SOFREP’s Greatest Hits #10: SEAL TEAM 6 Throws OPSEC to the Wind

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert Time to brush up on Hindi.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  Well dang, he got splashed before I got a chance to use my switch.  I retire as an Executive Assistant in two months, so I would volunteer to be your virtual assistant except for 3 roadblocks:  I'm too fluffy to pass as 'virtual'; I'm not moving to flipping India; and lastly, I expect that the very last shredded remnants of diplomacy and patience will slide off of me the day I retire (not to mention my ability to spell and type fast).  

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert jct95 is no longer with us sadly.  Wasting to much of our time with childish irrelevant shit.  I really should stop myself from stooping to their level but sometimes it is pretty funny.  Good for a few yuks anyway.  I'm going to have to hire a virtual assistant in India to start handling this shit for me though.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @StormR  @dmalert

 jct95, one last thing about 'reputation' and then I've got to get back to making a living.  If his reputation as an Operator was that he could be trusted to lead men into a tough situation, stand by their side during that situation, and watch their backs - then he earned a GOOD reputation and nothing and no one can take that away from him, unless he is hanging out at the local watering hole, with a chest full of phony medals and swapping his stories for free beer.   And THAT is the only truth that matters. 

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  Jack, I'm not terribly worried about him lashing out on me...I have shoes in my cloest older than both of you put together [note to self - time to clean out closet].  I'll just yank off a nice little maple switch from the tree if he gets too fiesty.

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert In the force today, he probably does.  I wasn't being sarcastic with my earlier comment.  He'll be a Sergeant Major, the one that none of the guys want to be around and make fun of the second he turns his back.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  The sad thing about it, Jack, is that he is willfully NOT learning anything from this exchange.  I do not see a stellar career for him.

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert Watch out, this kid is about to have an episode...lashing out with what pitiful ammunition he has on hand.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @StormR  @dmalert   Yes, jct95, reputation and honor stands for it all..and yours is pretty sucky right now.  You do NOT get to be judge and jury about something you have not personally experienced.  I don't get to be judge and jury either as I'm not BTDT.

 @jct95  @StormR  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert

 jct95, we ALL understand what you have repeatedly and obviously said over and over again.  You and some guys don't think ANY former SOF guys should be writing any books about their experiences, offering their opinions on anything related to the military or share any of their expertise or knowledge on anything - except maybe baking cookies.   You feel it breaks the mystical/magical code of the "Quiet Professional".  And because some guys told you this is true, you believe it to be true.   You have ignored the fact that OTHER 'some guys' have told you they feel differently about it.  So, yes, I get it...you, however, don't seem to. 

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @StormR  @dmalert It sure does.  Nice work showing your true colors the second things get turned around on you.  Just ignore him StormR, he's speaking out of anger...

@JackMurphyRGR @StormR @dmalert Whatever, your reputation speaks for it self.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  Sob, sob...Some Guy is just misunderstood...it was all a set up by That Fella - I know this to be true because I read it on the walls of the women's bathroom at a joint in Tillicum. 

@StormR @JackMurphyRGR @dmalert You obviously don't understand what I was trying to say at all.

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert Some Guy was harder than woodpecker lips, an operator's operator.  Then he wrote a book called "Some Day, with Some Guy" which was a dishonor and defeated the entire purpose of Special Operations, especially Special Forces.  Some Guy is a shitbag now.  I know because Some Dude told me.  I have friends in the SEALs, SF, Rangers, and Marine Recon, and all of them, especially CIF members, absolutely hate Some Guy.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  Ohmygawdd, Jack, you mean it's THAT Some Guy!!   [quickly pulls pink, sparkly t-shirt that says "I heart Some Guy] out of drawer].    I was about to saying something totally inappropriate about 'some guy' and buying me a drink first, but I restrained myself because I'm a lady-like ewe.  [Hands Jacks a pencil sharpener so he can be an even quieter quiet professional while he's writing..all clickity clicks to be silent, please]

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert Holy shit, AND he knows Some Guy!  I love that dude, we went through Basic together.  Hold on a sec, I'm being a quiet professional over here in the corner while writing on the internet about what I will not be writing on the internet some day when I'm a quiet professional and writing about what I am not writing.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert   PS..some guy told me so.-

 @jct95  @StormR  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert   No, jct95, not kidding at all.  You sound like a freaking Groupie.   Hey, that's just my opinion..no hard feelings...(insert smily face)...just saying...

