Latest news with #NavalSpecialWarfareCommand
NBC News
21-05-2025
- NBC News
Racist memes shared by Navy SEALs prompt investigation, disciplinary actions
Two Navy SEALs based in Virginia are facing disciplinary action for racist conduct, and several of their platoon and team leaders are being disciplined for leadership failures, according to a defense official. The two enlisted Team 4 members are being punished for developing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating them in a group chat with other team members, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of an ongoing investigation. The memes depicted the sailor as a slave, according to visuals viewed by The Associated Press. According to the official, the sailor who was targeted reported the incidents this year, but they took place beginning in 2022 and the memes circulated for years. The sailor had been in one of the SEAL Team 4 platoons but had his qualifications and SEAL trident revoked last year. He alleged that his failure to remain a SEAL was due to the racist treatment. Two officials said that as a result of the investigation, which was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor's SEAL qualifications are being reinstated and he will get back pay. The group oversees SEAL Team 4 and the platoons that make up the team, located at Joint Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Hampton Roads, Virginia The probe found that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders did not adequately address the sailor's concerns about racist behavior and that the decision to revoke his qualifications was flawed. 'This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread,' said Timothy Parlatore, the sailor's lawyer, referring to the memes shared over a Signal chat. 'They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.' The two enlisted sailors responsible for the memes face non-judicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions can be career ending, or can result in demotions or loss of pay. Other actions are still pending. The platoon and team leaders are also facing administrative actions, including disciplinary letters in their files, that could determine if they continue as SEALs. In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command acknowledged the investigation into 'serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands' and said 'accountability actions are ongoing.' It added that 'we are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.' Parlatore praised Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, head of NSW, and his staff for taking swift action to 'investigate, reverse the negative repercussions that our client received, and move to hold people accountable.' This is just the latest significant investigation into behavior issues and command failures at Naval Special Warfare Command. And it underscores racial concerns that are not new to the special warfare leaders. Commando forces across the services — particularly the officers — tend to be far less diverse than the military as a whole. And leaders in recent years have tried to attract a wider array of recruits in order to develop a more diverse force. Those efforts, however, could be threatened now, as the Trump administration and Defense Department leaders have made it a priority to end diversity and inclusion programs across the military and the government as a whole. That could exacerbate racist problems in the smaller, largely-white teams. As of March 2021, a full 95% of all SEAL and combatant-craft crew officers were white and just 2% were Black, according to Naval Special Warfare statistics provided to the AP. The enlisted ranks were only slightly more diverse. Those number are starkly different from the overall Navy population, where about 40% of the enlisted force and 24% of its officers are non-white. According to the defense official, the sailor filed more than a dozen specific complaints about racist behavior and about half were substantiated. And as Group 2 leaders began to look into the complaints, a second sailor — who is white — also complained about bullying by other platoon members. That amplified the broader concerns about the command climate and the later findings of leadership failures. Other recent investigations also found training and command problems. Last October a highly critical review found that two Navy SEALs drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters. And in 2023, an investigation into the death of a SEAL candidate a year earlier concluded that the training program was plagued by widespread failures in medical care, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Navy SEALs face disciplinary action after racist memes investigation
Two Navy SEALs based in Virginia are facing disciplinary action for racist conduct, and several of their platoon and team leaders are being disciplined for leadership failures, according to a defense official. The two enlisted Team 4 members are being punished for developing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating them in a group chat with other team members, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of an ongoing investigation. The memes depicted the sailor as a slave, according to visuals viewed by The Associated Press. According to the official, the sailor who was targeted reported the incidents this year, but they took place beginning in 2022 and the memes circulated for years. The sailor had been in one of the SEAL Team 4 platoons but had his qualifications and SEAL trident revoked last year. He alleged that his failure to remain a SEAL was due to the racist treatment. Two officials said that as a result of the investigation, which was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor's SEAL qualifications are being reinstated and he will get back pay. The group oversees SEAL Team 4 and the platoons that make up the team, located at Joint Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Hampton Roads, Virginia The probe found that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders did not adequately address the sailor's concerns about racist behavior and that the decision to revoke his qualifications was flawed. 'This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread,' said Timothy Parlatore, the sailor's lawyer, referring to the memes shared over a Signal chat. 