Washington — The Navy quietly disciplined 18 Navy SEALs earlier this 12 months after army investigators discovered a personal group chat that contained racist memes concentrating on a Black SEAL who was additionally within the chat, in accordance with paperwork and a Naval Particular Warfare spokesperson.
Utilizing the Freedom of Data Act, CBS Information obtained the Navy’s investigation into members of SEAL Staff 4, together with years of the unit’s inner surveys, which give naval officers perception into the tradition, morale and effectiveness. The investigation and different information present racial harassment in direction of one of many group’s personal members inside a power that prides itself on unit cohesion and honor—prompting motion from the highest commander.
One racist meme despatched to the SEAL in 2022 was described within the investigation as “Slave in Chains.” One other meme despatched in 2022 was titled “Monkey Face” and depicted the SEAL in uniform along with his face distorted to appear to be a monkey. A meme despatched in 2023 in contrast him to the film character Radio, a mentally disabled man performed by Cuba Gooding Jr.
U.S. Navy / launched by way of Freedom of Data Act request
The total outcomes of the Navy’s investigation and the inner surveys haven’t been reported on till now. The After-Motion Report, a nationwide safety weblog on Substack, first reported on the memes, earlier this 12 months.
The punishments ranged from discount in rank and forfeiture of pay to administrative measures, like formal letters of instruction and counseling, in accordance with the Navy spokesperson.
CBS Information has discovered that Rear Adm. Milton Sands, then the top of Naval Particular Warfare Command, acted swiftly as soon as the allegations surfaced in March. Sands has since been eliminated from his place by Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth. The explanation for his removing is unknown.
Legal professional William Brown of the Parlatore Legislation Group and a former Navy SEAL himself advised CBS Information in a cellphone interview that what occurred at SEAL Staff 4 violates “all the pieces the Groups stand for,” and he praised Rear Adm. Sands and different naval particular warfare leaders for taking “unprecedented motion” on this case.
“This was not a SEAL Staff 4 situation; it was a platoon-level management failure, however Sands took motion and the system labored,” mentioned Brown, who represented the SEAL professional bono.
Brown mentioned Sands and different senior leaders contained in the command moved to assist the Black SEAL and to ship a message to the broader naval particular operations group that racist conduct would carry extreme penalties. Brown lauded Sands for his management within the case, even supposing he has had public disagreements with the two-star admiral on different points.
Sands has not responded to a request for remark.
The Navy launched an investigation into the memes and messages, initially shared in a personal Sign group chat between 2021 and 2024, once they had been raised in complaints filed by the Black SEAL in March.
The SEAL wrote within the harassment criticism that earlier than becoming a member of his platoon, he had not skilled any racial discrimination and had “nice mentors” whereas present process the notoriously grueling coaching to develop into a professional SEAL, which takes Naval candidates roughly two years to finish.
However after he joined, “the racism I skilled…was persistent, focused and deeply dehumanizing,” wrote the SEAL. “It wasn’t simply an assault on me personally — it mirrored a breakdown within the very self-discipline and integrity the Groups are presupposed to uphold.”
Within the criticism, the Black Navy SEAL mentioned his title was scratched off two plaques the place it as soon as appeared alongside others serving on SEAL Staff 4. On one of many plaques, the names are etched into a bit of wooden below a hatchet adorned with Navy SEAL Tridents, the bodily pin that signifies a SEAL.
The SEAL described the removing of his title as “A ultimate, disgraceful act to make it clear that I used to be not welcome,” and that it was “a direct and unmistakable act of hatred.”
U.S. Navy 
Total, the SEAL wrote of others’ habits, “these had been males who had been presupposed to be my brothers, however as a substitute, they both participated in or enabled a tradition of bigotry and silence.”
SEAL Staff 4 relies out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia and falls below Naval Particular Warfare Group Two, which oversees Staff 4 and three different SEAL Groups.
Every SEAL Staff can have roughly 250 service members, together with Navy SEALs and fight assist personnel, in accordance with the command local weather surveys obtained by CBS Information and former Navy SEALs.
The Black Navy SEAL, who declined to be interviewed, was in Delta platoon, a unit of roughly 16 to twenty SEALs. Previous to changing into a SEAL, he had earned a level in international research and was a educated pilot, in accordance with the paperwork.
