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Tag: NAVY SEALs

  • Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper’ Gets Earlier Release Date, Will Vie For Oscar

    Actor-director Clint Eastwood will be among the Oscar hopefuls this season as Warner Bros. announced that the film American Sniper will have a select run beginning Christmas Day and will continue to roll out nationwide on January 16, 2015.

    American Sniper, based on the autobiography by real-life former Navy Seal Chris Kyle, is directed by Eastwood.

    It stars Bradley Cooper in the role of Kyle, a decorated marksman with a rocky marriage and troubled home life. Its cast also includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner and Sam Jaeger. The film is co-produced by Eastwood and Cooper with Andrew Lazar and his company, Mad Chance Productions.

    Kyle, who was killed in a shooting incident in February 2013 by a fellow veteran, was awarded several commendations for his heroism and meritorious service. He served four tours in Iraq and was given the nickname “Devil of Ramadi” by Iraqi insurgents. His autobiography claimed him to be the most lethal sniper in American military history, although this has never been corroborated by the Department of Defense.

    The book has received great reviews for being frank and straightforward in its accounts of the life of a sniper. Critics are looking forward to seeing how the story will translate to film, as it has been a while since Eastwood has delivered Oscar-worthy material.

    The film was initially a Steven Spielberg project but Eastwood took over after Spielberg and Warner Bros. parted ways. The Dirty Harry star has worked on a long string of films with the studio, which historically launches his films in December.

    Warner Bros also announced the release of Guy Ritchie’s Man From U.N.C.L.E. – the feature adaptation of the classic TV series. The movie will star Hugh Grant, Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill and will now be showing on August 14, 2015 instead of the previously announced January 16, 2015. The remake of the 1991 action crime film Point Break was moved up to a new summer date of July 31, 2015 from August 7, 2015. The studio has also announced that it has two other untitled horror films set for January 2016 and September 2016.

    Image via YouTube

  • Navy SEALs Recruit Heavily From Seven Sports

    Navy SEALs Recruit Heavily From Seven Sports

    Former athletes and the Navy SEALs. To succeed in both the athletic arena and as a SEAL requires toughness—both physical and mental—as well as strength and endurance. In the past few years, the Navy has identified which athletes are most likely to survive the highly rigorous and intense SEAL training program, and the answers might surprise you.

    The Navy SEALs are a “unique breed of warrior who conduct[s] special operations in any environment” and the training to join this elite group within the military is rigorous and intense, which has historically a drop-out rate of 70 percent.

    In 2010, the Navy, with the help of Gallup, identified seven sports that breed athletes who have the highest rate of becoming a SEAL—water polo, swimming, triathlons, lacrosse, boxing, rugby, and wrestling. Of that group, water polo players had the highest odds of making through SEAL training, odds that doubled if they played the sport in college.

    “It’s a physical job,” said Scott Williams, public affairs officer for Naval Special Warfare Command, told The San Diego Union Tribune. “So we need guys who have a competitive spirit and are used to hard work and training.”

    Other pursuits that predict success in the SEALs is regular participation in alternative sports such as skiing, mountain climbing, and martial arts, earning a bachelor’s degree, and having regular hobbies like chess or woodworking.

    Based on the Gallup results, the SEALs have placed an emphasis on recruiting athletes from those sports in the hopes that the military-minded will join and make it through the training program. William Hart, a former SEAL who retired from the Navy in 2012, talked to The San Diego Union Tribune about the recruiting effort of these athletes:

    “My last assignment in the military was what they were calling the recruiting directorate, and that was essentially functioning as an advertising tool or raising-awareness effort to make the availability of special warfare training known to the best possible candidates. So we were putting on tours and giving short lectures and workouts to college-level sports teams, varsity-level high school teams. The idea there was to get the right kids through the door, say, ‘Hey, here’s an option. Here’s something you could do when you grow up.’ ”

    As noted on the Navy SEALs website, “SEALs take their name from the environments in which they are trained to operate: sea, air and land. Their small highly trained teams usually work quietly at night conducting some of the nation’s most important missions. SEALs are constantly deployed throughout the world to protect national interests.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • SEALFIT Training: Too Extreme For Mainstream?

    “We look at training as being as important to our life as eating and sleeping.”

    Mark Divine is speaking of the mental dedication typical of US Navy Seals when it comes to their intense fitness regimen. To say they take it seriously is an understatement.

    Divine is himself a retired Navy SEAL commander. He currently works as a fitness trainer.

    His book 8 Weeks to SEALFIT is meant to help inspire individuals looking to achieve a higher level of fitness.

    The workouts feature HIIT or high intensity interval training of various exercises including powerlifting, yoga, plyometrics, and martial arts. There are even strong man exercises.

    The nature of SEALFIT may get the attention of exercise fad chasers with their perpetual ten vanity pounds. Persons who hardly ever exercise but are looking for a “quick fix” solution to weight loss may also consider giving SEALFIT a try.

    This group of casual exercisers are often the target of various passing exercise phases. Money is collected. Results vary.

