Självständigt Arbete (15 Hp)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Självständigt Arbete (15 Hp) Namn Engström, Joel 2021-05-14 Kurs Självständigt arbete (15 hp) Författare Program/Kurs Engström, Joel OP SA 18-21 Handledare Antal ord: 11986 Mariam Bjarnesen Beteckning Kurskod 1OP415 A LONE SEAL – WHAT FAILURE CAN TELL US. ABSTRACT: Special operations are conducted more than ever in modern warfare. Since the 1980s they have developed and grown in numbers. But with more attempts of operations and bigger numbers, comes failures. One of these failures is operation Red Wings where a unit of US Navy SEALs at- tempted a recognisance and raid operation in the Hindu Kush. The purpose of this paper was to see how that failure could be analysed from an existing theory of Special operations. This was to ensure that other failures can be avoided but mainly to understand what really happened on that mountain in 2005. The method used was a case study of a single case to give an answer with quality and depth. The study found that Mcravens theory and principles of how to succeed a special operation was not applied during the operation. The case of operation Red Wings showed remarkable valour and motivation, but also lacked severely when it came to simplicity, surprise, and speed. Nyckelord: T.ex.: Specialoperationer, McRaven, Operation Red Wings, Specialförband. Sida 1 av 41 Namn Engström, Joel 2021-05-14 Kurs Innehållsförteckning 1. INLEDNING ...................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 PROBLEMFORMULERING ............................................................................................................... 3 1.2 TIDIGARE FORSKNING ................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 SYFTE ............................................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 FRÅGESTÄLLNING ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.5 AVGRÄNSNINGAR .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 DISPOSITION .................................................................................................................................. 9 2. TEORI .............................................................................................................................................. 10 2.1 BEGREPP ...................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 TEORI OM SPECIALOPERATIONER (MCRAVEN) ........................................................................... 10 2.3 MCRAVENS PRINCIPER................................................................................................................ 12 2.4 TEORIDISKUSSION ....................................................................................................................... 14 3. METOD ............................................................................................................................................ 16 3.1 FORSKNINGSDESIGN .................................................................................................................... 16 3.1.1 Teorikonsumerande ............................................................................................................. 16 3.1.2 Kvalitativ textanalys ............................................................................................................ 16 3.1.3 Reliabilitet/Validitet ............................................................................................................. 17 3.2 METODDISKUSSION ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.3 FALLBESKRIVNING ...................................................................................................................... 18 3.3.1 Empiri och Källkritik ........................................................................................................... 18 3.3.1.1 Äkthet ................................................................................................................................ 19 3.3.1.2 Samtidighet ....................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1.3 Beroendeförhållande ........................................................................................................ 20 3.3.1.4 Tendenser .......................................................................................................................... 20 3.4 OPERATIONALISERING ................................................................................................................ 20 3.4.1 Operationella indikatorer .................................................................................................... 21 3.4.2 Matris för analys ................................................................................................................. 23 3.5 FORSKNINGSETISKA ÖVERVÄGANDEN ........................................................................................ 24 4. ANALYS .......................................................................................................................................... 25 4.1 BAKGRUND OPERATION RED WINGS .......................................................................................... 25 4.2 ANALYS: ENKELHET.................................................................................................................... 26 4.3 ANALYS: SÄKERHET .................................................................................................................... 27 4.4 ANALYS: REPETITION .................................................................................................................. 