Xfinity News: AP sources: Navy SEALs punished for secrets breach

[Jumbo]

NOTE---I originally wanted to post this here...

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...highlight=SEAL

...as I didn't want to start a thread for it, and thought it was going to be related to this previous incident anyway.

But it's a separate matter, and giving the continuing trend of actual SEALs (or former members) voluntarily being more active in media involvement (movies/books/TV/ video games) and various related issues that arise, I think it is worthwhile.


AP sources: Navy SEALs punished for secrets breach

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/...EALs.Punished/

WASHINGTON — Seven members of the secretive Navy SEAL Team 6, including one involved in the mission to get Osama bin Laden, have been punished for disclosing classified information, senior Navy officials said Thursday.

Four other SEALs are under investigation for similar alleged violations, one official said.

The SEALs are alleged to have divulged classified information to the maker of a video game called "Medal of Honor: Warfighter."

Each of the seven received a punitive letter of reprimand and a partial forfeiture of pay for two months. Those actions generally hinder a military member's career.

The deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, issued a statement acknowledging that nonjudicial punishments had been handed out for misconduct, but he did not offer any details.

<more at link>

[DaGoonie55]

You've got to be kidding me. Noone outside of the SEALs and their obviously inept leadership knows what they divulged. Now, that game can be scrutinized by terrorist cells for actual intel or whatever was in it. Somethings hide better in plain sight if noone knows what they are looking at. Also, it must not have been that much of a secret as they were given the lowest level of punishment required by UCMJ - an article 15. They probably had to cut the Admiral's lawn for 45 days also.

Stupid stupid stupid upper military management.

[Special K]

You've got to be kidding me. Noone outside of the SEALs and their obviously inept leadership knows what they divulged. Now, that game can be scrutinized by terrorist cells for actual intel or whatever was in it. Somethings hide better in plain sight if noone knows what they are looking at. Also, it must not have been that much of a secret as they were given the lowest level of punishment required by UCMJ - an article 15. They probably had to cut the Admiral's lawn for 45 days also.

Stupid stupid stupid upper military management.

So, they shouldn't be punished for violating a strict confidentiality policy? That wasn't intended to be snarky or anything, I just see it as kind of a black & white issue. You break policy (even if it hasn't or is unlikely to compromise security) you get punished.

[afkidd]

There are clearances for a reason...the first of the reimagined moh sucked as well.

[AsburySkinsFan]

So, they shouldn't be punished for violating a strict confidentiality policy? That wasn't intended to be snarky or anything, I just see it as kind of a black & white issue. You break policy (even if it hasn't or is unlikely to compromise security) you get punished.

Agreed, these guys are about discipline and secrecy, they literally know where the bodies are buried, they know about the tech that is secret to the rest of us and they know it's their job to stay silent about it....especially Team 6, common guys what were you thinking?

[Redskins Diehard]

I always get a chuckle when SEALs talk about being quiet professionals. They are typically bad ass warriors but quiet professionals may not be the best characterization. That being said I think the punishment looks about right and I suspect that the actual damage done to national security in this particular instance was pretty low. Did they show them the assault rifles they used? The biggest "secret" about the execution of that raid was revealed when the stealth helo crashed.

[zoony]

I always get a chuckle when SEALs talk about being quiet professionals. They are typically bad ass warriors but quiet professionals may not be the best characterization. That being said I think the punishment looks about right and I suspect that the actual damage done to national security in this particular instance was pretty low. Did they show them the assault rifles they used? The biggest "secret" about the execution of that raid was revealed when the stealth helo crashed.

I lived a few hundred yards from Seal Team six for 2 years on base. Sold a used car to one of them. Grew up with another. I think quiet pro fits, or at least used to

[skinsmarydu]

Being ex-Navy, I have an extreme amount of respect and pride for our sailors, airmen, and especially Seals, but I expect more professionalism from them. What DaGoonie said was spot on...some things hide better in plain sight. I can understand how they would like a video game about them to be as real as possible, but sheesh...they (of all people) know what's at stake here. An Article 15 doesn't go far enough, imho.
added: I got a page 13 (warning/counseling) for wearing civilian clothes without proper permission, for cryin' out loud.

[ArmchairRedskin]

Just saw on the news that the punishment makes them ineligible for promotion and effectively ends their careers. They didn't mention an Article 15, just said that they got an official letter of reprimand and docked half their pay for two months.

[Redskins Diehard]

I lived a few hundred yards from Seal Team six for 2 years on base. Sold a used car to one of them. Grew up with another. I think quiet pro fits, or at least used to

Well now they make movies and consult on video games. I did some joint missions with other SEAL teams in both Iraq and Afghanistan and honestly neither quiet nor pro fit with them. It wasn't team 6...and my post above wasn't directed specifically at Team 6 either. Not sure how much culture difference there is either between 6 and the other teams.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 06:49 AM ----------

Just saw on the news that the punishment makes them ineligible for promotion and effectively ends their careers. They didn't mention an Article 15, just said that they got an official letter of reprimand and docked half their pay for two months.

Article 15 is likely the tool they used to take half their pay for 2 months. I am not aware of any other way to do that outside of courts martial.

[Larry]

I lived a few hundred yards from Seal Team six for 2 years on base. Sold a used car to one of them. Grew up with another. I think quiet pro fits, or at least used to

I eat breakfast every day 200 yards from 3,000 Cubans who are trained to kill me. So don't think you can come in here in your ******y white sailor suit, flash a badge, and intimidate me.

(Sorry. Had to. Actually, prior to your post, I was reflecting on how many posters in this thread seemed to know so much about these people.)

[FanboyOf91]

I guess the brass got tired of the SEALs ego-stroking.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Article 15 is likely the tool they used to take half their pay for 2 months. I am not aware of any other way to do that outside of courts martial.

Yep, they hand 15's out like candy. I nearly got one for getting a sun burn.

[Chump Bailey]

So, they shouldn't be punished for violating a strict confidentiality policy? That wasn't intended to be snarky or anything, I just see it as kind of a black & white issue. You break policy (even if it hasn't or is unlikely to compromise security) you get punished.

My problem with this is that I seriously doubt these guys provided anything that would remotely compromise the safety of one of their brothers in arms. The White House bent over backwards to accommodate filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow in the upcoming Bin Laden movie Zero Dark Thirty. She was given what I consider to be unprecedented access to the CIA and US Special Operations. I get that that if rules were broken then punishment should be applied notion, but said punishment should also be fair in nature and at a level commensurate with the charge being levied against them.

Bottom line for me: these guys careers should not be ruined by this.

[JimboDaMan]

I eat breakfast every day 200 yards from 3,000 Cubans who are trained to kill me. So don't think you can come in here in your ******y white sailor suit, flash a badge, and intimidate me.

(Sorry. Had to. Actually, prior to your post, I was reflecting on how many posters in this thread seemed to know so much about these people.)

In the network version they dubbed in "girly white sailor suit".

Also, at another point, dubbed in "Forget you, Harold!".