The Shooter

[mickeyd]

Interesting (Long) article on the guy that put 3 rounds into OBL's forehead.

Quote:

I would come to know about the Shooter's hundreds of combat missions, his twelve long-term SEAL-team deployments, his thirty-plus kills of enemy combatants, often eyeball to eyeball. And we would talk for hours about the mission to get bin Laden and about how, over the celebrated corpse in front of them on a tarp in a hangar in Jalalabad, he had given the magazine from his rifle with all but three lethally spent bullets left in it to the female CIA analyst whose dogged intel work and intuition led the fighters into that night. When I was first around him, as he talked I would always try to imagine the Shooter geared up and a foot away from bin Laden, whose life ended in the next moment with three shots to the center of his forehead. But my mind insisted on rendering the picture like a bad Photoshop job — Mao's head superimposed on the Yangtze, or tourists taking photos with cardboard presidents outside the White House.

Read more: Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden - Treatment of Veteran Who Shot bin Laden - Esquire Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden - Treatment of Veteran Who Shot bin Laden - Esquire

[Htown Harry]

Thanks for posting, mickey.

And thanks to all who have served us in the military.

[tryan]

Surprized he didn't find a way to stay in 3 more years to pick up the 50% pension. Not saying stay as a special ops guy ... some desk job for at least reserves.

The pension would pretty tough to pass up given the time he had in.

[ls99]

After a while most front liner's come to the realization that they are nothing but expendable tools of suits. Staying after that understanding becomes impossible.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 After a while most front liner's come to the realization that they are nothing but expendable tools of suits. Staying after that understanding becomes impossible.

I give you the words of USMC Major General, and two time Medal of Honor winner, Smedley Butler:

War Is A Racket, by Major General Smedley Butler, 1935

[ERD50]

Amazing story. I also find it upsetting that these guys are on the same benefit package as (I think this is what they said in the story), someone who is in the Navy choir.

When you are putting your life on the line almost every working day in such an absolute manner (not just an abstract chance of death, but a very real one), there ought to be something more. I got pretty mad when they couldn't even help get the guy's family some security. Heck, there is a Chicago Alderman that has had a security team for decades, I think former Mayor Daley still has one.

And how many 'friends' of people in Congress, or other highly placed people end up getting some bennies - like a position on a company board, some sweetheart deal? Nobody could do something for this guy? Really?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryan Surprized he didn't find a way to stay in 3 more years to pick up the 50% pension. Not saying stay as a special ops guy ... some desk job for at least reserves. The pension would pretty tough to pass up given the time he had in.

I had to wonder about that too. Sure, drop out of combat duty. But isn't there something he could do for four years? Training, procedure or equipment reviews... something? And couldn't the Navy be pretty darn flexible about this?

Yes, the rules stink in this case, but many of us have faced stinky rules, and you have to work around them. Maybe at that point it builds up to where you just need a 100% separation from it all. Sad story.

-ERD50

[ls99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I give you the words of USMC Major General, and two time Medal of Honor winner, Smedley Butler: War Is A Racket, by Major General Smedley Butler, 1935

Thanks, It is new to me, yet says nothing that I had not learned, or figured out by age25.

Should be required reading in high school!

[mickeyd]

Quote:

Amazing story. I also find it upsetting that these guys are on the same benefit package as (I think this is what they said in the story), someone who is in the Navy choir.

Everyone in the US military is in for the same toss of the dice. When you are in a combat zone for any reason you draw (tax exempt) combat pay regardless of your mission. Front line troops can't function on their own. They need the support of the folks behind them (even band members). Anyway. they are not in it for the money, glory or medals. They are doing what has been asked of them; what they have been trained to do.

I've served in the infantry and in the medical logistics arena and I have never backed up to the pay line. Officers get paid a lot more than NCOs. NCOs run the units in combat. Officers lead, plan and direct operations. Yet combat pay is the same for all.

I'm also surprised that he bailed out after 16 years, but 20 years of service is the minimum that the law allows for full retirement and all service members are keenly aware of this.

[tryan]

If the author had posted a donation address/bank Shooter would be set for life ...

[jclarksnakes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeyd Everyone in the US military is in for the same toss of the dice. When you are in a combat zone for any reason you draw (tax exempt) combat pay regardless of your mission. Front line troops can't function on their own. They need the support of the folks behind them (even band members). Anyway. they are not in it for the money, glory or medals. They are doing what has been asked of them; what they have been trained to do. I've served in the infantry and in the medical logistics arena and I have never backed up to the pay line. Officers get paid a lot more than NCOs. NCOs run the units in combat. Officers lead, plan and direct operations. Yet combat pay is the same for all. I'm also surprised that he bailed out after 16 years, but 20 years of service is the minimum that the law allows for full retirement and all service members are keenly aware of this.

Good post mickeyd. One small point to correct though. Commisioned Officers do get combat pay in a combat zone but it and their other pay is not tax exempt. The combat zone tax exemption is only for Enlisted Personnel and Warrant Officers.

I am not sure I believe everything that has been written about the shooter. If it is true then IMO he made a BIG mistake getting out with less than 20 and without getting disability rating and health care lined up beforehand.

[mickeyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclarksnakes Good post mickeyd. One small point to correct though. Commisioned Officers do get combat pay in a combat zone but it and their other pay is not tax exempt. The combat zone tax exemption is only for Enlisted Personnel and Warrant Officers. I am not sure I believe everything that has been written about the shooter. If it is true then IMO he made a BIG mistake getting out with less than 20 and without getting disability rating and health care lined up beforehand.

Thanks for the insight Chief. When I was in VN as an officer I received (as did everyone else) an extra $55 or so monthly that was tax free. We called it combat pay, but the official name was...was...I don't know. Perhaps it has changed since that ancient war. I believe that enlisted pay at that time was tax free, but officers had only a $500/month tax free status.