28 4.5 ANALYS: SYFTE ........................................................................................................................... 29 4.6 ANALYS HASTIGHET ................................................................................................................... 30 4.7 ANALYS: ÖVERRASKNING ........................................................................................................... 32 4.8 ANALYSSAMMANFATTNING ........................................................................................................ 34 5. AVSLUTNING ................................................................................................................................ 35 5.1 SAMMANFATTNING ..................................................................................................................... 35 5.2 RESULTAT OCH SVAR PÅ FRÅGESTÄLLNINGEN ........................................................................... 35 5.3 VIDARE FORSKNINGSBEHOV ....................................................................................................... 36 5.4 RELEVANS FÖR YRKESUTÖVNING ............................................................................................... 37 LITTERATUR OCH REFERENSFÖRTECKNING ...................................................................... 38 Sida 2 av 41 Namn Engström, Joel 2021-05-14 Kurs 1. Inledning 1.1 Problemformulering Modern krigföring är en ständigt ändringsbenägen arena där mycket händer samtidigt. Kon- ventionella metoder med reguljära styrkor, kinetiskt våld, blandas med irreguljära enheter, terrorism, cyberkrigföring och ekonomisk brottslighet. 1 Hotet för en stat, stor som liten, kan komma utifrån likväl som inifrån. Dessa hot måste mötas på olika sätt. Staten behöver bland annat ha kapacitet att göra snabba insatser med speciellt tränade styrkor. Ett verktyg som kan underlätta i allt från storskaligt krig ner till små spetsoperationer i fred är specialförband.2 De kan nyttjas för att bedriva okonventionell krigföring i syfte att skrämma, eller att långsamt trötta ut motståndaren. Specialförband har nyttjats mer sedan millenniumskiftet.3 I exempelvis USA har de nästan fördubblats i storlek och blivit mer insatta tack vare sin förmåga att påverka ledningssystem hos motståndare, samt specialförbandens förmåga att agera näst intill obemärkt och i gråzoner av konfliktskalor.4 I Sverige har nyligen de svenska specialförbanden blivit tilldelade en lätt bataljon för understödsuppgifter för ytterligare verkan.5 Trots det utökade nyttjande av speci- alförband och dess förmågor, finns fortfarande en brist på vetenskapliga belägg för hur de ska nyttjas.6 Vid flera tillfällen, bland annat 1993 och 2005 genomfördes specialoperationer i Somalia och Afghanistan där amerikanska specialförband misslyckades med sina operationer.7 Arthur Ri- zer undersöker fallet i Afghanistan med hjälp av en beskrivande fallstudie av operation Red 1 Håkan Gunneriusson och Sascha-Dominik Bachmann, ”Russia’s Hybrid Warfare in the East: Using the Infor- mation Sphere as Integral to Hybrid Warfare.”, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs 2015 (oktober 2015): 206. 2 Linda Robinson, The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces (New York: NY: Council on Foreign Relations, 2013), 3. 3 Christopher Marsh, James Kiras, och Patricia Blocksome, ”Special Operations Research: Out of the Shadows”, Special operations journal, nr 1.1 (2015): 2. 4 Robinson, The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces, 4. 5 Regeringen, ”Ett användbart försvar - Regeringens proposition2008/09:140” (Regeringen,
Recommended publications
  • 21St-Century Agriculture
    21st-Century Agriculture U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE • BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly electronic journal under the eJournal USA logo. These journals examine major issues facing the United States and the international community, as well as U.S. society, values, thought, and institutions. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE / MARCH 2010 VOLUME 15 / NUMBER 3 One new journal is published monthly in English and is http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa.html followed by versions in French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Selected editions also appear in Arabic, Chinese, and Persian. Each journal is catalogued by volume and International Information Programs: number. Coordinator Daniel Sreebny The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily Executive Editor Jonathan Margolis reflect the views or policies of the U.S. government. The Creative Director Michael Jay Friedman U.S. Department of State assumes no responsibility for the content and continued accessibility of Internet sites to which the journals link; such responsibility resides Editor-in-Chief Richard W. Huckaby solely with the publishers of those sites. Journal articles, Managing Editor Charlene Porter photographs, and illustrations may be reproduced and Web Producer Janine Perry translated outside the United States unless they carry Designer Chloe D. Ellis explicit copyright restrictions, in which case permission must be sought from the copyright holders noted in the journal. Copy Editor Jeanne Holden The Bureau of International Information Programs Photo Editor Maggie Johnson Sliker maintains current and back issues in several electronic Cover Design David Hamill formats, as well as a list of upcoming journals, at Reference Specialist Anita Green http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournals.html.
