SEAL trainees with ankles tied together in pool. What we were asked to do was always meant to prepare us for the possibility of the worst in combat. Courtesy of the US Navy. Photo by Chief Special Warfare Officer (SEAL) Darren McBurnett.
In BUD/S, students run hundreds of miles with these inflatable boats on their heads. During Hell Week, classes don’t go anywhere without them. Some guys get bald spots that remain for months. Courtesy of the US Navy. Photo by Chief Special Warfare Officer (SEAL) Darren McBurnett.
Saturday, less than twenty-four hours after finishing Hell Week. My dad is wearing his Leadville 100 belt buckle, showing that he finished the 100-mile ultramarathon. I felt as though I’d just done something even harder, though; yes, running both those gauntlets is about strength of will. Courtesy of the author
Graduating SEAL training Courtesy of the author
April 10, 2002. Here my SEAL Team Four Delta Platoon mates help me “celebrate” my birthday at Blackwater USA, Moyock, Virginia. What can I say—SEALs have a unique sense of humor. Courtesy of the author
Before my first deployment at SEAL Team Two, I went to Sniper School in Camp Atterbury, Indiana. An operator from SEAL Team Four, on the left, and I just passed the first of ten stalking tests. Notice how much “natural vegetation” is on our ghillie suits. It’s particularly important to blend into what’s behind you. Courtesy of the US Navy. Photographer unknown.
Parachuting solo like this was usually fun. When we jumped tandem, it got more complicated—and sometimes deadly. Courtesy of the US Navy. Photo by Chief Special Warfare Officer (SEAL) Darren McBurnett.
Neil Roberts Courtesy of the US Navy/Getty Images
Close quarters battle Courtesy of the US Navy. Photo by Chief Special Warfare Officer (SEAL) Darren McBurnett.
Captain Phillips returning home Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images
Aerial shot of the bin Laden compound Photo by Digital Globe via Getty Images
Diagram of the bin Laden compound Courtesy of the US Department of Defense
Crowds celebrate in front of the White House after President Obama announced that bin Laden had been shot. Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images
The day I donated my shirt to the 9/11 museum Photo by Jin S. Lee, 9/11 Memorial Museum
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is a collection of incredible but true stories set in places and circumstances in which I was fortunate to find myself. Hard work and a positive attitude contributed to a good result, but I would never have been able to accomplish what I did without the people I was and am so fortunate to have in my life.
To my kids: You showed up in the middle of the adventure but have been my inspiration through the wars and after.
Jessica: Your courage, honesty, and immeasurable love have all had immense effect on this outcome and many others. You’re my little soldier.
Dad: Thank you for always being there and always having my back. Even when I’m wrong.
Mom: Even though I never told you everything, thank you for your undying support and love. We’re all here to do something special.
Family: The foundation we forged growing up remained so strong throughout. From graduations of all types to today, thank you for always being so honest and helpful.
To every teammate, instructor, mentor, analyst, pilot, and soldier with whom I’ve ever shared a moment, an op, a flight, or a fight: Nothing would have been possible without the team and the heroes you all are.
Rhonda Bentz: Thank you for giving me honest, well-thought-out advice and insight into pretty much every facet of business, communication, brand, and, well, life.
To my agent, Howard Yoon, and the Ross Yoon Agency: Your tireless work and professional commitment to excellence afforded me the best of all opportunities. Thank you for helping us all make this work.
To the Scribner publishing group and especially executive editor Rick Horgan: I could not have been more fortunate with this outcome. “Thank you” is not enough.
To my team: Rick Alcalde, Ashley Kern, and Matt Jones, and my attorneys at McDermott Will & Emery: Steve Ryan and Lazar Raynal. Thank you for making crucial introductions and decisions at the right times.
Finally, to Tom Shroder: You helped me turn a lifetime of experience and years of war into this book, and I cannot thank you enough. I’m proud to call you my friend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
© McTEAMS PHOTOGRAPHY
ROBERT O’NEILL deployed as a SEAL more than a dozen times and participated in more than four hundred combat missions across four different theaters of war. During his remarkable career, he was decorated more than fifty-two times.
