War Navy commander orders SEALs to shape up - "What is this Mickey Mouse shit?!"

Source.

NAVY SEAL ENLISTED GENERAL REQUIREMENTS By U.S. Navy SEAL + SWCC Scout Team Posted May 13, 2016

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Navy SEALS have been a focus of Navy leaders since High profile cases of misconduct have been in the limelight, including the highly publicized case of Eddie Gallagher. Although Gallagher was acquitted of murder after lengthy legal proceedings, he was found guilty of taking a photograph with a dead terrorist.

NAVY SEAL ENLISTED GENERAL REQUIREMENTS By U.S. Navy SEAL + SWCC Scout Team Posted May 13, 2016

More recently SEALs in Iraq were reprimanded or pulled out for drug and alcohol use as Taskandpurpose reported.

A “Call to Action” directive released to senior leaders since Admiral Colin Green took command late July, obtained by Navy Times, returns the SEAL and boat teams to standards expected of service members across the fleet. Leaders are ordered to conduct “routine inspections of your units and strictly enforce all Navy grooming and uniform standards, including adherence to all Navy traditions, customs and ceremonies,” according to the Navy Times.

Earlier this year Admiral Green had ordered investigations into recent scandals. And immediately after he took command on the end of July, he issued a letter as reported and quoted by USNI, to include:

1. In our fast paced operational environment, the behavior of our people and the integrity of our organization are continually being tested. The trust placed in Naval Special Warfare by our military and civilian leaders, the TSOCs, and ultimately the American people must never be taken for granted. The responsibility for ethical and professional behavior must be taken seriously — by everyone, at every level of our organization.

Admiral Green letter

2. We have a problem. Some of our subordinate formations have failed to maintain good order and discipline and as a result and for good reason, our NSW culture is being questioned. I don’t know yet if we have a culture problem, I do know that we have a good order and discipline problem that must be addressed immediately. Good order and discipline is the foundation for every military organization and it is a leadership responsibility. As Commander, I own it. As Commodores, you also own it. We must now take a proactive approach to prevent the next breach of ethical and professional behavior in our formations, instead of continuing on our current consequence management approach.

3. By 7 August 2019, I am directing you to provide I written commander’s estimate that describes how you and your command team will develop a plan of action that is informed by “Naval Special Warfare’s Force Ethics Assessment” dated 22 March 2019. This document gives a holistic assessment of the community to include a way forward. As professional development, I direct reading the first 2 chapters of “A Tactical Ethic ” by Dick Couch. This book describes how we have had these problems in the past. and thus provides a case study that we can use to recalibrate our culture and regain our credibility.

4. Additionally, I am directing you to engage everyone in your formations (in garrison and deployed) within the next 2 weeks on this issue; I want all hands to understand that “we have a problem” and that this is our main effort and my top priority. I will review and consider your recommended actions to develop my direction and way ahead to the Naval Special Warfare enterprise.

5. Your commander’s estimate will include:

• a. Develop a problem statement from lite ECH III and below perspective.
• b. Develop recommendations to ensure the NSW culture is aligned with our ETHOS.
• c. Develop a plus for “buy in” from the ranks, with a sense of urgency.
• d. Describe your plan for intrusive leadership at the ECH Ill and below level.

6. I expect good order and discipline to be instilled in and maintained by everyone in NSW. I know our leaders (officers and non-commissioned officers) are fully capable to take this on and I will strive to provide inspired arid inspiring leadership.

[signed]
C.P. GREEN

Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Collin P. Green delivers remarks during the change of office ceremony during which NAVSEA 06 (PMS-340) Major Program Manager Capt. Robert “Chad” Muse was relieved by Capt. Brian O’Lavin. Lakeway)

Rear Admiral Collin P. Green command tours include SEAL Team 3, where he deployed as commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Group – Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Naval Special Warfare Unit 3; Naval Special Warfare Group 1, and most recently as U.S. Special Operations Command South.

