KBar666
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Bin Laden Raid Book: First-Hand Account Of Navy SEAL Mission Will Be Released On Sept. 11
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Okay, I confess, I don't get it: "smyooping": s-my-ooping? Sounds good, but I need a breakdown.
SMU PNG
Interesting take by Dalton Fury
http://www.commandposts.com/2012/09/no-easy-day-from-one-who-has-been-there/
...
First, I learned the same time as the rest of the world that I could totally sell out, betray my country, my calling, and my comrades, and not only would I not be punished for it, but I would be made wealthy.
Then I learned the book’s author elected to invoke a pseudonym. I did the same thing, because "Dalton Fury" sounds WAY cooler than my real name, Thomas Greer. Besides, "Myke Hawke" was already taken.
During his many years in Six, Owen kept secrets. He is now sharing some of what he experienced. His critics, which include people who have actually managed to follow the terms of their non-disclosure agreements, have called those experiences “secrets.” Because they are. Those same people call me a "sellout," because I am.
But Owen isn’t the first Six guy to share his experiences. And because other people have done something wrong too, that makes it OK.
Four years ago I authored the book Kill Bin Laden, appeared on 60 Minutes, and totally cashed in on my experiences in the military, because the knowledge that I had done great things for my country somehow just wasn't enough.
In 2008, I told the true story of the early hunt for Bin Laden because I felt America needed to know. Because I know FAR better than anyone else what should be, and what should not be kept secret.
At the same time it reminded me of a culture literally set in stone that mandates a life time tag of persona non grata, or PNG, for any Tier One operator who writes about his unit. But I didn't give a shit about that, because I'm just in it for me. The worst thing that happened to me is that I'm not invited to the annual unit picnic. Wow.
The culture of a Tier One unit is not only unique, it is protected. But, after ten plus years at war, most Americans know there to be two Special Mission Units—the Army’s Delta Force and the Navy’s SEAL Team Six. Members of these organizations sign non-disclosure agreements, or NDA, before they can drop their kit bags in the team room. The signature is binding for life. The NDA is perfectly clear about disclosing information, and includes steps that must be followed to ensure the information is checked by competent authority prior to release. If signing the form letter isn’t enough deterrent from one day sharing experiences, the culture is designed to police anyone considering otherwise. Except for people like me, who would rather have the fame and fortune associated with selling out.
I write this now because I have a choice. Everyone I know wishes they could have stood next to Owen when he entered Bin Laden’s compound. But we didn’t have a choice. More than ten years have passed since we had our shot at Bin Laden. It’s been less than a year and a half since Owen and his Six mates raided his hideout. I can either stand idly by, in the shadows, hoping to be left alone and ignored... lol OK actually I can't do that. Who am I kidding? I'm such an attention whore that I just can't stand it when people aren't looking at me and telling me how great I am. I've got to jump in there even when it isn't about me, and make it all about me, especially since I wrote a big called "Kill Bin Laden" like three years before he was actually dead...
"Smooping" is smoking and pooping at the same time. Urban Dictionary says so.I went with a phonetic spelling...hey, I need more coffee this morning so I guess it could also be "smooping.".
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Smooping
D
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Sir, has anyone ever told you that you would be a great asset to the Duffleblog?
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Fury says his book went through an 18-month vetting process which I would think precludes him from "selling out". Does anyone know the actual facts about this? The internet is full of RUMINT that Fury freelanced the book and did his own thing. Did, or did he not, obtain approval via the proper channels before publishing?
Yes, I know firsthand because I was involved in the review and later the damage assessment. He DID NOT receive permission to publish, and as a result is PNG from the community.
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Wow. So what was the 18-month vetting about? Who did that and what went wrong?
I was on the, "read this and tell me if anything is wrong with it" end, I don't know what happened before or after.
KBar666
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hope this question is not the sort of thing that gets me in trouble here. If this is something I should not ask, than please simply tell me, I will understand.
Anyway making a long story short I went ahead and read that ebook, mentioned in an article earlier today.
