Navy SEALs Lose Their Military Careers By Consulting With EA On Videogame
from the wargames dept
The Navy SEALs, specifically SEAL Team 6, forever cemented their already laudible place in American history when they killed former public enemy number one Osama bin Laden. Since then, their notoriety has landed the special forces group in the news several times, whether it was when Disney attempted to trademark their name (and later dropped it), or the controversey over a former SEAL releasing a book about the bin Laden raid.
Now, unfortunately, seven active duty members of SEAL Team 6, including one that was on the bin Laden raid, will effectively have their military careers ended for consulting with Electronic Arts on their recently released Medal of Honor: Warfighter game without having the work authorized by the Navy.
The seven were charged with the unauthorized showing of their official combat gear and dereliction of duty for disclosing classified material after an investigation found the seven to have worked as paid consultants for two days with the video game company Electronic Arts, according to a U.S. Navy official familiar with the investigation.
The seven, all senior enlisted sailors, received their punishment Thursday at their base in Virginia. All seven were given a letter of reprimand and their pay taken for two months. The move essentially prevents their chances for promotion and ends their military careers.
Even knowing as little as I do about being a Navy SEAL, it's difficult to critique the Navy brass for being upset. The showing of gear and unauthorized consulting may not seem like a huge deal to civilians, but SEAL Team 6 enjoys the absolute front line of the latest and greatest equipment the Navy deploys. In fact, the technical name for the group is actually the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). Showing off the highly classified gear they use is a big deal.
That said, it's sad to see the careers of 7 SEALs ended over this, but it will also be interesting to see if this story Streisands EA's recently released game into skyrocketing sales.
Filed Under: classified info, navy seals, seal team 6, sharing, video games
Companies: ea
Comments on “Navy SEALs Lose Their Military Careers By Consulting With EA On Videogame”
Inb4 people bitch at EA for being incompetent yet again.
Re: Re:
Nah, it’s hard to fault EA for this. This was poor judgement on the part of the SEALs.
Re: Re: Re:
i have a suspicion that the guy that published the bin laden book kicked off a pretty serious internal security audit, and these guys got swept up for what would otherwise have gone either unnoticed, or been “good ole boy’d”.
Isn’t medal of honor half way endorsed as a recruiting tool yet?
Re: Re: Re:
Yup. Even ignoring the confidential information part, they should have requested the approval before getting non-government part-time job anyway.
If it displays classified material, why isn’t the military preventing it from being released? They’d easily be able to. The answer is that it doesn’t, and the Navy is being vindictive because EA didn’t spend millions on the Pentagon’s seal of approval. This has nothing to do with leaking classified material.
Re: Re:
maybe, or maybe after Manning and the bin Laden guy, someone decided they needed a nice public example made, on something that had no potential blowback from politics or protesters. i really doubt this is the first time a shooters had active duty military in as consultants, though i can’t source that at the moment. (i’d swear i remember seeing something about it with one of the older titles, or battlefield maybe..but i only half pay attention to those headlines.)
I have to disagree
Tim,
This is just nonsense. The SEALs don’t take just anyone. In addition to all the physical screening is a ton of psychological screening. On top of that, these guys are quite obviously huge patriots. Do you really think that they would have given away state secrets to freaking EA? No, that did not happen. This is a huge, huge over-reactoin on the part of the military apparatus and it will have a public backlash.
These guys risked their lives for their country, and for doing a two day onsite interview for a VIDEO GAME company they are getting shit-canned? Please. It’s an absurdity of the highest order.
Re: I have to disagree
Without permission. That is the key here. And they aren’t getting “shit-canned” or fired. They’re having a letter of reprimand put in their file. That means long-term advancement prospects are very small.
Where I work, which is not anything military or sensitive, I would face similar penalties if I had any type of outside employment or consulting without permission. I hardly see this punishment for a violation of protocol–in the military, where such things are understood to be serious– as unreasonable.
Re: Re: I have to disagree
Hi there Jim D. I just wanted you to know that you are the problem.
Why do we have government officials constantly overstepping their constitutional boundaries and stoping on the rights of the citizens? Because too many citizens feel like you do. You use protocol as an excuse for limiting freedom. You remember that term, “land of the free”? Yes, you’ve heard it, but you wrote it off as bullshit long ago. I’m sure you feel that the SEALs “Knew the rules, and the penalty for breaking them.” Allow me to call Bullshit – if the rules contradict rights and freedoms, then it is the rules that must give, not the other way around.