He filed the harassment complaints after his Trident, the bodily pin that signifies a SEAL, was revoked after evaluation boards discovered his efficiency was missing. However information obtained by CBS Information present he was a professional sniper and a licensed joint terminal assault controller or JTAC for brief. JTACs fill a high-stress position – it requires excessive precision, because the controllers coordinate plane delivering bombs and missiles, typically close to their place on the bottom. A mistake may be lethal.
Brown, in refuting the SEAL’s substandard efficiency evaluation, identified that SEAL leaders usually ship their smartest service members to sniper and JTAC college.
After an investigation, the SEAL’s Trident was restored. Brown believes he is the primary Navy SEAL in historical past whose Trident was restored after it was revoked. The board that carried out the SEAL’s evaluation will bear reforms, Brown advised CBS Information.
Furthermore, Brown mentioned Rear Adm. Sands additionally referred to as the SEAL to thank him for his service and prolonged his Navy tenure to allow him to get army medical remedy and moved him to a command that’s nearer to his household. The SEAL has since left the Navy.
A Naval Particular Warfare spokesperson mentioned the Navy had “accomplished accountability” relating to the SEAL’s case.
“People accepted accountability for his or her actions, reinforcing NSW’s dedication to accountability, transparency, and upholding the usual of the quiet skilled,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The SEAL’s superiors didn’t allow the chat content material, in accordance with the spokesperson, however they had been endorsed in entrance of their friends as a result of the incident had occurred below their command. Brown, the SEAL’s legal professional, mentioned these endorsed included the commanding officer, government officer and command grasp chief of SEAL Staff 4.
Brown advised CBS Information that he had beforehand served with the commanding officer of SEAL Staff 4.
“He isn’t a racist man however he made a misjudgment on this case,” Brown advised CBS Information. “They are going to by no means command forces in NSW once more.”
The management additionally held all-hands calls at varied ranges to handle the misconduct inside the group chat instantly with the power, in accordance with the spokesperson.
A number of the misconduct within the chat stemmed from “meme drop(s)” the members had periodically on Fridays “to make enjoyable of issues that occurred every week,” in accordance with one particular person whom investigators discovered had contributed to a hostile atmosphere as a result of he didn’t cease the messages. 4 of the six memes investigated had been despatched on a Friday, in accordance with the investigation.
The investigated messages included one which learn, “I dropped a tough R in entrance of a black pupil 3 weeks in the past.” The creator had a “sample of habits” utilizing the phrase “n*****,” investigators discovered.
In the middle of their evaluation, army investigators additionally found some group members had referred to a fellow service member as “dragon woman” and mocked her Asian accent.
When requested by CBS Information if there may be any mandated racial sensitivity coaching, the spokesperson mentioned there was not, including that the command is dedicated to accountability. The investigations helped “establish shortcomings and implement corrective measures.”
CBS Information obtained Protection Organizational Local weather Surveys for SEAL Staff 4 by way of the Freedom of Data Act for the years 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024. These surveys present commanders with each statistical particulars and feedback from their service members on a wide selection of points inside their items.
Troops usually are not required to fill them out, and the responses are nameless. However all Protection Division items are required to take them yearly or every time a brand new officer takes over a command of greater than 50 individuals.
SEAL groups typically have restricted numbers of troops representing racial and ethnic minorities. Nonetheless, the information obtained by CBS Information present that service members have persistently reported racially harassing habits. In 2024 as an illustration, 5 out of the 105 members of SEAL Staff 4 who took the survey reported it.
The figures had been increased in 2022 when 18 out of the 105 members of SEAL Staff 4 reported experiencing racially harassing behaviors. The Staff took two surveys in 2023 displaying fluctuating however comparable outcomes.
Between 2022 and 2024, SEAL Staff 4 commanders writing to their direct superior underscored that they consider “range is vital to organizational progress,” and that they “extremely encourage inclusion of all personnel, no matter ethnicity, background, price, or in any other case.”
In a Nov. 2023 letter, Cmdr. Bryan Jennings, the commander of Navy SEAL TEAM 4 on the time, wrote: “Racial and sexual harassing behaviors had been 6%-7% destructive, which is an general low quantity, however any share in these classes is a weak spot that needs to be addressed.”