    [Show full text]
  • Inconvenient Truths
    Inconvenient Truths Moral Challenges to Combat Leadership Dr. George R. Lucas, Jr. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) 2 20th Annual Joseph Reich, Sr. Memorial Lecture U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs) November 7, 2007 “Inconvenient Truths” -Moral Challenges to Combat Leadership in the New Millennium- G. R. Lucas U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) General Born, General & Mrs. Wakin, Mr. Joseph Reich, Jr and members of the Reich family, honored guests, and most of all, to the members of the Cadet Wing of the USAFA in attendance here tonight: good evening, and thank you for inviting me to be with you. I represent an organization at the Naval Academy, the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. Don’t be put off that our Center is named after “some Navy guy.” In fact, Vice Admiral Stockdale was – as many of you will also one day be – an accomplished aviator and combat leader. He was, as you no doubt also know, a decorated war hero, including the award of the Congressional Medal of Honor. In his many writings, and in a book with an intriguing title, Philosophical Reflections of a Fighter Pilot, Admiral Stockdale taught, in essence, that the true combat 3 leader and warrior is a teacher, a steward, a jurist, a moralist, and. a philosopher. A “Combat Leader” is . • A Teacher • A Steward •A Jurist • A Moralist • A Philosopher We might pause to reflect upon what Stockdale meant by each of these terms. But regardless of the meaning associated with each, I suspect that this unusual list of traits appears nowhere else in the leadership material you have both studied and learned by example during your time at the Air Force Academy.
    [Show full text]
  • Leseprobe-Bergfuehrer-Anden
    Panico Bergführer DIE ANDEN Vom Chimborazo zum Marmolejo - alle 6000er auf einen Blick Hermann Kiendler Panico Alpinverlag Impressum Inhaltsverzeichnis Danke .............................................................S. 10 B21 Huantsán ................................................S. 82 Titelbild Die mächtige Südwand des Aconcagua vom Nationalparkeingang. Allgemeines ...................................................S. 12 Schmutztitel Blick auf den Chachacomani vom großen Gletscherbecken im Süden. Geographie - Sprache - Sicherheit ............S. 13 C Cordillera Huayhuash .........................S. 84 Frontispiz Das riesige Massiv des Coropuna von Nordosten - rechts Nordgipfel, mittig der Ostgipfel. Bergrettung - Höhenanpassung ................S. 14 Detailkarte Cordillera Huayhuash ...S. 86 S.4/5 Aufstieg auf den Pissis. Permits - Gebiete - Gliederung .................S. 15 C1 Jirishanca ...............................................S. 88 Schwierigkeiten - Zeitangaben usw. ......S. 16 C2 Yerupajá .................................................S. 90 Autor Hermann Kiendler Literatur ...........................................................S. 17 C3 Rasac .......................................................S. 92 Fotos sofern nicht anders angegeben von Hermann Kiendler Die Inka .........................................................S. 19 C4 Siula Grande .........................................S. 94 Karten Hermann Kiendler Layout Ronald Nordmann, Anna Rösch A Ecuador ..................................................S. 26 D
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    Remote Controlled Restraint The Effect of Remote Warfighting Technology on Crisis Escalation Erik Lin-Greenberg Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2019 © 2019 Erik Lin-Greenberg All rights reserved ABSTRACT Remote Controlled Restraint: The Effect of Remote Warfighting Technology on Crisis Escalation Erik Lin-Greenberg How do technologies that remove warfighters from the front lines affect the frequency and intensity of military confrontations between states? Many scholars and policymakers fear that weapons that reduce the risks and costs of war – in blood and treasure – will lead states to resort to force more frequently during crises, destabilizing the international security environment. These concerns have featured prominently in debates surrounding the proliferation and use of remote warfighting technologies, such as drones. This project sets out to evaluate whether and how drones affect crisis escalation. Specifically, do drones allow decisionmakers to deploy military forces more frequently during interstate crises? Once deployed, how do these systems affect escalation dynamics? I argue that drones can help control escalation, raising questions about scholarly theories that suggest the world is more dangerous and less stable when technology makes conflict cheaper and less risky. At the core of this project is a theory of technology-enabled escalation control. The central argument is that technologies like drones that remove friendly forces from the battlefield may lead states to use force more frequently, but decrease the likelihood of escalation when used in lieu of inhabited platforms. More specifically, these technologies lower the political barriers to initiating military operations during crises, primarily by eliminating the risk of friendly force casualties and the associated domestic political consequences for launching military operations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Age of Globalization • 889
    bri06953_ch32_886-914.indd Page 886 4/20/11 4:43 PM user-f494 /207/MHSF252/bri06953_disk1of1/0073406953/bri06953_pagefiles US MARINES IN AFGHANISTAN American Marines seek the locations of the Taliban in the rugged mountains near the border of Pakistan. The war in Afghanistan is a diffi cult and frus- trating one, in which fi ghters move back and forth across boundaries. The Afghan war escalated as the United States withdrew troops from Iraq. President Barack Obama argued that Afghanistan was important to American security. (© Ed Darack/Corbis) THE AGE OF 3 2 GLOBALIZATION bri06953_ch32_886-914.indd Page 887 13/04/11 1:48 PM user-f469 /207/MHSF252/bri06953_disk1of1/0073406953/bri06953_pagefiles AT 8:45 A.M. ON THE BRIGHT, sunny morning of September 11, 2001, as tens of thousands of workers were beginning a day’s work in lower Manhattan, a commercial airliner crashed into the side of one of the two towers of the World Trade Center, the tallest buildings in New York. The collision created a huge explosion and an intense fi re. Less than half an hour later, as thousands of workers fl ed the burning building, another commercial airliner rammed into the companion tower, creating a second fi reball. Within an hour after that, the burning fl oors of both towers gave way and fell onto the fl oors below them, pulling one of New York’s (and America’s) most famous symbols to the ground. At about the same time, in Washington, D.C., another commercial airliner crashed into a side of the Pentagon—the headquarters of the nation’s military—turning part of the building’s façade into rubble.