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INDEX
A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
Abbottabad, Pakistan, 282–85
al-Kuwaiti’s role at, 284–85
helicopter raid into, 286
housing structure in, 282–84
hunt for bin Laden in. See bin Laden mission
replicas of, 287, 290
AC-130 gunships, 116, 278
Adam (SEAL team leader), 139–40, 142–43, 144, 324
Afghanistan
al-Qaeda in, 114
beliefs of rural populations in, 221–22
military in, 222, 225, 226–27, 239
Neil’s death in, 115–17
Operation Anaconda in, 115–17, 130, 139–40, 219
Pashtunwali code protecting strangers in, 153
reality of war brought home to Rob in, 117
rescue mission for Luttrell in, 149–56
Rob’s desire to be assigned to, 114–15
Rob’s final assignment to, 324–31
Rob’s last mission as SEAL in, 327–31
Russia defeated by, 115, 221
sacrifices of SEAL wives and families to war in, 171
SEALs’ relationship with kids in, 141–42, 156
SEAL Team missions in, 114–15, 137–56, 172–79, 257–64
“strike to develop” missions in, 327
suicide bombers in, 114, 142, 259
Tahir’s arrest in, 323
Takur Ghar battle in, 115–17, 139–40, 219
Taliban regime in, 114, 115, 137, 144–56, 222, 225
village protection of wounded sniper in, 153–55
Aircrew Survival Equipmentman school, Millington, Tennessee, 24–25
Air Force drones, 271
Air Force soldiers, 96, 149, 199, 216, 285, 290
Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, 157, 183
Albania, deployment to, 111–12
al-Kuwaiti, Abu Ahmed, 284–85
al-Qaeda
American surge (2007) against, 182
American tactics studied by, 158, 184
attack against Baghdad IED makers working with, 207–13
bin Laden mission planning secrecy and, 276
Fallujah mission against houses used by, 184–91
Korengal Valley and, 144–45
missions and learning about tactics used by, 179
Operation Anaconda and, 140
Rob’s first time hearing name of, 11
1
SEAL Team’s assignment to find members of, 137
search for Jalil in Afghanistan and, 232
Sunni Muslims and, 182
supply line on Afghanistan-Pakistan border for, 226
World Trade Center terrorist attacks and, 113–14
al-Shabaab, 243
Ambien, 138, 207, 298
Amy (SEAL team member), 326–27
Anbar Awakening, Iraq, 182
Anbar Province, Iraq, 181–82, 183
Andy (SEAL team member), 160, 161, 165, 166, 176
anti-aircraft weapons, 116, 149, 160
Arab Spring, 271
Army Rangers
Afghanistan missions with, 172
Iraq missions with, 167–68, 168–69
Korengal Valley rescue mission with, 147, 149
Tahir’s arrest by, 323
Army Special Forces
Baghdad SEAL team mission with, 193–94, 199, 204–6
Iraq missions of, 157, 158, 165
search for Jalil in Afghanistan with, 223, 232
“Around the World” rowboat exercise, SEAL BUD/S training, 29, 67
Asadabad, Afghanistan
Afghani military team in, 222, 225, 226–27, 239
mission searching for Jalil based in, 222–40
Rob as team leader in, 222
rural Afghan beliefs in, 221–22
Russian base at, 221
assaulters, on SEAL teams, 164, 247, 277
A-10 Warthog airplanes, 152–53
Austin (Navy transport ship) assignment, 107–12
Albania deployment during, 111–12
daily routine during, 108
European tour during, 109–10
friendship with Marine snipers on, 108
hard work of Navy personnel during, 108–9
Rob’s assignment to, 107
sniper exercises during, 110–11
two-mile swim routine during, 109
Axelson, Matthew, 145, 148, 152
Baghdad
Army Special Forces missions with SEALs in, 193–94, 199, 204–13
attack against IED makers in al-Qaeda cell near, 207–13
high-value target (HVT) mission in, 204–6
living quarters in, 194–95, 196–97, 206–7
missions in, 193–97, 200–213
SEAL Team’s move to, 184, 192–93
Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, 227
arrival at, 138
bin Laden’s body moved to, 318
Korengal Valley mission helicopter crash and, 146–47, 152
SEAL teams at, 142, 143
Bainbridge (destroyer), 243, 244, 250–52, 253, 255
Baltimore Sun, 112
Basic Airborne jump school, Fort Benning, Georgia, 95–97
attitudes of SEAL members in, 95–96
instructors (“black hats”) at, 96
jumps during, 96–97
pinning ceremony after completing, 97
beehive swimming exercises, 50–51, 88
Bergdahl, Bowe, 262–64
Biden, Joe, 321
bin Laden, Khalid, 308–9
bin Laden, Osama
al-Kuwaiti’s role as courier for, 284–85
failed attempt to kill, 115
Omar’s refusal to hand over, 153
Rob’s first time hearing name of, 111
Rob’s shooting of, 310–11, 313–14, 316, 335–36
White House report on death of, 318–20
World Trade Center terrorist attacks and, 113–14, 284
Zarqawi and, 161
bin Laden mission, 271–314
Abbottabad housing structure described in, 282–84
Abbottabad replica constructed for, 287, 290
authorization for, 295–96
bin Laden’s body removed from compound during, 311–12
break with family before leaving for, 292–93
concerns about completing, 288–89
confirmation of bin Laden’s dead body after, 317–18
departure for staging in Afghanistan before, 294
departure from compound at completion of, 312–13
entry into compound during, 306–7
equipment preparation before, 279–80
