Act of Valor and security concerns
ROS sends this trailer to the upcoming film “Act of Valor” which purports to include real SEALs in the cast of performers;
Coincidently, Tman sent us link to an article about Lt. Gen. James Vaught who confronted Special Operations Commander Adm. Bill McRaven on the media cooperation that the SEALs have enjoyed in their recent successes;
“Since the time when your wonderful team went and drug bin Laden out and got rid of him, and more recently when you went down and rescued the group in Somalia, or wherever the hell they were, they’ve been splashing all of this all over the media,” Vaught, 85, said. “I flat don’t understand that.
“Now back when my special operators extracted Saddam [Hussein] from the hole, we didn’t say one damn word about it,” he continued. “We turned him over to the local commander and told him to claim that his forces drug him out of the hole, and he did so. And we just faded away and kept our mouth shut.
I understand that the media attention can be intoxicating, well, until you fail at something. But I sort of agree with the good general. Saddam Hussein used Black Hawk Down as a training video for his commanders on how to fight American soldiers.
Vaught continued;
“Now I’m going to tell you, one of these days, if you keep publishing how you do this, the other guy’s going to be there ready for you, and you’re going to fly in and he’s going to shoot down every damn helicopter and kill every one of your SEALs. Now, watch it happen. Mark my words. Get the hell out of the media,” he concluded….
I’m not going to stick my neck out and say “Mark my words…” but it should certainly be a consideration in some of these cooperative projects. By the way, if it does happen, and I pray every night that it doesn’t, I hope the SEALs don’t expect to get some sympathy from the media.
Category: Military issues
Have a very bad feeling that this is about funding. The SEAL commander may be getting used by higher higher for money reasons. Of course if something goes wrong its his head.
One problem in the article, LTG Vaught did not command 1st SFOD-Delta…COL Beckwith commanded the Unit.
Vaught was the overall mission commander (Eagle Claw).
I agree with Vaught…there is too much exposure here, and it has to be willing, for DEVGRU.
You don’t see the same type of hype regarding Delta…they don’t seek it out, but you can be sure they are doing their part–it’s just not being publicized–by choice.
And his point about the capture of Saddam Hussein…absolutely correct. Credit was given the Inf BDE from 4th ID that provided a cordon around the site.
I’m about as far from a SOCOM type as a trigger puller can get, but I have to agree with the General. If you want to be publicized, stick to conventional units. I love watching Hamburger Hill and Gardens of Stone as they portray units I have served in, but they are films that use actors and that portray events from the Vietnam era.
I suspect that the primary reason SEALs are getting so much attention is to make them the nation’s “premiere” elite fighting force. From a recruiting standpoint, I suspect the Navy is looking for more SEALs. Act of Valor is being heavily promoted at the recruiting offices, and for the last year or so the word SEAL popped up quite often when I talked to high school students. They don’t understand the challenge, or that they would stand a good chance of becoming a BM if/when they ring the bell. They don’t want info about SF or to know that they will at least revert to Infantry if they don’t earn a green beret. They just think that SEALs do all of the dirty work; all other services fight but don’t get up close and personal.
SEALs and other SOCOM forces all fill a unique role in our nation’s military. I just wish their commander would let them remain Quiet Professionals.
Gotta love that he flapping his jaw as proof that he knows how to keep his mouth shut. That aside, he is making a good point.
I read that article and was puzzled by it. What I’ve seen leaked to the press hasn’t come from the SEALs, has it? It always seemed to a an “anonymous source” in the administration. I just thought the administration was basking in the light of the military professionals again.
Were there leaks from inside the units involved in these operations?
“…to BE an “anonymous source”…
sorry.
SEALs = NAVY = $$$$-not-going-to-the-Army.
LTG Vaught should understand that the services consider themselves to be in a fight for their very existence, and the Army is gladly taking it up the crapper. SEALs = NAVY = $$$$-not-going-to-the-Army.
There’s more to being a general officer than sticking you d*ck up your driver’s ass and knives in the backs of other soldiers, Vaught.
Next point: all the credit given the soldiers for capturing Saddam – all the fetes, medals, promotions and positive write-ups: all a lie?
A lot of the guys on the teams aren’t real comfortable with this exposure, BTW–they realize a lot of this is politically driven. Remember, Slow Joe Biden was the one who flapped his cocksucker about the Bin Laden raid less than 24 hours after it went down.
if you keep publishing how you do this, the other guy’s going to be there ready for you, and you’re going to fly in and he’s going to shoot down every damn helicopter and kill every one of your SEALs.
Already happened back in August.
Well said, Sparky!
Amen Sparky!
[…] sort of agree with the good general,” Jonn Lilyea wrote on the blog, This Ain’t Hell. “Saddam Hussein used ‘Black Hawk Down’ as a training video for his commanders on how […]
[…] sort of agree with the good general,” Jonn Lilyea wrote on the blog, This Ain’t Hell. “Saddam Hussein used ‘Black Hawk Down’ as a training video for his commanders on how to fight […]
I agree, I think if not the SEALs themselves then the USN has actually been subtley promoting them. The comparison with the Delta though is not the best, it is Special Forces, the “Green Berets” were the craze for the previous 10 years, if not since the end of Vietnam.
My whole problem with this is people both in the military and civilian world have hardly any idea of the general capabilties of either SOFs or the line units. The two are separated by inches, not a chasm. That line of thinking is exactly what has gotten the Army in trouble since the end of Vietnam. The use of SOF to do traditional old Army tasks, that they are neither trained for or are good at(like police functions).
It’s a shame the names, and faces of the Navy SEALs are being revealed. It will most likely jeopardize any mission they might be attached to. I’m sure other special forces or CIA operatives are not going to be happy when on a clandestine mission one of their fellow operative is spotted, and the mission blows up in there face. Who ever gave permission or most likely ordered these SEALs to do the movie should get fired.
[…] I went was to see “Thor”, but the media has been calling me for my opinion because of the post I wrote a few weeks ago, so I figured I’d better go see […]
[…] arrange of determine with a good general,” Jonn Lilyea wrote on a blog, This Ain’t Hell. “Saddam Hussein used ‘Black Hawk Down’ as a training video for his commanders on how to […]