    But SEALFIT is different in that it’s based on a regimen that is proven to work. It has to work; the elite members of the Navy SEALs count on it to keep them battle-fit.

    Ihe issue isn’t whether or not this fitness routine works so much as it is a question of who, outside this portion of the military, is it best suited for?

    Neal Pire said that “if your goal is to lower your blood pressure, fit into that little black dress or look good for a girl” then you need to question “do you really need” to use SEALFIT.

    A sports conditioning expert at the American College of Sports Medicine, Pire also said that high intensity training can be extremely motivating. However, a person needs to have the right goals for that level of training.

    SEALFIT can seem intimidating, but if you are ready to dedicate not only your body to this higher level of fitness, but shift your mental approach to exercise, it’s something you may be able to do.

    Given the intensity, it is highly recommended that beginners to exercise avoid diving right in. You may even need to consult a medical professional.

    SEALFIT is not for fad and casual exercisers; take it seriously and it can reshape both your mind and your body.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • US Navy SEALs Take Over Rogue Libyan Oil Tanker

    United States Special Forces took over an oil-filled commercial tanker that left a rebel-controlled Libyan port. The raid was intended to foil the rebels’ plans to sell petroleum on the global market.

    The raid took place on Sunday night in the Mediterranean Sea southeast of Cyprus. The SEALs successfully carried out the operation without firing any shots or injuring any of the captured rebels. The ship’s captain described the three armed Libyans as hijackers.

    According to a Pentagon spokesperson, the Morning Glory oil tanker was the first vessel to have loaded crude from a rebel-controlled port since a separatist insurgency against Tripoli’s government broke out in July of last year. There was no mention of the tanker’s destination.

    The spokesperson added that the Obama-approved operation was a reflection of the United States’ policy to boost Libya’s frail central government, which has faced multiple challenges since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted in 2011.

    The combination of Libya’s weak government and burgeoning army has made it increasingly difficult for the nation to put its foot down on former anti-Gadhafi militias, who are currently using their military capabilities to leverage the state to their oil-related agenda.

    Libya’s government had been openly against the militia’s participation in the country’s oil trade, and even threatened to blow up the tanker at one point. Once the Morning Glory set sail last week, lawmakers of the transitional parliament removed Prime Minister Ali Zeidan through a vote of no confidence. The defense minister was appointed as interim leader.

    The Libyan government released an official statement on Monday crediting the American and Cypriot governments for intercepting the illicit oil shipment. It also confirmed that the sale of Libyan petroleum is the primary source of national revenue, which is why any illegal activities surrounding it will not be tolerated.

    The Morning Glory is headed back to Libya under the authority of 25 U.S. sailors, and is expected to reach port within four days. The Libyan hijackers are in U.S. custody, although their prosecution has not yet been determined.

    Navy SEALs training at sea

    Image via YouTube

  • Maersk Alabama: Two Found Dead On Ship

    Two men were found dead on the Maersk Alabama, the same ship that Somali pirates attempted to hijack in 2009, which was also the basis for the 2013 film Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks.

    The two men, both 44 years old, were American security officers and former Navy SEALs. They worked for the Virginia-based maritime services firm Trident Group. Tom Rothrauff, president of Trident Group, said, “It’s bizarre. Of course, it’s a shock. They’re all great guys. I’m absolutely clueless as to what happened.”

    Kevin N. Speers, a senior director for Maersk Line Limited, said in a statement that their deaths were not related to their duties as security personnel or the operation of the ship.

    “Contracted security is part of anti-piracy protection plans to safeguard crews and vessels. In Maersk Alabama’s case, she is persistently in high-risk areas since she provides feeder service to the east coast of Africa. The vessel was cleared to complete cargo operations, and she is now at anchor awaiting further instructions,” said Speers.

    On Sunday the ship arrived and docked in Port Victoria, Seychelles and was expected to leave Tuesday. One of the 24-man crew had gone in around 4:30 pm Tuesday to check on one of the men and found the two men dead.

    The investigation into the two men’s deaths is ongoing. “A postmortem will be carried out this week in order to establish the cause of their sudden deaths,” said police.

    According to State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, because the Maersk Alabama is a U.S.-flagged ship, the U.S. Coast Guard is involved in the investigation.

    The two men joined the ship’s crew on January 29. Their names are currently not being provided.

    One person shared their sentiments for the deaths of the two former Navy SEALs on Twitter.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Lone Survivor Leading The Box Office

    Lone Survivor Leading The Box Office

    Lone Survivor has set the record for the second-biggest opening ever in the month of January by bringing in $37.8 million. That number is expected to grow to $100 million over the next few weeks.

    The Navy SEAL action-packed film starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster was released nationwide on Friday. The movie, directed by Peter Berg, is based on Marcus Luttrell’s first-hand account of one of the deadliest battles in Afghanistan.

    On Marcus Luttrell’s website, he recounts the events that occurred on June 28, 2005.

    On June 28, 2005, Luttrell and SEAL Team 10 were assigned to a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains.