Yes, I’m a civilian, and I’m really disgusted that now, in the most peaceful time that humanity has ever known, we are wasteing time and money on trampling human rights.
Re: Re: Re: I have to disagree
Remind me, which constitutional rights were trampled here?
Re: Re: Re: I have to disagree
I agree with your general criticism of using failure to conform to policy as a justification for ruining peoples lives. Civil liberties are very important to all of us
That said, I’ve been in the military and am aware of some things which most civilians are not.
Many of the constitutional rights afforded to civilians are NOT granted to military service members. For example your commanding officer can indeed restrain your free speech. If you tried to exert a constitutional right to express yourself under such conditions then your disobedience of a direct order would land you in a heap of trouble. Presumably these SEALS have been reprimanded under principles similar to this, in which they had been instructed not to speak about classified matters.
I’ll not get into lengthy discussion of why the military is allowed to disregard the civil liberties of its members, but needless to say the military does need to have the power to force people to do things which other free citizens wouldn’t choose to do — such as risk their life.
For those who don’t understand the military point of view, you may want to read an article about the SEALS’ interaction with the media in this week’s Daily Beast/Newsweek. Although it was written before the announcement of the EA video game event, it addresses these very issues.
If you value your freedom, please remember as we come up on Veterans Days that there are people serving you who are willing to give up their own freedom for a period of time in order to protect yours.
Re: Re: Re:2 I have to disagree
My point was lost on you: the government should not be asking you to give up your own freedom. Not now, not ever.
The thing that made Americans a force to be reconed with was never discipline, but the lack of it. We didn’t stand in a line and trade musket fire: we found cover and hid. At least until the European generals took over, with the wonderful history and academic training of 1000 years, we forgot our frontier training and had to be taught guerrilla warefare again in Vietnam.
I really don’t give a shit about the “Millitary point of view”. It’s bullshit. It’s one thing to follow a chain of command during wartime. Being drummed out for breaking protocol, however, proves that the military is defined by the Peter Principal. Do you see another Sgt York this day and age? No, the best and the brightest are not lauded for innovation, they are removed for lack of conformity.
Re: Re: Re:3 I have to disagree
My point was lost on you: the government should not be asking you to give up your own freedom. Not now, not ever.
If you want or think you can transform the US military, give it your best shot.
Re: Re: Re:3 I have to disagree
We also didn’t go around saying “Hey, that stuff that nobody should know, or has a good reason to know, it’s all over here!”
Re: I have to disagree
If that mess of a fallacy is the best you can come up with I feel bad for your clients.
Re: Re: I have to disagree
Which fallacy? You neither name nor justify your claim that I have committed one. Are you not interested in a discussion of the issue? Or just not interested if someone disagrees with your own view?
It is easy to point at something and say “that’s wrong”. It is more difficult to formulate a reasoned, coherent argument supporting your position. You’re certainly not obligated to do the later, but without doing so your accusations amount to little more than childish foot stomping.
Re: Re: Re: I have to disagree
Well, no, I’m not interested in a discussion of the issue with you, since…I wasn’t responding to you in the first place.
Re: Re: Re:2 I have to disagree
My apologies then!
Re: Re: Re:3 I have to disagree
I agree with Jim- the rules are simply different when you deal with highly classified material. And everything about the SEALs; equipment, tactics, operations…everything is classified material.
They knew the deal, they might have expected it to get winked at, but they kknew that in the end, they were violating everything from oaths to NDA’s by saying anything to anyone, that hadn’t been vetted by the pentagon. They paid their money, they took their chances.
Re: Re: Re:4 I have to disagree
My father was career military and he had commands where everyone on base had a security clearance. No one could say what they did.
If the military says you can’t talk about something, you can’t talk about it. If you want those freedoms, don’t join the military.
Re: Re: Re:5 I have to disagree
This isn’t even a “lose your freedoms” issue. ANY sensitive information is like this. If you are under an NDA and violate it there will be consequences. It doesn’t member if you are the SEAL or the programmer at EA.
Re: I have to disagree
Being a former member of the Navy, I have signed several non-disclosure agreements that were in force both during and after my ’employment’. I’m also supposed to have certain writing reviewed before publication.