What they're talking about Eddie Gallagher is A SEAL recently acquitted of premeditated stabbing murder of a wounded teenage ISIS POW in Iraq, back in '17. Check out the article, interesting read.

As for the book "A Tactical Ethic" the Admiral is referring to, here is the synopsis:

Following the success of his recent book on Navy SEALs in Iraq, The Sheriff of Ramadi, bestselling author and combat veteran Dick Couch now examines the importance of battlefield ethics in effectively combating terrorists without losing the battle for the hearts of the local population. A former SEAL who led one of the only successful POW rescue operations in Vietnam, Couch warns that the mistakes made in Vietnam forty years ago are being repeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the stakes are even higher now. His book takes a critical look at the battlefield conduct of U.S. ground-combat units fighting insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the prize of the fight on the modern battlefield is the people, he warns every death has a consequence. Every killing has both strategic and moral significance for U.S. warriors.
From his unique and qualified perspective, Couch examines the sources and issues that can lead to wrong conduct on the battlefield, and explains how it comes about and what can be done to correct it. He considers the roles of command intent and the official rules of engagement, but his primary focus is on ethical conduct at the squad and platoon level. Tactical ethics, according to the author's definition, is the moral and ethical armor that should accompany every American warrior into battle, and these standards apply to the engaged unit as well as to the individual. A harsh critic of immoral combat tactics, Couch offers realistic measures to correct these potentially devastating errors. He argues that as a nation, we must do all we can to protect our soldiers' humanity, for their sake, so they can return from service with honor, and for our sake as a people and for our standing in the world.

Sounds like it should be mandatory reading for many branches of the military.

 

[millais]

I thought they only wore beards to make the kebab allies and civilians more trusting of them. There shouldn't be any reason for the facial hair when they are stationed in the States.

 

[mindlessobserver]

I thought they only wore beards to make the kebab allies and civilians more trusting of them. There shouldn't be any reason for the facial hair when they are stationed in the States.

Every regulation has a waiver, and spec ops gets them often. Regulations are set by the flag level officer to which a unit reports too. Service wide "general orders" deal with the very broad shit. Stuff like uniform regulations are set at a slightly lower level. Usually at the Division level. Why? Well for one thing Divisions have to wear different patches to distinguish them from other divisions. So the Division Commander has the authority to to say what is required for uniform standards of dress. This has led to divisions like the 101st Airborne (my alma mater) to set their own standards in things like PT Uniforms. the 101 does not wear the standard issue PT uniform, and this is done at the Division commanders directive. Which also allows for the 101 to wear brigade unit insignia on the Helmet, also something that is not Army Standard.

So long story short, the SEALs and other spec ops were allowed to do their own thing with facial hair because their general officer allowed them too.

 

[millais]

Every regulation has a waiver, and spec ops gets them often. Regulations are set by the flag level officer to which a unit reports too. Service wide "general orders" deal with the very broad shit. Stuff like uniform regulations are set at a slightly lower level. Usually at the Division level. Why? Well for one thing Divisions have to wear different patches to distinguish them from other divisions. So the Division Commander has the authority to to say what is required for uniform standards of dress. This has led to divisions like the 101st Airborne (my alma mater) to set their own standards in things like PT Uniforms. the 101 does not wear the standard issue PT uniform, and this is done at the Division commanders directive. Which also allows for the 101 to wear brigade unit insignia on the Helmet, also something that is not Army Standard.

So long story short, the SEALs and other spec ops were allowed to do their own thing with facial hair because their general officer allowed them too.

So maybe the facial hair has become an an esprit-de-corps or culture/tradition building thing for them?

 

[mindlessobserver]

So maybe the facial hair has become an an esprit-de-corps or culture/tradition building thing for them?

Would not doubt that at all. And normally this would not be a problem. The 101st wearing brigade patches on their helmets (Like the Spade from band of brothers) is for reasons of tradition and esprit de corps. It's something that sets them apart from other army units, and it hearkens back to the time when they got dropped behind enemy lines and needed a way to bring their formations together quickly. No other Army unit does it, and today it serves no other purpose then tradition and esprit de corps. *edit* figured I should add, the 101st PT uniform is a dark blue shirt with the Unit Flag on the breast. A Red and Blue bicoloured flag with the unit crest on it. The colors are from the medieval heraldry of the Belgian city of Bastogne.

