SEALS
An article by reviewer Elise Cooper
Submitted to MyShelf.Com
Feburary 2012
| SEALs
stands for Sea, Air, And Land forces of the US Navy special
warfare unit, and they are today’s heroes. Americans
have heard of their incredible feats of taking down the Somalian
pirates with three precision shots, thus saving Captain Richard
Phillips, and the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden which
seemed like it was straight out of a Vince Flynn political thriller
novel. This year, there have been books published by former
SEALs. The books by former SEALs have the same story line: enduring
a hard childhood, deciding to become a SEAL, the BUD/s training,
the missions, and the toll on their personal lives. Some of
the authors were interviewed to get their interpretations of
these real life mavericks. Don Mann, a former SEAL, concurs that the SEALs do not want to be viewed as super heroes. In his recently released book, Inside Seal Team Six, he discusses his troubled childhood, overcoming adversity to become a member of SEAL Team Six for eight years and a SEAL for over seventeen years, retiring in 1998. The most interesting parts of the book are when he goes into detail about his missions, although a lot was redacted by the censors. One of the first missions he encountered was in Somalia, which was compromised by a shepherd who found their hiding place. In order to survive he and his fellow team surrendered to two-dozen armed Somalis who later released them. He was asked about this incident since it seems so out of character for a SEAL. Mann stated that he put this incident in the book to show that not all missions go perfectly but also to debate the rules of engagement policy. He stated, “this is a big frustration for those in the military. The approaching person had no weapon so we had to follow policy and let him go. If we would have taken that guy out, there is no telling what the repercussions would have been legally. Common sense does not prevail in these circumstances, just the legal end.” Mann is honest about both the positives and negatives in becoming one of America’s most elite warriors. He placed emphasis on the physical endurance, the need to push oneself to accomplish the mission, how “you get a real adrenaline rush when doing a night jump, diving underneath ships, or going on a shooting mission in different countries. Adrenaline is addictive. When that kicks in there is no fear factor. The body can take ten times more punishment than you thought it could. The one thing all SEALS have in common is that we don’t know the meaning of the word quit.” Unfortunately, quit does apply to many SEALs private lives. Mann is now married to his third wife, the ex-wife of one of his former teammates who set her up with him. Being away approximately 300 days a year from home does not make for a wonderful family life. He pointed out in the interview, “The Navy has the highest divorce rate of al the services. Among the Navy, the SEALs have the highest divorce rate and of all the SEALs, Team Six has the highest rate. As much as I loved all my wives I enjoyed going on the missions, which says something about priorities. The feeling of doing something great for our country overrides the feeling of wanting to be home.” He makes it very clear throughout the book that SEALs sacrifice their private lives to defend their country. Two other books, KBL: Kill Bin Laden, A Novel Based on True Events by John Weisman and SEAL Target Geronimo by Chuck Pfarrer (both books will be featured in an upcoming review) went into great detail about the Osama Bin Laden (OBL) mission. However, the authors also discussed the SEAL’s character. Weisman explained that America’s special forces have conducted over 1700 raids since 2010 and during the same night of the OBL raid there were about eleven other high target missions. He commented, “The snatch/kill was not the problem. The problem was going into a sovereign country, making sure the Pakistanis did not know we were there. The fact that they did not know what the layout of the compound was is no different than most other raids.” He wrote the book as a novel because “everything has a classification on it and I did not want to jeopardize them. I wanted the public to understand that the SEALs are human, with psychological pressures, job pressures, and home pressures. I wanted people to get a holographic view of them as opposed to a Superman view.” He did that well, having quotes in the book, that a SEALs most important asset is his brain and the SEAL motto, “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and the more we sweat in training, the less we bleed in battle.” Pfarrer’s book tells how SEALs react during a mission: able to tune everything out while confronting the enemy. They gain a zero consciousness that taps into the thoughts and intentions of those they are pursuing. What makes this book interesting is that Pfarrer, a former SEAL, gives his mindset and impressions of how they will react, “It is almost impossible for civilians to conceive how much these men care for and trust each other.” As he explains, this is developed during the three phases of BUD/s training: physical conditioning, science of combat, and land warfare. For example, during Hell Week they are made to rely on one another as they go through the emotions of fear and disorientation while machine guns are fired over their heads, fire hoses spray them, and smoke grenades are thrown at them, all the while having no more than four hours of sleep per day. The emphasis is always on teamwork since once a BUD quits by ringing the bell three times and placing their helmet in a line, the remainder of the boat crew must carry the quitter’s load. As he describes it, “It is psychological warfare between the student and instructor.” Howard Wasdin, also a former SEAL, wrote a book published earlier this year, SEAL Team Six. This book gives the details about the life of a Navy SEAL sniper. After becoming a member of SEAL Team Six he graduated from the Marines’ Scout Sniper School, becoming one of eighteen snipers on the team. Especially poignant are the chapters that placed the reader on the battlefields of Somalia and Mogadishu, where Black Hawk Down took place. The last paragraph in the book summarizes his views, “The SEAL Team Six sniper standards remain high… For the most part, their commitment, sacrifice, and patriotism will continue to remain hidden.” When asked about that quote he commented, “I got the nation’s highest medals, the Silver Star and Purple Heart, on an op that went completely wrong, Blackhawk Down. I have been on a bunch of ops that have gone really, really well and never got any recognition. The only reason we did not win this one is that Bill Clinton decided to cut tail and run, totally negating all the sacrifices made. Sorry if I sound bitter, but I was in a position to see my buddies going down. He totally pulled out before we had accomplished the mission, maintaining political points instead of wanting to win.” He also discussed his personal life, pointing out the divorce rate among SEALs is 90%. He wants the readers to “imagine being married to a man who is gone more than he is home. You don’t know when he will come and go and what dangers he will be in. The needs of the team will always come before marriage and family. There are two spouses, one is marriage and the other is the SEAL team.” Included in the book are many details of what the men must go through to become a SEAL. The training is intensive. Some examples, during the BUD/s training they were placed in a pool with their feet and hands bound, and were required to swim seven miles in cold water. They also must sign a waiver saying they understand the training can kill. According to him, “You train to that fine edge between life and death. People should quit whining about waterboarding. Just look at the training of the SEALs where on any given night during Hell Week the SEALs go through hyperthermia.” In his book, The Heart and The Fist, Eric Greitens reports about his service in Asia and Africa. He is able to give the reader a different picture of the War on Terror, how it encompasses more than Afghanistan and Iraq. He wanted to make sure Americans understand that today’s warrior must be physically and mentally strong; yet, act as diplomats and role models. He explained in the book that his choice to become a SEAL was due in part to understanding that “all the best kinds of compassionate assistance…meant nothing if a warlord could command a militia and take control of the very place humanitarians were trying to aid…I had become an advocate for using power, where necessary, to protect the weak.” Anyone who wants to learn about the SEALs has plenty of books to draw upon. Having read all these accounts it became obvious that there is not one type or characteristic to describe a SEAL. They are from different backgrounds, have different physical traits, and are cowboys, Rhodes Scholars, and religious men. The one common thread is that they are risk takers, quiet professionals, are married to their profession, and know only one word, perseverance. For them, a successful mission is bringing back everybody alive. They would sacrifice anything for the “guy” next to them, doing whatever it takes to care for the “guy” to the left and right. The bottom line is that Americans should be proud to know that the SEALs are there, willing to sacrifice and to do what is right for their country. Portions first published in American Thinker |
Inside
Seal Team Six
KBL:
Kill Bin Laden
The
Heart and The Fist |
For Past Have You Heard Interviews, Click Here