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert  Jack, I find it difficult to believe that pitbulls would send a yappy terrier to the dog fight...I suspect he just slipped the leash.  LOL, Jack, I think he didn't want to get in an agrument with you:  pitbull vs. terrier.   He just wants you to come-to-Jesus-and-change-your-heathen-writing-ways, and is really confused why you won't.   Because, of course, he can't possibly be wrong because 'some guy' told him so.

@StormR @JackMurphyRGR @dmalert Groupie? You must be joking.

 @jct95  @StormR  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert

  PS - NO, you were not being nice.  Nice is giving your opinion, listening to someone else's opinion, and respectfully agreeing to disagree.  And your particular cause is JUST opinion - on all sides of it.  Nice is not beating people over the head with an opinion and inviting strangers to take part in the beating.

 @jct95  @StormR  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert  jct95, you ARE not there..and 'maybe' you'll get there.  And if you do, here's the first lesson for any Quiet Professional.  You do not lecture someone and shake your finger at them like a little old granny, and then cry like a baby when called on it.  If you are man (or in my case woman) enough to get in someone's face, then you best be man enough not to whine about it (I fail at this occasionally as well).  Frankly, you sound like a freaking Groupie who has chosen sides.  You don't get to have a side until you are standing on it.  I've seen the same kind of nonsense in my community and it never ends well for the hang-around-the-fort-ndn.

 @StormR  @jct95  @dmalert Oh, yeah, and calling me a dick and saying he doesn't want to get into an argument with me in the same breath.  GTFO.

 @StormR  @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert I don't really get him either.  I guess it is just immaturity.  He thinks he can spew all kinds of shit and then get a freepass by saying, "their words, not mine" or "I've been told" or "that's what people say".  Adults get held accountable for their words, this isn't High School.

@StormR @JackMurphyRGR @dmalert It's not a forum, I know them personally. Whatever, I was trying to disagree and at the same time be as nice as humanly possible. But I guess that's not humanly possible. ...and its not only the people I know, for Christ's sake 2 CIF members commented on how they disagree with what was posted. And then another AD guy mentioned how ridiculous it was that all of the information was actually leaked. And by the way, it was a breach of OPSEC - it should have never been posted. But if you want to think otherwise, then what did he say? Enjoy your pillow fight? Yeah. And in regards to personal experience, trust me I'll get there - and I'll make sure to not let the whole world know in the process. Oh and you're off on the family comment, really far off to be quite honest with you.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @RVN SF VET  @dmalert

 Hell Iwant sofrep to interview Blaber and Fury. I thik both of these guys had thier shit wired tight and I'm sure the guys under them thought they were good leaders.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert  jct95, I'm really confused by you.  It sounds as if you are hanging around a group of diverse SOF folks and listening to them complain about SOF folks that write books.  I assume that you are on some kind of forum with them, because that variety would not all be in the same place at the same time.  I also infer that you are not SOF, but hope to be.  So I don't understand why you would come to the 'house' of two SOF authors for any purpose except to take a dump in their house - which you have done repeatedly and still been treated with courtesy the house owners.  My advice is to stop worrying about what 'some guy said' and instead get your own personal experiences so you can make your case on a level playing field.  You've also stated your position and opinion several times - it was heard and responded too.  At this point, you are beating a dead horse.  It's a difference of opinion between non-authors and authors, but the important piece is that they all are SOF so it's a bit of a family fight and one does well to stay out of family fights.

 @dmalert  @jct95  Becoming famous kind of defeats the purpose. Money? yes. 

