"NO EASY DAY" is an easy read


Thursday, September 13, 2012

‘No Easy Day’ an easy, if familiar, read
By Kelvin Wade
From page A11 | September 13, 2012 | Leave Comment

I spent the anniversary of 9/11 reading the newly released book “No Easy Day” by “Mark Owen,” the former Navy SEAL Team Six member who defied the Pentagon by publishing his firsthand account of the Osama bin Laden raid without their blessing, although under a pseudonym.

A book like this is obviously review-proof, but can it possibly live up to the hype?

The book tells the story of “Mark Owen,” a guy who grew up in Alaska dreaming of being a Navy SEAL. After finishing college, he enlists, fulfills his dream and works his way into the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the elite SEALs unit formerly known as SEAL Team Six.

The book is obviously essential reading for anyone who wants to read the only firsthand account of Operation Neptune Spear, the operation to kill or capture Osama bin Laden. Those who are just interested in reading about special operations would enjoy this book. And at only 336 pages, it’s a quick read.

Unfortunately, if you saw Owen’s lengthy interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” this past week then you’ve essentially read this book. By going step by step through the raid on TV for an hour, Owen bled the drama out of a story where the reader already knows most of the significant events.

There is a chapter on the Maersk Alabama hostage situation, where SEAL Team Six members killed three Somali pirates holding the captain of the tanker hostage in a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean. However, Owen’s role in the incident wasn’t central, so there’s nothing really added to the story as we know it.

Even the elite team’s operators’ seemingly frequent use of Ambien has received much ink in the press.

While I enjoyed the book, it left me wanting more. I expected it to be more in-depth. That may be because the author obviously tried hard not to give away classified or secret information nor did he want to identify the other members on the teams. That’s admirable and necessary, but the result is bland one-dimensional characters and pretty basic missions.

Owen did offer up the heretofore-unknown detail that one of the team members sat on Osama bin Laden’s chest on the flight back. That’s probably a detail that will inflame OBL’s crazy followers.

While it’s a fun, easy read, reading the book was like going to see a movie where all of the best parts were shown in the previews. The movie can still be good but its impact has been eroded.

There is much controversy surrounding the book’s publication. The Pentagon is floating the idea of punishing Owen or seizing the book’s profits (which are primarily earmarked to go to military families). But when the White House, Pentagon, Congress and different branches of the military leak for their own purposes, it seems hypocritical to want to make an example of an elite team operator who wants to tell his story.

No matter that I would’ve preferred a longer, more detailed story, it’s undeniable that “Mark Owen” and his teammates are American heroes. Now when we think of that awful September day at least we have the satisfaction of knowing we got the perpetrators. Peace.

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ADDITIONAL NOTES: I can definitely understand those who think this book is a terrible idea. We can't have Tier One members taking it upon themselves to reveal missions. But what we have right now is a bunch of leaking for a variety of purposes. The White House leaks for political reasons. The Pentagon and military leak for budgetary and prestige purposes. I've read that Delta Force is upset that DEVGRU got the Bin Laden raid instead of them. And I don't know how we're going to be able to maintain secrecy in such an interconnected, social media driven world any more.

In addition to this book I read "No Easy Op" which is an ebook put out by SOFREP.COM by former Army Rangers, Navy SEALS eetc... They analyze the book and give some background. It was an interesting short read.

Anyway, even if most of the story is out now, it's still worth it to get the book knowing that some of the proceeds will be going to military families.

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