final planning for, 287–88, 290
flight home after, 315–16
helicopter failure in, 305
helicopter raid proposal for, 286
helicopter training for, 291–92
helicopter trip to compound in, 301, 303–6
intelligence on, 297
Khalid’s shooting during, 308–9
landing at compound for, 305–6
McRaven’s remarks before, 298–99
meeting with Obama after, 321–22
nervousness before, 296–97
Obama’s authorization for, 295–96
Obama’s permission to pursue planning for, 287, 290–91
options for action in, 285–86
reserve squadron in, 299–300
Rob’s concerns about his children before, 292–93, 296, 297
Rob’s ritual call to his father before leaving for, 300–301
Rob’s shooting of bin Laden in, 310–11, 313–14, 316, 335–36
SEAL leadership team meeting called on, 271–74
SEAL Master Chief Willy’s briefing on, 274–79, 280
SEALs’ reasons for participating in, 289
SEAL Team notoriety after, 320–21
search for bin Laden after entry in, 307–10
snipers in, 288
staff selection process for, 276–77
“The Pacer” in Abbottabad as focus of, 282–84
training for, 288, 291, 292
VIP briefing on, 279, 280–87
Black Hawk helicopters, 185, 186–87, 193, 200–201, 238, 287, 300, 301
boot camp. See Navy boot camp
Boots (SEAL team member). See Sterling, Cole
Bosnian War, 92, 111
Boxer (amphibious assault ship), 248, 249, 250, 253, 254, 255
breachers, on SEAL teams, 131, 139, 164, 165, 184, 277, 279, 305–6, 308, 312
breaching tactics, 124, 134, 142–43, 165, 184, 186–87, 188, 191–92, 267–68, 305–6, 307–8
BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training, Coronado, California, 31–97
Aircrew Survival Equipment school training before, 24–25
“Around the World” rowboat exercise during, 29, 67
arrival and last night before checking in for, 28–29
beehive swimming exercise during, 50–51
boat-beaching exercise in surf and rocks during, 56–58
buddies at, 25–27, 28–29, 101–2, 115, 159–60, 160
classes per year in, 28–29
classroom instruction in, 73
Class 208 of, 31-97
diving training in, 32, 72–74, 81–82
“drown-proofing” exercise during, 43–44
“Elephant Walks” during, 60–61
evolutions in, 21. See also specific exercises
failure rate in, 94–95
first day (Day 1-1) of, 35–39
5.5-mile swims during, 82–86
food and meals in, 38–39
four-mile timed runs during, 44–45
graduation from, 93–94
Hell Week during. See Hell Week
helmet colors during training phases of, 35
humor as stress reliever during, 46–50, 52, 64, 72
hydrographic reconnaissance and UDT tactics studied in, 71
Instructor A’s advice on surviving, 40–41, 62
instructors in, 33–34, 74, 87–88
jump school training after completing, 95–97
land warfare training in, 32, 88, 105, 230–31
learning to handle fear during, 36, 51, 52
making priority to complete, 52–53
members quitting. See quitters during SEAL BUD/S training
mental strength for dealing with pain during, 62, 63
movie portrayals of, 18, 19, 22, 38, 56, 95
“never quit” attitude in, 38, 40, 41, 60, 61, 62–63, 64–65, 66, 94, 95, 101, 155
obstacle course and “slide for life” in, 41–43, 253
officer in charge (OIC) during, 35–36
Phase One of, 34, 35–72
Phase Two of, 72–86. See also diving training
Phase Three of, 87–93. See also San Clemente Island
phases of, 32
pool competency (“pool comp”) test during, 76–81
Pool Week during, 75–76
proctor (Instructor A)’s support and role in morale during, 39–41
PT (physical training), running, and swimming during first day of, 35–38
PTRR (physical training rehabilitation and remediation) in, 32, 34, 35, 73–74
quitting or failing during. See quitters during SEAL BUD/S training
racing as constant during, 60–61
rashes and skin irritations during, 63–64
review board meeting in, for failure of physical tests, 34–35
Rob’s thrill at being part of, 21, 38
room inspections during, 46–50
rubber-raft boats as constant companions during, 58–59, 61
screening tests for, 19–21
“sugar cookie” (being covered in sand) exercise during, 37, 64
sunburn problems while swimming during, 50, 51–52
swimming and workouts to stay in shape for, 23, 24
swimming buddies during, 55–56
swimming pool–training exercises during, 50–53
Tijuana weekend during, 84–85
timed ocean swims during, 72
trip with Matthew to, 26–27, 28
typical repetitious, tortured days during, 53
“up-boat” exercises to build teams during, 59–60
visit to family before leaving for, 25–26
Walk Week during, 71
written tests in, 73–74, 75
X Division of men who quit or were kicked out of, 31–32
Bush, George W., 304
Byers, Ed, 266
Cairo (SEAL Team dog), 260, 261–62, 278, 287, 303, 305, 309
Camp Atterbury, Indiana, SEAL sniper school, 107–8
Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, 113
Camp Chapman, Afghanistan, 172
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 107
Carter, Mark, 219
Checque, Nic, 266, 269
Cheese (SEAL team dog handler), 261–62, 269, 272, 278, 287, 303, 305
Chinook helicopters, 145–149, 161, 165, 193, 300, 307, 312–13, 323
Christian (SEAL Team Two member), 100