 @jct95  @dmalert You might want to hold off on repeating things you've heard second hand as if they are authoritative facts.  I have attempted to point this out to you previously.  You are throwing around some big words, "shit bags", "dishonorable", "defeats the very purpose of Special Operations", ect.  In all of my criticisms I've never said these things about those I disagree with.  Frankly, I don't want to hear you coming here and throwing these types of words around.  You don't have enough lead in your ass to justify it.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert 

I wasn't lecturing you, I was mentioning how some of the people I know feel regarding about former Soldiers/SEALs writing about what they did as nicely as I could have. To be more blunt, those very same people view the vast majority of (with few exceptions) SOF authors as shit bags. Simple as that. Their words not mine. I guess reputations can speak for themselves, that's all I have to say. I don't feel like getting into some bizarre internet fight - you have finals and much bigger things to do than to argue with a wannabe. 

 @jct95  @dmalert Situational Awareness guy.  Are you sure you should be lecturing me about Special Operations?  If so, then you better have some thick skin.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert No need to be a dick, I was trying to be as nice as possible. Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it a lot. 

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert You'll go far in SF, there is a Sergeant Major billet waiting for you.  Thanks for telling me about the purpose of Special Operations and Special Forces though.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert So be it then. It defeats the very purpose of Special Operations, Special Forces in particular. But if those are your sentiments, as much as I disagree with them - I'll respect them. 

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN  @dmalert I agree with Dale Comstock.  We are castrating our soldiers with all this Quiet Professionals bullshit.  It has become a euphemism for telling people to toe the line and to sit down and shut up.

@JackMurphyRGR @RVN @dmalert Well, then we have to agree to disagree because our understanding of the quiet professional are drastically different. Good luck on your finals.

 @RVN SF VET  Sorry about that.  I agree with what you wrote.  My comment about telling Delta operators what they should and should not be writing was directed to jct95.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert Jack, could you be more clear as to whom you are addressing? I'm pretty sure it is not me, but lifefyre sticks all previous commenters at the front of a subsequent reply. You can delete some or start out by addressing a comment to someone. Now you can go back to reading about the Chinese, the Cubans, us, and the South Africans in SW Africa.

 @RVN SF VET  @jct95  @dmalert I agree on all points.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert Jack you are conflating what I am saying with what other people are saying. One last time {;*)) Fury and my acquaintance said that some of Fury's Delta friends are shunning him - NOT my acquaintance, but others in Delta. Period. I have bought and read Blaber's book and he started losing me when he suggested that he had latched onto a different way of thinking. So, I read the parts concerning missions carefully and closed over what I considered to be commercial bullshit. I hope that he is a success on the lecture circuit or offering outdoor adventure courses.

I have never said that a whole unit or a whole community feel the same way about anything. Therefore, I am sure that there are people who like General Boykin and LTC Fury. I found Fury's books interesting and informative. What those men did was incredible and *they* did not fail and he did not fail. Echelons above him both in DOD and the CIA failed his unit and the nation. He was denied the units that he requested and I agree with him. We still might have failed to get UBL, but we would have tried our best. Some of those reluctant warriors are now in the SOCOM chain of command. They took the safe route and got promoted and choice assignments. I thought we were expected to take high risk missions. Certainly that's what Fury's men did.I believe that the SAS motto applies - "Who Dares Wins."

General Boykin did some heroic things that should earn our admiration. I cannot imagine giving him the responsibilities he was later assigned. He has exhibited bad judgement and went far beyond not being PC. But some folks do not agree.

 @jct95  @RVN  @JackMurphyRGR  @dmalert As I said, I haven't read the book, but on the other hand, who are you to tell a Delta operator what they should or should not be writing?  You might want to leave that to the appropriate offices...

@RVN SF VET @JackMurphyRGR @dmalert Don't get me wrong, Pete played an integral part in AFO's mission at Shah-I-Kot. The mission planning was nothing short of brilliant. But why did a book need to be written? Yes, he played in an integral part but it wasn't necessary. It wasn't necessary that he also attempted to aggrandize himself in Sean Naylor's book. But what can you do.