So yeah, units frequently do play with the rules in the interest of esprit de corps and tradition.


But it's also not a tradition meant to separate the 101 from the rest of the Army either. Which the beards do, and in the case of SEALs seems to be less a statement of esprit de corps and more "rules are beneath us". And that is a problem.

 

[Freedom Fries]

...
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
...

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

So the snake eaters have to go back to remembering they're part of the military and not saving the world by themselves?

Oh noes, say it isn't so.

 

[JosephStalin]

HAH! Fuck your beards! Fucking cool-guy faggots.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your...-regulation-haircuts-and-uniform-inspections/



This is funny, but will accomplish little. Unit culture isn't changed from above.

They need to disband these assholes for a couple months every year, and embed them individually into the fleets as lower enlisted non-rates (or whatever the Navy calls them). Make them spend time away from each other, and with normal faggots doing normal gay shit.

Edit: I didn't care for the filtering of R E T A R D, so I replaced it with "faggot" and "gay".

Understand the sentiment, but tossing the SEALs back into the fleet for a couple of months would have a pronounced effect on readiness and mission execution. During that couple of months, some of these men could lose their currency/qualification in certain areas and would need time to get current or re-qualify once back. Mission planning and execution could very well be affected due to loss or shortage of qualified SEALS. Missions not accomplished because SEALS are out in the fleet - commands being supported will scream bloody murder.

My counter would be to make sure the leaders at all levels are doing their job as leaders. There are no bad units, just bad leaders. Ensure standards are met, but trust the people to get the mission accomplished. You deal with problems by exception. That was my approach as a leader/commander.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

They have gay sex all the time. Even the straight ones.

 

[not william stenchever]

They have gay sex all the time. Even the straight ones.

That's because they are, even if only technically, in the navy. The bonding rituals of the marines are much less homoerotic.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

That's because they are, even if only technically, in the navy. The bonding rituals of the marines are much less homoerotic.https://youtube.com/watch?v=oXlPiRlhkQE

Spoiler: VERY NSFW

 

[not william stenchever]

Spoiler: VERY NSFW

View attachment 908323

One of the marines in the video I posted had a pink smartphone. I concede the point.

 

[MCLOS Horthy]

That's because they are, even if only technically, in the navy. The bonding rituals of the marines are much less homoerotic.https://youtube.com/watch?v=oXlPiRlhkQE

Smeper Fi Chester Pulley, rah?

 

[NN 401]

So the snake eaters have to go back to remembering they're part of the military and not saving the world by themselves?

Oh noes, say it isn't so.

They also have to go back to remembering that while civilians are increasingly out of touch with their servicemen all military personnel are ultimately accountable to the people who sign their checks.

And those stupid Johnny Jihadi beards they rock make them all look like a bunch of fucking lumberjacks.... and then the dip. Bleh.

As stupid as this sounds shit like letting grooming standards lapse has almost always been correlated with a drop in unit ethics dating all the way back to Vietnam.
If our WW2 handsome ass grand pappys could stay clean shaven so can the modern soldier.

There are apparently also larger issues with the Navy as a whole regarding the upper Enlisted having an inordinate amount of power. I don’t have direct experience with the Navy so I can’t say for certain. However, that shit that went down with the Seal who murdered a POW, Chief Gallagher? Apparently, the guys that dropped the dime on him were men he had trained during BUDS.

So much no bueno with that!

 

[Echo_Ender]

My favorite thing in that article was all the whiter-than-white guys in Red Team that were LARPing as Native American warriors, to the point of carrying hatchets on missions and getting feather tatoos.

I get that they try to create a unit culture to bond over, but that's just sad.


I also like the two guys arguing over who killed Bin Laden, when the guy who actually shot him wants to remain anonymous as "Red Lead", so Islamists won't Aloha Snackbar him or his friends/family.