'They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.' The two enlisted sailors responsible for the memes face nonjudicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions can be career-ending, or can result in demotions or loss of pay. Other actions are still pending. The platoon and team leaders are also facing administrative actions, including disciplinary letters in their files, that could determine if they continue as SEALs. In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command acknowledged the investigation into 'serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands' and said 'accountability actions are ongoing.' It added that 'we are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.' Parlatore praised Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, head of NSW, and his staff for taking swift action to 'investigate, reverse the negative repercussions that our client received, and move to hold people accountable.' This is just the latest significant investigation into behavior issues and command failures at Naval Special Warfare Command. And it underscores racial concerns that are not new to the special warfare leaders. Commando forces across the services — particularly the officers — tend to be far less diverse than the military as a whole. And leaders in recent years have tried to attract a wider array of recruits in order to develop a more diverse force. Those efforts, however, could be threatened now, as the Trump administration and Defense Department leaders have made it a priority to end diversity and inclusion programs across the military and the government as a whole. That could exacerbate racist problems in the smaller, largely-white teams. As of March 2021, a full 95% of all SEAL and combatant-craft crew officers were white and just 2% were Black, according to Naval Special Warfare statistics provided to the AP. The enlisted ranks were only slightly more diverse. Those numbers are starkly different from the overall Navy population, where about 40% of the enlisted force and 24% of its officers are non-white. According to the defense official, the sailor filed more than a dozen specific complaints about racist behavior and about half were substantiated. And as Group 2 leaders began to look into the complaints, a second sailor — who is white — also complained about bullying by other platoon members. That amplified the broader concerns about the command climate and the later findings of leadership failures. Other recent investigations also found training and command problems. Last October a highly critical review found that two Navy SEALs drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters. And in 2023, an investigation into the death of a SEAL candidate a year earlier concluded that the training program was plagued by widespread failures in medical care, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Racist memes shared by Navy SEALs prompt investigation, disciplinary actions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of Navy SEAL Team 4 are facing disciplinary action for racist conduct, and several of their platoon and team leaders are being disciplined for leadership failures, according to a defense official. The two enlisted team members are being punished for developing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating them in a group chat with other team members, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of an ongoing investigation. The memes depicted the sailor as a slave, according to visuals viewed by The Associated Press. According to the official, the sailor who was targeted reported the incidents this year, but they took place beginning in 2022 and the memes circulated for years. The sailor had been in one of the SEAL Team 4 platoons but had his qualifications and SEAL trident revoked last year. He alleged that his failure to remain a SEAL was due to the racist treatment. Two officials said that as a result of the investigation, which was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor's SEAL qualifications are being reinstated. The group oversees SEAL Team 4 and the platoons that make up the team. The probe by the East Coast-based group found that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders did not adequately address the sailor's concerns about racist behavior and that the decision to revoke his qualifications was flawed. 'This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread," said Timothy Parlatore, the sailor's lawyer. 'They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.' The two enlisted sailors responsible for the memes face non-judicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions can be career ending, or can result in demotions or loss of pay. Other actions are still pending. The platoon and team leaders are also facing administrative actions, including disciplinary letters in their files, that could determine if they continue as SEALs. In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command acknowledged the investigation into 'serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands" and said "accountability actions are ongoing.' It added that 'we are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.' Parlatore praised Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, head of NSW, and his staff for taking swift action to 'investigate, reverse the negative repercussions that our client received, and move to hold people accountable.' This is just the latest significant investigation into behavior issues and command failures at Naval Special Warfare Command. And it underscores racial concerns that are not new to the special warfare leaders. Commando forces across the services — particularly the officers — tend to be far less diverse than the military as a whole. And leaders in recent years have tried to reach out to a wider array of recruits in order to develop a more diverse force. Those efforts, however, could be threatened now, as the Trump administration and Defense Department leaders have made it a priority to end diversity and inclusion programs across the military and the government as a whole. That could exacerbate racist problems in the smaller, largely-white teams.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Racist memes shared by Navy SEALs prompt investigation, disciplinary actions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of Navy SEAL Team 4 are facing disciplinary action for racist conduct, and several of their platoon and team leaders are being disciplined for leadership failures, according to a defense official. The two enlisted team members are being punished for developing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating them in a group chat with other team members, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of an ongoing investigation. The memes depicted the sailor as a slave, according to visuals viewed by The Associated Press. According to the official, the sailor who was targeted reported the incidents this year, but they took place beginning in 2022 and the memes circulated for years. The sailor had been in one of the SEAL Team 4 platoons but had his qualifications and SEAL trident revoked last year. He alleged that his failure to remain a SEAL was due to the racist treatment. Two officials said that as a result of the investigation, which was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor's SEAL qualifications are being reinstated. The group oversees SEAL Team 4 and the platoons that make up the team. The probe by the East Coast-based group found that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders did not adequately address the sailor's concerns about racist behavior and that the decision to revoke his qualifications was flawed. 