On the same day, a story on the Daily Beast website questioned the Pentagon investigation into Losey — clearly using documents supplied by Navy insiders.
The Zinke and Daily Beast developments came on top of concerns raised by a past Navy SEAL and a former four-star leader of U.S. Special Operations Command, Bill McRaven.
McRaven’s April 24 guest opinion piece in the Tampa Tribune — Tampa, Fla. is home to the special-operations headquarters — described a “disturbing trend” of politicians denigrating military leaders to further personal agendas.
He cast Losey’s situation in this light.
McRaven added that if this “trend of disrespect toward the military” continues, it will discourage good people from serving in uniform — or worse, make them too timid to render tough decisions for fear of repercussions.
Undeterred over in the House, Hunter said he will continue to scrutinize the incoming SEAL leader. Hunter is buoyed in part by the story of a retired SEAL senior chief who believes his career was tanked, and his life put in danger, after he filed an official complaint about how Szymanski and others dealt with contracts for SEAL training programs.
At issue is how SEALs are taught to fight — including hand-to-hand combat, handling prisoners and using weapons.
For years starting in the 1990s, a civilian contractor named Duane Dieter schooled SEALs on a proprietary curriculum called Close Quarters Defense.
Enter mixed martial arts, made popular by televised Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts.
Some SEALs became practitioners and wanted to incorporate it into their own regimen. Szymanski, an officer with a career on the ascent, was reportedly one of them.
A passionate dispute arose in 2011 and continues today about what system the nation’s SEALs should learn, and who should teach them — particularly whether it should be former SEALs who go into business teaching mixed martial arts.
Underpinning this is a larger internal debate about SEALs appearing to “trade on the Trident” when they leave uniform — something that some find distasteful.
In April, Hunter asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to investigate the SEAL training contracts for evidence of insider dealings by Szymanski.
The congressman, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he would speak out against Szymanski’s rise to the top SEAL job in Coronado until he was satisfied.
His office hasn’t received a response from the Pentagon.
Interviewed this month, Hunter is sticking to his demand for further investigative scrutiny.
Read More: Stars and Stripes
Featured Image- SOFREP
COMMENTS