Navy Vice Admiral William McRaven, the top Navy SEAL, the guy who planned the successful raid that rid the world of Osama Bin Vermin, is living proof that not all journalists are worthless hacks.
But before we get to his surprising journalism background, the Washington Post details his military successes:
McRaven had increased the intensity of Special Operations raids, especially in Afghanistan. During his first two years as head of JSOC, the “jackpot rate” — when the strikes got their intended target — jumped from 35 percent to more than 80 percent.
His decision to assign the operation to the Navy SEALs, a Special Operations unit with extensive experience in raids on high-value targets, was critical. SEALs have a tradition of moving in and out fast, often killing everyone they encounter at a target site …
The longer such raids take, the greater the risk to the SEALs. One senior official said the general philosophy of the SEALs is: “If you see it, shoot it. It is a house full of bad guys.”
Sounds like one tough, smart son of a bitch, doesn’t he? Well, believe it or not, this tough, smart son of a bitch is not only doing everything he can to destroy our enemies, but everything he can to destroy the wimpy reputation journalists so richly deserve.
The BBC reveals McRaven’s unusual background:
Little is known about the personal life of the 55-year-old Vice Adm McRaven, who rarely steps into the spotlight.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, he attended Roosevelt High School. A track scholarship took him to the University of Texas.
He graduated in 1977 with a degree in journalism – an unlikely subject given his future stellar achievements in the US Navy.
“I was fascinated that somebody with a journalism degree had gone to special forces and been a Seal,” said retired admiral Bobby Inman, a professor at the university’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, in an interview with the Daily Texan.
…Despite his chosen career path, his journalism degree did not go to waste. In 1995, he wrote a book that has become compulsory reading for special operations commanders.
Simply entitled Spec Ops, Vice Adm McRaven analyses eight special operations from history, mostly from World War II.
The author, who by this time was a senior member of the Seals, identifies six principles for success: simplicity, security, repetition, surprise, speed and purpose.
Mainstream journalists undoubtedly read that list and snicker, “Hah! Some journalist! He doesn’t even mention, ‘Write crap that makes Democrats look good.’”
H/T: Tim Blair