 @RVN SF VET  @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert I'm sure some people have shunned him, but a lot of it is certain units maintaining a public face.  Not even Boykin is as PNG as many think.  I like Fury and have no problem with him at all.  Flipping through Blaber's book, I got the impression that he wanted to write a book about counter-terrorism and some editor decided to turn it into a "leadership/Self-Help" book but I have not actually sat down and read it.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95  @dmalert With the exception of your comment about Dalton Fury, I agree with you. BTW, Blaber's book is laughed at.because it is obviously advertising his current civilian business and his "concept of thinking." In regard to the titlee, one man said, "And me, and me, and me." Jack, I can only relay what one Delta officer who likes Dalton Fury and is of equal rank said, Dalton says this in his first non-fiction book as well. He laments being shunned by old friends, Can't argue with the author.

@JackMurphyRGR @RVN @dmalert I thought I was clearer earlier. My apologies. In regards to the memoir thing, as I stated before, I believe it has to do with the situation. For example, Pete Blaber led the AFO detatchment of Operation Anaconda - and his methods and reasoning for the way he coordinated the attack was nothing short of brilliant. Yet, he still consulted with Sean Naylor and ultimately wrote his own book on the operation. Needless to say, he was incredibly vital in AFO's success during the operation. But the story of Operation Anaconda (or at least his end of it) wasn't necessarily the lead up but rather the execution or lack thereof. I'm sure were both familiar with what happened, the botched insertion of the DEVGRU operators, which ultimately spawned a search for Neil Roberts. In the search for his body, the team encountered extreme resistance from all sides. The Team Leader, not only seemed out and attacked the enemy, he cared for the wounded, and was responsible for getting his team out of there that day. Needless to say, that Operator has a reputation unlike anyone's within the community. I think Marcus may have even mentioned him in his last book. Whatever, that's not the case. The case is, despite the operation he partook in and what he did - he never chose to write a book, or document anything he had done. he never seemed recognition, fame, or glory. To me he is the quiet professional. To me, he is the type of soldier I aspire to be like. Maybe it's a little too naive but I'd like to think most hopefuls think like that as well.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN  @dmalert So do I, but you were making a broad, blanket statement based on the opinion of one group of people.  There is a little more to it than to simply label any memoir by a SOF veteran as a dishonor. 

@JackMurphyRGR @RVN @dmalert AsI said before, they have exceptions. As you said, noone looks down on Durant...but they do look down on Howard Wasdin. Sorry if I ticked you off, but thr guys I know frown upon it.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN  @dmalert That is one take on it, yes.  I've never heard of anyone looking down on Beckwith or Durant or many others for writing books, but whatever.

@JackMurphyRGR @RVN @dmalert Sorry? I guess? All I was trying to say is that men I know who serve in the Special Operations community don't like being in the spotlight. They don't like it when their own write books about what they did. They frown upon it. That's it. And it's not restricted to just one unit or Operator, it encompasses operators,Team Guys, SF soldiers and Recon Marines.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN  @dmalert It is considered dishonorable to write a book about your time in the Special Operations community?  By who and why?  I knew dozens and dozens of soldiers in the Special Operations community who read books written by Special Operations veterans in order to learn more about their own history.  Perhaps there is one clique within the community which feels that any book about Special Operations is a dishonor, but it is hard enough to get one ODA on the same sheet of music much less an entire community of SOF soldiers.  We've never spoken with one voice and I knew many, many soldiers who read Kill Bin Laden among other titles.  I'm curious why you make such an authoritative statement about SOF authors as if it is a matter of fact.

Marcus is an interesting case because the Navy approached him and asked him to put out Lone Survivor.  The book was released on the Navy's initiative.  Marcus says as much in Brandon's interview with him.

I agree that there are some operational details in Haney's book which probably should not have been written about.  I haven't read up on Goff in a while but I thought his books were political in nature rather than about his experiences in SOF.  At any rate, I have no read them and can't make a judgement.

@JackMurphyRGR @RVN SF VET @dmalert Let me rephrase my statement, it is considered to be dishonorable to write a book about your time within the special operations community. In particular when one is documenting his time within a particular unit. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule - for example no one is going to call Marcus a sellout because not only are you wrong...you'll most likely get your lights punched out as well. But in regards to Goff and Haney, it's ludicrous for one to even argue that their books were beneficial to the SOF community as a whole.