In it, there is a statement that this book being released basically is ruining the SEAL Teams reputation( not just the author but all memebers of the SEAL Teams in general)
That is is causing them to be seen as nothing but braggarts.
And that it is also going/already resulting in the SEAL Teams reduction of conducting certain mission/operations and future quoted "Choice Operations"
Is this really the case? or is most of the bad blood simply towards the author?
Again I hope this question does not get me in trouble here with anyone please understand I am an outsider and am asking from an outsider point of view, I'm not looking for any secrets or what not, just a general curiousity. As to me it is a shame that this one man actions could possibly destory what other have worked so hard for.
Anyway making a long story short I went ahead and read that ebook, mentioned in an article earlier today.
In it, there is a statement that this book being released basically is ruining the SEAL Teams reputation( not just the author but all memebers of the SEAL Teams in general)
That is is causing them to be seen as nothing but braggarts.
And that it is also going/already resulting in the SEAL Teams reduction of conducting certain mission/operations and future quoted "Choice Operations"
Is this really the case? or is most of the bad blood simply towards the author?
Again I hope this question does not get me in trouble here with anyone please understand I am an outsider and am asking from an outsider point of view, I'm not looking for any secrets or what not, just a general curiousity. As to me it is a shame that this one man actions could possibly destory what other have worked so hard for.
How many SPECWAR literature has been released in the past few years?
- SEALs by Ossman
- SEAL Team Six by Wasdin
- Op. Geronimo by Pfarrer
- American Sniper by Kyle
- Red Circle by Webb
and now Owens "No Easy Day".
- SEALs by Ossman
- SEAL Team Six by Wasdin
- Op. Geronimo by Pfarrer
- American Sniper by Kyle
- Red Circle by Webb
and now Owens "No Easy Day".
I'm an outsider also, but here's my take on it:
Most people don't give a shit (including journalists). They just hope there will be a movie/scoop and they hope it will be good. Then, after two hours in the theater and twenty minutes around the water cooler, they will go back to work and start wondering what's next on Net Flicks or who's boffing who. And even all of that will only occupy a tiny fraction of their thoughts for the day.
Most terrorists don't give a shit either.
That leaves the community and the POTUS's advisers. The community is no different than any other community, in that they think they are special and therefor they will have drama. Let them have it.
The political advisers, also human beings, might succumb to the natural thinking "You know what? If we're going to make the call, maybe next time I'll call someone else, besides SEALs, who will: A. Let me take credit; and B. Keep their mouths shut, or at least not dis me because they don't like my politics or the fact that I get to be the one who breaks the news or spill the beans. In fact, humans being humans, next time I'll let some kid in a cubical in California fire a fire and forget missile over the horizon."
But I really seriously doubt that anyone outside the community is sitting around thinking SEALs are braggarts, at least any more than anyone else. Most people outside the community will just be thinking "SEALs got the call, SEALs killed UBL, SEALs are super heroes." They will forever be known as the outfit that killed UBL.
I could be wrong.
I would think (hope) that mission assignment went to the team with a better plan, or based on environment (SEALs for maritime ops) and not on future book releases or sales.
Actually there's more than that. Just look on Google.
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Actually that is exactly what I, and many I know, think of the SEALs
Sorry, I should have been more clear. When I said outside "the community" I was talking about the SOF community in general, not just Devgru/Delta. People here, like you, are interested in this kind of stuff, as am I, and here we are, talking about it. We give a shit, or we would not be here. There are some civilian SOF groupies, and family, too. But we are a tiny, tiny fraction of the U.S. I doubt most people even think of SEALs as braggarts or anything else, good or bad, unless someone sticks their face in it, and even then it's probably like "Oh, SEALs, bad dudes. Cool. They got UBL. Say, did you see that new video game . . . "
I know tons of people who have lives that don't involve anything to do with the military, much less SOF, much less Tier 1 stuff. They think it's all Green Berets.
The keyword is outside the community. Most civilians I know think they are the shit, don't get the controversial about the book, think they should be able to sell their experiences for money classified or not, Fox News are a bunch of criminals for dropping his name and just think the POTUS or Pentagon is trying to cover things up/shut someone up.
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