    [Show full text]
  • OPERATION RED WINGS – the (Mis)Information Aftermath Copyright © Ed Darack, 2010, All Rights Reserved – for the Marine
    OPERATION RED WINGS – The (Mis)Information Aftermath Copyright © Ed Darack, 2010, All Rights Reserved – For The Marine Corps Gazette Ed Darack – www.darack.com – [email protected] Published in the January, 2011 issue of the Marine Corps Gazette, Page 62 NOTE: The editors at the Gazette changed the subtitle from “The (Mis)Information Aftermath” to “What Really Happened?” “Don’t let the truth ruin a good story.” – Origin unknown OVERVIEW: The events of OPERATION RED WINGS, which spiraled into disaster shortly after the insert of a four-man Naval Special Operations Forces (NAVSOF) reconnaissance and surveillance team (R and S team) during the opening phase of the operation, present warfighters (and those covering military operations) with a broad array of vital contemporary case studies relevant to those functioning at the battalion staff, company, platoon, and squad levels. These include studies in deconfliction between conventional and special operations forces, the paramount necessity of unity of command / effort, communication in complex mountainous terrain, mountain ambush tactics, and the importance of comprehensive, detailed planning, among others. Despite these lessons (the knowledge of which will arguably save lives in future operations), little has been discussed in professional military papers about OPERATION RED WINGS. However, much has been written and discussed about RED WINGS in general media (which is often referenced by warfighters for their ongoing professional military education), and much of this, including the content of two books on the topic, is rife with misinformation. BACKGROUND, KEY POINTS, AND AFTERMATH OF OPERATION RED WINGS: In November, 2004, 3d Battalion, 3d Marines (3/3) arrived in RC-East (Regional Command – East, Afghanistan) and assumed responsibility of their area of operations (AO), which included the restive Kunar Province.
    [Show full text]
  • State of World Population 2009 Population of World State
    state state of world population 2009 state of world population 2009 Facing a changing world: women, population and climate Facing a changing Facing world: women, population and climate United Nations Population Fund 220 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 USA www.unfpa.org USD $17.50 ISBN 978-0-89714-958-7 sales no. E.09.III.H.1 E/27,000/2009 Seal the Deal! is a United Nations-led campaign to promote a fair, balanced and effective agreement on climate change when governments meet in Printed on recycled paper. Copenhagen in December 2009. Editorial team The State of World Population 2009 Lead Author and Researcher: Robert Engelman, Worldwatch Institute The United Nations Environment Programme contributed the foundation Chapter 1 contributors: Janet Macharia, Kaveh Zahedi and Bubu Jallow of for Chapter 1, “Elements of climate change.” The International Organization the United Nations Environment Programme for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Chapter 3 contributors: Philippe Boncour of the International Organization Refugees jointly drafted Chapter 3, “On the move.” for Migration and José Riera of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The editorial team also thanks the Inter Press News Agency and the Editor: Richard Kollodge Integrated Regional Information Networks for permission to reprint stories Editorial Associate: Triana D’Orazio from their news services. Editorial and Administrative Associate: Mirey Chaljub The indicators in the report were generously contributed by the Population Acknowledgements Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the World Health Organization, the Food The editorial team is especially grateful to UNFPA’s Technical Division for and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank, the contributing to the development of the report and reviewing drafts: Pamela UNFPA/NIDI Resource Flows Project and the Population Reference Bureau.