 @jct95  @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN SF VET  @dmalert Why is it dishonorable whenever a book is written?  If veterans had not written about their experiences in war, we would know far less and be worse off for it as to what American soldiers did in World War Two to Vietnam and up to the present day.

 @JackMurphyRGR  @RVN SF VET  @dmalert As I said earlier, it's dishonorable that a book was written - but as you said it served ar purpose...a vital purpose at that. But as I said earlier, I doubt that Dalton is looked at in the same light that an Eric Haney/Stan Goff is. 

 @jct95  @RVN SF VET  @dmalert I would argue that Kill Bin Laden is an important historical document.  Reading between the lines, I got the impression that Fury also felt some personal guilt because the mission failed in the sense that they did not capture or kill HVT #1.  This may have been an additional motivation for him to write the book.  I thought he gave a lot of credit to the men under his command and that he glossed over details that involved OPSEC.  As far as Fury being ostracized by the Delta community...I don't buy that for a second.

 @RVN SF VET  @dmalert To be quite honest, the book should have never been written. While some may claim that DEVGRU has become their biggest fans, which I and many other think is erroneous, If anyone was a fan of themselves it was Haney. I understand the guy needed money (supposedly due to bad investments) but it does not excuse what he did. 

 @jct95  @dmalert Some of Haney's Central American stories should never have been told, if true. I cannot imagine that his book received security review. At least the TV show was fun - cool SGM.

 @RVN SF VET  @dmalert And rightfully so, but he still managed to retain a certain level of respect. Or at least I feel he did. Writing a book, or aggrandizing your time in the SOF community will be met with due criticism and as I said rightfully so. But I don't think that a Dalton Fury is as much of disgrace as an Eric Haney/Stann Goff. 

 @jct95  @dmalert "Dalton Fury" went down to SOCOM and helped the SOCOM Historian write the official classified and unclassified story of TORA BORA. He then went back, retired, and wrote his book about Tora Bora and their hunt for UBL. That book then received a SOCOM security review. Nonetheless, a Delta acquaintance says that his non-fiction and fiction books are as close to Delta reality as one can get without violating OPSEC. Still, he has been ostracized by his former teammates..

 @dmalert I disagree. I believe that there is ego in something like writing a book. Essentially it's an aggrandizement of what you've done, which is understandable - but defeats the very purpose of the quiet professional. Obviously there are ways to navigate and still attempt to retain a certain level of respect. For example, what Dalton Fury did. Was it a breach of security? One could obviously make the argument that it was - but he was providing the American public with a very exclusive first hand view of the operations post 9/11...and while doing so, he used an alias and by doing so further proved the point that the book was about the operation and the men that partook in it. Not about himself. Matt's situation was similiar, obviously he wanted to protect himself and his family - but I highly doubt he was out for ego. In regards to the AD SEALs, yes, it sucks. Yes, it was embarrassing but I highly doubt was strictly for ego. 

 @RVN SF VET  @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95 My only comment was it's a slippery slope.  We can debate Pollard all day long. 

 @jct95 I said ego or money in my initial comment.  And there is ego in being able to advise a huge video game company on how to design something even if the driving factor was income.

 @dmalert  @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95 There are both ugly and bad luck reasons for Pollard's sentence. The bad stems drom the allegations that Israel traded some of the secrets he stole to Russian intelligence. That has not gone over well. Stealing secrets and handing to Israel, per se, not quite as bad - but it was stuff we did not wish to share. NOFORN means NOFORN to include allies. The ugly reason is NCIS and Navy long-held prejudices. 

Ironically, the country that shot up the USS Liberty was also part of a Cold War CAP for the Sixth Fleet when almost all the Navy's aircraft would have been flying into the belly of Russia. Nobody has ever admitted that.

 @dmalert First off it's SEALs, and they needed money. Don't know why you would assume ego...

 @JackMurphyRGR  @jct95 My thoughts as well Jack.  Again great article.  Pollard on the other hand just needed a little coke money, yet he's in prison for life.  While not the same thing monetizing one's access to classified info is a real slippery slope.

 @dmalert  @jct95 Money.  I don't think any of them wanted to be famous.