'This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread," said Timothy Parlatore, the sailor's lawyer. 'They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.' The two enlisted sailors responsible for the memes face non-judicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions can be career ending, or can result in demotions or loss of pay. Other actions are still pending. The platoon and team leaders are also facing administrative actions, including disciplinary letters in their files, that could determine if they continue as SEALs. In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command acknowledged the investigation into 'serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands" and said "accountability actions are ongoing.' It added that 'we are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.' Parlatore praised Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, head of NSW, and his staff for taking swift action to 'investigate, reverse the negative repercussions that our client received, and move to hold people accountable.' This is just the latest significant investigation into behavior issues and command failures at Naval Special Warfare Command. And it underscores racial concerns that are not new to the special warfare leaders. Commando forces across the services — particularly the officers — tend to be far less diverse than the military as a whole. And leaders in recent years have tried to reach out to a wider array of recruits in order to develop a more diverse force. Those efforts, however, could be threatened now, as the Trump administration and Defense Department leaders have made it a priority to end diversity and inclusion programs across the military and the government as a whole. That could exacerbate racist problems in the smaller, largely-white teams.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Navy SEAL Candidates Sickened by Training in Sewage-Laced Ocean Water, Pentagon Watchdog Finds
Navy SEAL candidates in California are often training in water filled with bacteria that cause illnesses, a Department of Defense watchdog report found, and the service's special warfare command does not have a formal policy for monitoring water quality and relocating training. The DoD inspector general's findings, released last week, said candidates at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado would often train in the water even when local San Diego beaches nearby were closed to the public due to high levels of "fecal indicator bacteria." "Navy SEAL candidate exposure to contaminated water occurred because [Naval Special Warfare Command] did not follow San Diego County's Beach and Bay Water Quality Program's beach closure postings," the inspector general report found. "As a result of Navy SEAL candidate exposure to contaminated water during training, candidates are presented with increased health risks and NAVSPECWARCOM's training mission could be impacted." Read Next: Biography of Civil War Veteran Banned as Military Schools Cull Books and Lessons Under Trump Orders Water contamination has been a long-standing issue in Coronado due in part to pollution from the Tijuana River Valley in Mexico, which flows to area beaches and causes significant closures to the shoreline. Between January 2019 and May 2023 alone, the Naval Special Warfare Center reported 1,168 cases of acute gastrointestinal illnesses with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea among SEALs and candidates, the report stated. A notable 39% of those cases, or 457 people, were diagnosed with those illnesses within a week of being in ocean water that surpassed the state's limits for contamination. Between February and September 2024, "the amount of enterococcus bacteria in the water exceeded state safety levels" in 146 of 192 tests, or 76%, conducted on samples retrieved from the beach north of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and 27 of 36 tests, or 75%, of samples tested from the beach south of the base, the report detailed. But Naval Special Warfare Command relocated only 12 of 265 Navy SEAL candidate water training exercises, or roughly 5%, within that same time period, according to the report. Additionally, on a visit during "Hell Week" in 2023, the inspector general report noted the command did not reschedule or relocate training on three occasions when nearby beaches issued closure advisories for excessive enterococcus bacteria. "Consequently, Navy SEAL candidates were exposed to contaminated water during these three ocean training events," the report said. DoD Inspector General Robert Storch was suddenly fired last month by President Donald Trump -- along with watchdogs from agencies across the federal government who were tasked with finding waste, fraud and abuse. Storch and other inspectors general, including Michael Missal who served at the Department of Veterans Affairs, sued the Trump administration this week, saying the firings violated federal law. The DoD inspector general recommended that the Navy establish protocol and policy for "relocating, rescheduling, or canceling water training when bacteria levels exceed state health standards," as well as establish roles for monitoring water quality. The inspector general also recommended that the Navy create notification procedures for relaying water quality results to Naval Special Warfare Command officials so they can amend the training schedule. Naval Special Warfare Command, known as NSW, said in a response letter to the report, that it would be a challenge to cancel or relocate 75% of its water training activities. Capt. Jodie Cornell, a spokesperson for Naval Special Warfare Command, told that the command follows San Diego County's Beach and Bay Water Quality Program to determine whether training needs to be modified. "If a training site is unsafe, NSW implements mitigation strategies to reschedule or relocate evolutions to minimize impacts to training," Cornell said. "NSW's top priority is conducting training evolutions safely and using the resources available to make informed decisions. As a learning organization, NSW continues to assess procedures in place to enhance safety and operational readiness." Local officials have recently been voicing concerns about the frequent beach closures and pollution in the ocean. Last week, the City of Coronado began drafting a local emergency declaration, San Diego's CBS 8 reported. Notably, this past summer, mayors up and down the coastline penned a request for state and government assistance to fix the pollution crisis. "Over one billion gallons of untreated wastewater pour into this region each month, resulting in the closure of Imperial Beach's shoreline for more than 900 consecutive days," the letter from the mayors states. "Additionally, Coronado beaches have been closed more than 50% of the time over the past two years." Related: Pentagon Watchdog Questions Navy SEAL Training Program's Use of Sleep Deprivation