    [Show full text]
  • DID SERVANT-LEADERSHIP SAVE the LONE SURVIVOR? the Pashtunwali Ethos As a Foundation for the Practice of Servant- Leadership — X
    DID SERVANT-LEADERSHIP SAVE THE LONE SURVIVOR? The Pashtunwali Ethos as a Foundation for the Practice of Servant- Leadership — X. JASMINE BORDERE AND FRANKLIN G. MIXON, JR. ervant-leadership is a unique leadership philosophy that, Saccording to Greenleaf (1970, 1977), asserts that an effective leader must first be a servant whose primary goal is to serve the needs and interests of others. Stated differently, a servant-leader supports and develops those among his or her followership (Northouse, 2013). In fact, Stone, Russell, and Patterson (2004) suggest that its central focus on serving followers is what differentiates servant-leadership from other leadership styles. Additionally, servant-leaders express humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance and stewardship, and provide directions and empower followers, all of which ultimately leads to organizational success (Dierendonck & Nuijten, 2011; Northouse, 2013). The practice of servant-leadership has a long history. As evident in The Holy Bible, Jesus Christ first introduced the concept of servant-leadership to human endeavor over two thousand years ago (Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002). However, it was not until the 1970s that Greenleaf (1970, 1977) conceptualized the notion of servant- leadership and revitalized the practice of servant-leadership in modern organizations (Gandolfi, Stone, & Deno, 2017). Based on 359 The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 2020, vol, 14, issue 1, 359-380 Greenleaf’s (1970, 1977) view of servant-leadership, Spears (1995) identifies 10 critical characteristics
    [Show full text]
  • America's Changing Energy Landscape 23
    RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE 2012 • Resources No. 181 America's Changing Energy Landscape 23 The Return of an Can a Stew of Power Is a Carbon Tax OldMichaelHigh-Speed and PorterBattle-Tested Rail at RFF: GenerationIThencentives Future for ofRegulations a theTheDoes Only Next Speculation Good Battle: FriendLookingPassions for the ClearStrongerNatural the Gas SafetyAir? Vehicles Culture ClimateContainingDrive Oil FuturePolicy? Prices? Major “Win-Win” Solution Oil Spills The Clean Air Act New EPA Rules to Reduce Pollutants The Reasons Why 72421 3029 443834 Resources Resources for the Future 1616 P St. NW Washington, DC 20036–1400 202.328.5000 • www.rff.org Resources is available to individuals and institutions at no cost. To subscribe, email [email protected] or call 202.328.5006. Officers Phil Sharp, President Edward F. Hand, Vice President for Finance & Administration Lea Harvey, Vice President for Development and Corporate Secretary Molly K. Macauley, Vice President for Research Board of Directors W. Bowman Cutter, Chair John M. Deutch and Frank E. Loy, Vice Chairs Lawrence H. Linden, Treasurer Board Members Vicky A. Bailey, Anthony Bernhardt, Trudy Ann Cameron, Red Cavaney, Preston Chiaro, Mohamed T. El-Ashry, Linda J. Fisher, C. Boyden Gray, Deborah S. Hechinger, Peter R. Kagan, Sally Katzen, Rubén Kraiem, Richard G. Newell, Richard L. Schmalensee, Robert N. Stavins, Lisa A. Stewart, Joseph Stiglitz, Mark R. Tercek Chair Emeriti Darius W. Gaskins, Jr., and Robert E. Grady Resources Pete Nelson, Director of Communications Sarah Aldy, Editor Adrienne Foerster, Managing Editor Ellen A. Walter, Graphic Designer and Production Associate Shannon Wulf, Public Affairs Manager Published since 1959, Resources (ISSN 0048-7376) contains news of research and policy analysis regarding environmental, energy, and natural resource issues.
