Commander rebukes US Navy SEALs who break strict code of secrecy
The commander of the US Navy SEALs has issued a stinging rebuke to troops who have broken the elite force's hallowed tradition of secrecy and humility by publishing memoirs and speaking to the media.
The commander of the US Navy SEALs has issued a stinging rebuke to troops who have broken the elite force's hallowed tradition of secrecy and humility by publishing memoirs and speaking to the media.
Days after the Fox News network announced that it would broadcast a documentary with a commando who claims to have shot the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Rear Admiral Brian Losey, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, wrote to his troops denouncing anyone who sought fame or fortune by revealing details of secret missions.
"A critical tenet of our ethos is 'I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions'," Losey and the top enlisted sailor, Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci, wrote in the letter, obtained on Monday.
"We do not abide wilful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety and financial gain, which only diminishes otherwise honourable service, courage and sacrifice," said the letter dated October 31.
The strict code of humble anonymity represented a "life-long commitment and obligation" and those who flouted it were no longer teammates "in good standing", it said.
The commander warned in the letter that "we will actively seek judicial consequence for members who wilfully violate the law" by revealing classified information.
The documentary, called , is due to air later this month. Fox News said it had no plans to cancel the programme.
The Pentagon could not confirm if the commando identified in the documentary had taken part in the May 2011 raid but said that all troops were legally bound by non-disclosure agreements promising never to discuss classified information, even after they had retired from the military.
"If in fact this individual was associated with the military unit that carried out the [Osama bin Laden] raid, which is yet to be determined, he is still bound by his Non-Disclosure Agreement to not discuss classified information, especially in a nationally televised interview," spokeswoman Commander Amy Derrick-Frost said in an email.
