Code Over Country

November 22, 2021
Journalist Cole debuts with a searing investigation into the misdeeds of the U.S. Navy SEALs. He traces the special operations force’s origins to WWII, when the Navy organized underwater reconnaissance and demolition units to scout landing zones in the South Pacific, and describes the SEALs’ demanding “Hell Week” training program. He also delves into allegations of abuse that emerged during the Vietnam War; documents deployments to Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Bosnia; and notes that Seal Team Six founder Richard “Dick” Marcinko wanted “pirates, rogues, outlaws, and men who would have had a hard time staying out of legal trouble as civilians” for the hostage rescue and counterterrorism unit, which was created in 1980. After 9/11, SEAL Team Six operated as an “elite group of storm troopers” and “the sharpest tip of the spear in the U.S. military” in Afghanistan and Iraq; according to Cole, this is the period when “sadism crept into the SEALs’ practice.” He documents SEAL Team Six’s assassination of Osama bin Laden, which resulted in million-dollar book deals and squabbles over who could claim credit for the killing, and recounts recent controversies including Alpha platoon leader Eddie Gallagher’s 2019 court-martial for murder and the 2017 cover-up of a fatal hazing incident in Mali. Backed by meticulous research and lucid insights into SEAL culture, this is an impassioned and persuasive call for reforming one of the world’s most elite fighting forces.

January 1, 2022

In this expos�, Cole (an investigative journalist at The Intercept) explores the problems that have plagued SEAL Team 6 (the special operations arm of the U.S. Navy) since the 1990s. Using the case of former SEAL Eddie Gallagher as a focal point, the narrative explains how SEAL Teams, often without serious oversight from officers, have engaged in conduct that has led to demotions, expulsion, and criminal charges. Since the SEAL Team 6 organization is highly secretive, issues are rarely visible to the public, but accusations of war crimes, profiteering, violent and fatal hazing, and other offenses have arisen in recent years. In this book, Cole asserts that most members behave ethically in highly stressful situations, but a number of incidents in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to severe consequences, including murder trials. Cole relies on a range of primary sources to offer insight into SEAL Teams' training and bonding activities that, combined with a high rate of deployment, can lead to PTSD. VERDICT This insider account is likely to be a controversial choice for military collections, as Cole shows the dark side of SEAL Team 6's high-profile heroic image and reminds readers that war is brutal and messy. Still, it's a fast-paced read that will interest military history buffs.--Edwin Burgess

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