days on end without complaining. bullets wheezing by their heads are like music to them. they are used to it. warriors like these never get the credit for a job well done. im pretty sure a senior had a book in the SJA getting ready for print when this book released, so he got mad.

They won the lotto by going in there and finishing the job. This guy is being branded a POS because people want him to stay quiet so they can write books about how they were in charge about doing it. BUT THEY DIDNT DO IT. these seals, 160th and a few other guys were lucky enough to get the call. Say all the "i wouldve stayed quiet" nonsense all you want. If you won the lottery for 400 million dollars, you wouldnt stay quiet.

If i saw O'Neil, i would say, Senior Chief, I appreciate you and your buddies for getting Bin Laden, for Saving Capt Phillips, for the countless missions that we will never hear of, for the hundreds of operators who have died in "TRAINING EVENTS" and for kicking ass for the past few decades. You door kickers are absolute heroes!!! thank you for your sacrifice and for keeping the wolves at bay.

there goes my chance at any clearance in the future. LOL

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Nov 18 at 2014 6:21 AM

PO2 Corey Ferretti — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 06:21:33 -0500

So i think there are certain things that should of stayed a secret like this raid. I think they should of said UBL was killed in raid and left it at that. This administration put more info out then needed to be let out. So do i agree with what Senior Chief did no i think they should stay quit professionals when it comes to missions like this one. But at the same time there was a horrible movie made about it with info given to them by the government. Also The news some how got a bunch of specifics down to a top secret helicopter that was used (ohh and there flipping becasue he had some awsome NVG in his book). So with all that coming out before him going public and i dont see why they want to hang him to dry.