Navy SEAL Eric Greitens on media attention to special operations

Eric Greitens is a Rhodes Scholar who studied at Oxford, a Navy SEAL and a Purple Heart recipient, so if anyone has an opinion on the recent attention given special forces and operations in media, it’s him.

Greitens, the author of the new book “Resilience,” joined KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson this week and shared his thoughts on movies like “American Sniper” and Mark Owen’s book about the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden shedding light on his world.

“It actually is important for the American people to know what SEALs in general and special operations in general, the kinds of operations that we do. Since Sept. 11, 2001, we’ve asked the American people to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in these special operations forces,” he said. “At the same time, what’s absolutely critical is at always the specific tactics, techniques and procedures that we use, they have to remain secret. Because you have people right now who are conducting operations today and we have to make sure they stay safe.”

Greitens is much more of a fan of American Sniper than Owen’s book “No Easy Day,” though he disliked how it overlooked all the team efforts that went into the operation, not just from the SEALs but all the other groups and organizations that helped coordinate the mission.

To hear more from Greitens about his book and experiences in combat, including how he earned his Purple Heart, listen to the podcast above.