And to top it off, he said in an anonymous interview that it wasn't even that impressive. Something along the lines of "This guy needed to die, so we did our job and took him out. But it wasn't some dramatic shootout or anything. When it came down to it, it was just shooting a confused, half-asleep, unarmed guy in his pajamas. It's something that needed done, but not something to brag about"

 

[Rabidcolombian]

Its interesting to me that for all the straight men in the military, the hazing rituals come off as super gay

Please explain more

For, umm, research purposes of course

 

[Marissa Moira]

What would it take to make a military branch basically just be Metal Slug but IRL?

 

[Capsaicin Addict]

At least this one didn't lie about punching Jesse Ventura in the face. How much of a goon do you have to be to lie about hitting a 60-year-old man?

I dunno, but it did Scruff Face no favors to keep suing Kyle's estate and widow after the guy died. The way I heard it, his name is mud in military circles. He won his case initially, then it got overturned, and they finally settled out of court.

And to top it off, he said in an anonymous interview that it wasn't even that impressive. Something along the lines of "This guy needed to die, so we did our job and took him out. But it wasn't some dramatic shootout or anything. When it came down to it, it was just shooting a confused, half-asleep, unarmed guy in his pajamas. It's something that needed done, but not something to brag about"

And that's the kind of mentality you want. Don't brag about it, don't linger on it, just get the mission done and move on.

There was a Green Beret who ran an interesting blog, 'Weaponsman', about guns and the military, Kevin O'Brien. Passed away a couple years ago, sadly, but one of his fans made a point to archive his blog. The subtitle of his blog was 'Quiet Professionals, Noisy Machinery'.

You want quiet professionals in that line of work.

 

[TerminalTryHard]

My favorite thing in that article was all the whiter-than-white guys in Red Team that were LARPing as Native American warriors, to the point of carrying hatchets on missions and getting feather tatoos.

I get that they try to create a unit culture to bond over, but that's just sad.


I also like the two guys arguing over who killed Bin Laden, when the guy who actually shot him wants to remain anonymous as "Red Lead", so Islamists won't Aloha Snackbar him or his friends/family.

And to top it off, he said in an anonymous interview that it wasn't even that impressive. Something along the lines of "This guy needed to die, so we did our job and took him out. But it wasn't some dramatic shootout or anything. When it came down to it, it was just shooting a confused, half-asleep, unarmed guy in his pajamas. It's something that needed done, but not something to brag about"

Native American references are very common in the Army and SOF in general, 1SFC's unit patch is an arrow Head actually. As well as the 82nd which has an infantry battalion called Geronimo with all it's companies also sporting NA themed names Apache company, Blackfoot company and commanchee company. If anything it was more common back in the day especially ww2. With paratroopers going into battle in full face paint and mohawks.

A lot of this having to do with SOF units (and the army in general) still using battle tactics copied from NA or developed to counter NA.

Tomahawks still get carried by a lot of units with the last tomahawk kill being by a Ranger in 2005. The Rangers who still follow Robert's rules of ranging which were written during the French Indian war.

The SEALs arguing about whole killed Bin Laden is its own thing, go look up Rob O'neil the dude is a borderline cow in how much he has tried to milk his claim to have killed UBL. To point it got him kicked off SEAL team 6, sued by the US government for trying sell the movie rights to the operation, and is now shocked his family is getting death threats from jihadis and blames the Navy and US government for it.

 

[Feline Supremacist]

Tomahawks are thing and authorized. For CQB. I recently purchased one as a gift for an active duty friend.

 

[Echo_Ender]

Tomahawks are thing and authorized. For CQB. I recently purchased one as a gift for an active duty friend.

I know a lot of Ranger and Green Beret units carry Tomahawks. But those are approved for use, especially because they can be used in fieldcraft (Chopping firewood, building shelter/cover) if needed.

They apparently WEREN'T authorized for this Seal Team, though. It was violating their equipment protocols to seem cool and showy-offy.