These men should have had some idea about whether or not they could legally consult with EA… they made a judgement call and came down on the wrong side of it.
It’s not their decision to determine whether or not the info they are providing is governed by their NDAs or not.
Re: I have to disagree
but but but we have to show a strong pattern so we can finish railroading Manning…
People want Manning dead for violating his oath, but they let these SEAL members get a pass? Huh…
Re: Re: The difference:
These guys made themselves look foolish with their actions and lack of thinking it through.
Manning made government and military people look foolish(to put it mildly) due to his actions.
The ones in charge can ignore the first, and will in fact help out when they can, but when they’re the ones coming out looking bad… then they suddenly decide that ‘lessons need to be taught’.
Seals are the Best
I love seals.
They are so cute, especially the baby ones.
The only time I don’t like seals is when they make a bunch of noise when I am trying to sleep.
Something smells wrong!
Re: Re:
WEll, they haven’t been locked up yet for whistleblowing. That’s what’s wrong.
Re: Re:
I agree. Something stinks. Seals know better. EA knows better. This has to be a publicity stunt. Likely a cash or job deal after they are out of the service. Nobody can be that stupid and still remember to breathe occasionally.
seriously stupid sad.
This one is stupid because it could of been convert not public. Sad because these guys are patriots that have been in harms way for us all. Highly trained and know the limits as they have tested. I know in my heart there was no sharing of anything anyone couldnt just find on google. Today our best of the best have have been thrown to the wolfs. 7 Civilian lifes of highly trained operators now for hire! What a shame on the system.
When did serving your country become a career? I’ve must of missed that memo during the last half of my service. Reload and move out…
What about the Complainer-in-chief???
He was complicit with NatGeo channel to show a movie depicting the bin Laden raid and the training leading up to the raid for his own political gain! The movie was broadcast 2-3 days before the election!
Did HE get USN approval?..because he most certainly got their compliance!
Shouldn’t HE be reprimanded and have HIS career ended?? Hmmmm?????
Re: What about the Complainer-in-chief???
He’s the one in charge.(assuming you mean the president?) He only had to get his own permission, and I supposes he granted it to himself. The only other permission he needed was granted to him in 2008, and then again just a few days ago. Sounds like you didn’t vote that way, but that doesn’t change his authority in this. These seals did not get permission. I can’t speak at a conference, much less take an outside paid consulting job, without permission where I work. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that the military issues a formal reprimand when their soldiers act similarly against protocol.
Re: Re: What about the Complainer-in-chief???
“When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal.” Richard Nixon.
Re: Re: Re: What about the Complainer-in-chief???
Visit any military post.
Pay attention to the board where they have their chain of command.
Note who’s picture is at the top of it.
seal team 6 leak
These guys are professionals they should be in a lot more trouble than they are.
As sad as this is, this is how it works. There are rules and if you break them, you get punished. It doesn’t matter what great things a person has done, no one gets to break the rules. This is how it has always been and this is how it needs to be. They should have known better.
Good mercenaries for hire and expose secrets to highest bidderz
They would make good mercenaries to get back at people runing the government. They probably did not kill binladen, since they threw body in the ocean instead of displaying the body to the world.
somethings odd about this...
It doesn’t add up, navy seals ar hand picked they don’t make mistakes like this… just like how two helicopters crashed into each other in mid air both carrying members of the original team that took out osama… even more a battle destoryer crashing into a submarnie by accident… I call BULLSHIT!
Somthing is happening, were being kept in the dark… just like cuba and the cia secret war using hmongs to help them…
our men usnavyseals
As aformer miss USOthe men you are
talking about love and give a real service to
Our country and care about us they sacrifice their lives daily why not pay
Them more they earn it everyday.
God bless our navy seals Love you guys.
Electronic Arts will just form its own elite team of military consultants — the sEAls — which will be able to generate original IP silently, under the cover of darkness, taking no prisoners and leaving no DLC behind.
There will also be exclamation points! uttered in awe and silenced quickly by a brutal (but silent!) slash across the throat with the razor sharp edge of a non-disclosure agreement. Also: motion capture! performed under the cover darkness, somewhat silently, leaving no death animation/horse collar tackle behind.
