Navy SEAL's Bible Told Him to Disobey a General 😳
A Navy SEAL officer defied a general's direct order to send his Green Beret team on a dangerous reconnaissance mission after consulting his worn Bible, which appeared to warn against going out. When he refused, the general ordered Afghan commandos to perform the mission instead, resulting in three deaths and destroyed vehicles—validating the officer's decision.
Summary
The transcript recounts a critical moment during a military deployment where a Navy SEAL officer received orders from a general to send a Green Beret team to conduct boots-on-the-ground battle damage assessment (BDA). The officer immediately objected, believing the mission presented an unacceptable risk. Uncertain about how to proceed despite his reservations, he consulted a worn Bible he had carried on deployment—following a practice his mother had taught him of seeking guidance by randomly selecting passages. The passage he encountered was Matthew 24:28, which warns 'if anyone tells you, "There he is out in the desert, do not go out. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather."' The officer interpreted this as a clear directive not to proceed with the mission. He called the general back and firmly declined the order, stating "Final. We're not going out." The general was angered by this insubordination and subsequently ordered an Afghan commando general to send Afghan forces instead. Three vehicles proceeded down the road; two were destroyed by explosives and one was completely demolished, resulting in three deaths. The next day, when the officer visited the Green Beret team, their leader thanked him for making a decision that few officers would have the courage to make, acknowledging that at least three members of the team were alive because of his refusal to comply with the order.
Key Insights
- The officer believed the general's order to send the Green Beret team for boots-on-the-ground BDA presented a terrible risk decision that did not make tactical sense
- The officer consulted his worn deployment Bible using a random passage selection method taught by his mother to seek guidance when facing difficult decisions
- The Bible passage Matthew 24:28 ('do not go out...wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather') was interpreted by the officer as a clear directive against proceeding with the mission
- When the officer refused the general's order, the general responded by ordering an Afghan commando general to send Afghan forces to complete the mission instead
- The Afghan forces who went instead of the Green Beret team suffered catastrophic losses—three deaths and two of three vehicles destroyed—while the Green Beret team remained unharmed
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] The general [music] called down and it was in order to put this Green Beret team to go do the boots on the ground BDA. And I was like, "Sir, this is a terrible risk decision and it doesn't make sense." Sean, I go back to my [music] room. This is my trident worn off Bible that I had on deployment with me. My mom always said, "When you want to get some guidance from the big man upstairs, just flip through [music] and close your eyes and put your finger on a spot and just read what comes up." This is what I get. So, if anyone tells you there he is out in the desert, do not…
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