    [Show full text]
  • 2016 Catalogue
    2016 2016 ur publishing this year is as diverse as the titles lining our Oshelves and filling the tables of our shops. We’re always aiming to recreate the experience of browsing in a Daunt Books shop, where the eye darts from spine to cover and back again, exhilarated by the variety and choice on offer. All our books this year – whether redis- covered classic or exciting debut – have compelling stories, vibrant settings, and wonderful characters to fascinate and delight. Light Box by K J Orr encapsulates this diversity – it’s a globe-trotting wonder of a collection by a thrilling new talent. In the catalogue you’ll also find young Aziz coming of age in Green on Blue – Elliot Ackerman’s debut novel set in Afghanistan. There’s Marie, strolling the streets of 1930s Paris in Madeleine Bourdouxhe’s masterpiece. And then the hunt for quixotic Beatriz Yagoda, who vanishes up an almond tree in Ways to Disappear. In non-fiction, John McPhee’s extraordinary Oranges takes readers on an idiosyncratic journey in search of a fruit, and the story of Jack and Rochelle’s survival in 1940s Poland is moving and compelling in equal measure. Happy browsing. Contents 4-5 Light Box K J Orr 6-7 Green on Blue Elliott Ackerman 8 Jack & Rochelle Lawrence Sutin 9 Ice-Candy Man Bapsi Sidhwa 10 Marie Madeleine Bourdouxhe 11 Ways to Disappear Idra Novey 12 The Men’s Club Leonard Michaels 13 Oranges John McPhee 14 His Monkey Wife John Collier 16-17 Limited Edition Short Story Series 18-22 Backlist 23 Contact Information 24 About Daunt Books Publishing 4 5 FRONTLIST Light Box FRONTLIST K J Orr ‘K J Orr’s is a distinctive new voice.
    [Show full text]
  • Morris, William 2019
    BUD/S TO BATTLEFIELD AND BACK AGAIN: EXPLORING THE ASCENT OF THE U.S. NAVY SEAL TO THE REALM OF AMERICAN SUPERHERO A Senior Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in American Studies By William R. Morris III Washington, D.C. April 17, 2019 Copyright © 2019 William R. Morris III All rights reserved ii For those who never quit, may we never forget. iii BUD/S TO BATTLEFIELD AND BACK AGAIN: EXPLORING THE ASCENT OF THE U.S. NAVY SEAL TO THE REALM OF AMERICAN SUPERHERO William R. Morris III Thesis Adviser: Rebecca Boylan, Ph.D. ABSTRACT U.S. Navy SEALs have become ubiquitous in the years since SEAL Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden during Operation Neptune Spear in 2011. SEAL narratives and stories can be found in bookstores, movie theaters, newspapers, talk shows, board rooms, and campaign trails. But who are Navy SEALs? Though existing scholarly literature explores the factual elements of SEALs, the archetypal identity of Navy SEALs remains a mystery. By some popular accounts, SEALs are American superheroes or living legends who bridge the gap between myth and reality. This thesis finds and explores the intricacies of the SEAL identity by reading SEAL narratives and stories, particularly American Sniper (the film), American Sniper (the book), Fearless, The Operator, and Lone Survivor.1 This thesis argues that a Hegelian dialectic between the ordinary and the extraordinary characterizes the Navy SEAL identity which emerges from the intersection of the narratives and stories produced by SEALs, specifically those who waged the War on Terror between 2001 and 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • Lone Survivor” Mission 13 Mar 2018
    Leadership Lessons from the “Lone Survivor” Mission 13 Mar 2018 Former Army helicopter pilot Matthew Brady, founder and CEO of Pershing Barracks Capital, discusses his battlefield experience—and how it shaped his approach to business In 2007, Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell wrote a book called Lone Survivor, recounting his experience during a 2005 mission in Northeastern Afghanistan that ultimately claimed the lives of 19 of his fellow soldiers. It was a best seller, and in 2014, became a major motion picture starring Mark Wahlberg. Matt Brady lived this mission. As a pilot in an elite Army helicopter unit called the Night Stalkers, he was tasked with delivering Luttrell and three other soldiers to the drop point, and sticking around to make sure they found a good place to hide in the mountains. The next day, though, that team was attacked. And here, Brady tells a story of the last-minute decision that kept him from the subsequent ill-fated rescue mission, the difficult decisions he had to make that day, and the leadership lessons he took from the experience. I want to talk to you about the Operation Red Wings mission in Afghanistan in 2005. Tell me about that mission and your role in it. BRADY: Operation Red Wings came about one night after I'd been in Afghanistan for about three or four weeks. I was in the planning room one day when a US Navy SEAL walked in the door, and asked me if I've heard of Operation Red Wings. So we talked for a little bit, we opened up a map, and he pointed to a place in Northeastern Afghanistan called the Korengal Valley.
    [Show full text]