Maybe something involving the Sims somehow, like a rogue (but silent! and dark!) demolitions crew that won’t take the lack of bathroom door for an answer. !!
A new battle plan for EA and its sEAls, shrouded in secrecy and a few million shares of diluted stock, about 10.5% of which is now owned by Carl Icahn!
Not necessarily
I doubt that this will be a career-ender for them. Just because you are given an LOR doesn’t mean it goes in your records. Many’s the time I had a young firebreather standing tall in front of my desk getting an LOR for extreme lack of judgement. After I got their attention, I told them that it would go in my desk drawer and, after a set time of good behavior, I’d tear it up. Never did have to place one of those in anyone’s records.
What I suspect happened was that news of their participation, which was a clear violation of regs, got out and became common knowlege. At this point their boss is caught between a rock and a hard place. Either administer punishment or be accused of going easy on them because of their elite status. By taking this action he fulfills his duty and keeps them from getting into serious trouble.
A blown mission to EA
If these guys were actually any good they could have snuck into and out of the EA buildings without being noticed.
A lot of these guys don’t retire from the service anyway. They have very lucrative career paths as private security contractors for the CIA and defense contractors. They’re badasses whose transition to civilian jobs will be accelerated by this kerfuffle. Our armed force’s loss; but they’ll soon be making nice livings doing many of the same things they were being paid shit to do.
Re: Re:
If they had not disclosed classified info, they would not have accepted non-judicial punishment. Since they most likely will lose their clearances also, there will be no lucrative career path.
Damn traitors
They should be found guilty under the espionage act and put to death.
SEAL Team 6 enjoys the absolute front line of the latest and greatest equipment the Navy deploys. Showing off the highly classified gear they use is a big deal.
Security by obscurity never works 😉
our mercenaries are NOT 'heroes'...
they are extrajudicial murderers of poor brown people around the globe…
“The Navy SEALs, specifically SEAL Team 6, forever cemented their already laudible place in American history when they killed former public enemy number one Osama bin Laden.”
again, you call extrajudicial murderers as cementing their ‘laudable’ place in American his story when they will be excoriated as the lawless, immoral murderers they are WHEN this collectively insane society returns to quaint things called morals and laws…
meanwhile, it takes a few ne’er-do-wells and social pariahs like me to point out the obvious: THEY ARE KILLERS FOR EMPIRE, they are not ‘defending democracy’ or ‘fighting them there, so we don’t have to fight them here’, they are eliminating the enemies of Empire, and those brave lads in black will HAPPILY exterminate fellow US citizens when the need arises…
they are NOT heroes, they are lawless thugs killing whoever Empire points them at…
wake up you stupid sheeple, this ain’t your forefather’s amerika any more…
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
art guerrilla at windstream dot net
eof
“…when they killed former public enemy number one Osama Bin Laden”. Wanna buy a bridge, dude? I have one in Brooklyn I’ll sell you real cheap.
This reminds me of the aftermath of tailhook, but at the end of the day, if an operator has not gotten some sort of non judicial or administative dicipline in their career, i would be concerned they are not doing their jobs.
Declan
This reminds me of the aftermath of tailhook, but at the end of the day, if an operator has not gotten some sort of non judicial or administative dicipline in their career, i would be concerned they are not doing their jobs.
Declan
Re: Response to: Declan OReilly on Nov 10th, 2012 @ 11:57am
Oops double post, please delete
In the military you do not have to accept non-judicial punishment. However, if you are guilty it is often the best route. You can opt for a court martial, but the stakes are much higher. You are allowed (and advised) to seek council before you accept NJP. These guys accepted it, which means they are probably guilty.
navy seals
Traitors. The gov should punish the hiring Company as well.
navy seals
Traitors. The gov should punish the hiring Company as well.
Locking the Barn Door
I’ve seen a large amount of behavior like this from the central government in this country as of late. I would consider it locking the barn door once the cows have gotten out.
A few examples:
1. A dude tries to blow up an airplane with explosives concealed in his show. Now all travelers must remove their shoes in the security line.
2. Another dude tries to blow up an airplane with explosives concealed in his underwear. Now all travelers have to deal with humiliating pat-downs or unnecessary radiation exposure.
3. A former SEAL publishes a book that contradicts the administrations narrative of the bin laden raid. Several other seals moonlight with a video game company and get the book thrown at them.
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