    Luttrell was the only survivor. Badly wounded, he managed to walk and crawl seven miles to evade capture. He was given shelter by an Afghan tribe, who alerted the Americans of his presence, and American forces finally rescued him six days after the gun battle. Following his physical recovery from Operation Redwing, Marcus went back and completed one more tour before being medically retired. He then wrote the book, Lone Survivor, to share the amazing story of his brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

    Lone Survivor’s success was, in part, by the endorsements it received during recent sporting events. Not only was the film pushed during college and pro football postseasons, Marcus Luttrell, himself, appeared during the UFC 168 event to discuss the movie.

    Berg said that he wanted people to experience what Luttrell and his team went through, and to see what kind of sacrifice they made for their country. “What I’ve found at screenings is that people are reacting to the opportunity to experience what these men went through, to pay their respects,” Berg said on Monday. “It’s a chance for audiences to express their patriotism in a way that doesn’t feel political, and we don’t have a lot of chances to do that.”

    Image via Twitter

  • 48 Bombs Found After Man Is Pulled Over In Ohio

    Ohio police say they are investigating a man who was pulled over on New Year’s Day after a cache of weapons–including 48 bombs–was found in his car.

    43-year old Andrew Scott Boguslawski–a National Guardsman–was arrested after being pulled over for speeding when the officer noticed the handle of a handgun hidden between his legs. A subsequent search of the car uncovered two pistols, two rifles, 48 explosive devices and tools and materials to make additional explosives. Some of the explosives were reportedly connected to a remote, which was also found in the car.

    Boguslawski was reportedly heading to Indiana, where he works at a training facility for Navy Seals, and had schematics for the building with him. He allegedly told an officer that he had plans to make a vest with the explosives.

    “I think there is a significant risk to the public,” said Assistant Madison County Prosecutor Nick Adkins. “Until we can sort through the facts of this case and what we have here and what his intent was, it is necessary to keep the public safe.”

    As of now, he is being held on a million dollar bond with a charge of one count of illegal manufacture or processing explosives, a felony of the second degree, but officials say they are looking into whether the case is under state or federal jurisdiction, which could change things. A GPS system and laptop are currently being analyzed for more information.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Mark Wahlberg Expresses Gratitude for His Family

    It was through a discussion with the man Mark Wahlberg portrays in his latest movie Lone Survivor that the actor realized how grateful he was to have his wife Rhea and his four children with him on set.

    Wahlberg plays real-life Hospital Corpsman First Class Marcus Luttrell in the film that recounts the failed 2005 Navy SEALs mission “Operation Red Wings,” which took place during the War in Afghanistan.

    “It’s really interesting to hear Marcus and other SEAL guys talk about when they go home to their families and they can’t discuss what they do. It’s just like trying to shut off what they just came from on some sort of mission, a special op, and then all of a sudden they’re at home and they’re taking their kids to school and they’re helping their wives make dinner,” Mark said.

    “But it’s always comforting to have your family there, absolutely. They’re here now, which is nice. I asked them if they wanted to come to work and they said, ‘Daddy, your job is so boring. Absolutely not.’”

    “It takes a very special individual to become a SEAL,” he said. “I felt it was so important to give the guys who never came down off that mountain their due. My wife couldn’t talk for 45 minutes after she saw the movie. All she kept thinking about were the sons and fathers and mothers and daughters out there fighting for our freedom.”

    During the making of the film, Wahlberg and his co-stars Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch were treated like real SEAL Team soldiers which provided the actor with a greater understanding of mental strength.

    “I’m 42-years-old so… As a man, I don’t want to sit on the bench; I want to be in the game. I always want the ball so you would think, but it’s not a question of a physical ability,” he explained.
    “It really comes down to that mental toughness that I think sets those guys apart from a lot of other guys that can’t get through the training and graduate.”

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Mark Wahlberg Stars In Peter Berg’s “Lone Survivor” – Trailer

    With today being Veteran’s Day, what a perfect day to check out the trailer for the upcoming real-life military thriller “Lone Survivor”. Based on the best-selling memoir by Marcus Luttrell, the film tells the true story of the 2005 “Operation Red Wings“, which saw Navy SEALs caught off-guard when a simple reconnaissance mission quickly became a fight for their lives against the overwhelming Taliban army.

    Written and directed by Peter Berg, “Lone Survivor” stars Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch and Emile Hirsch. Eric Bana also shows up in the film as the lieutenant commander who loses contact with his men, and who ultimately leads the rescue mission for Luttrell, Wahlberg’s character. You can read the official synopsis below:

    “Lone Survivor tells the story of four Navy SEALs on an ill-fated covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative who are ambushed by enemy forces in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Based on The New York Times bestseller, this story of heroism, courage and survival.”

    The film will see a limited release on December 27th, before expanding nationwide on January 10th.

    Below you can see the first trailer for the film, which was released this past August.

    (Image: YouTube)

  • Navy SEALs Somalia Assault Raises Strategic Questions

    Yesterday, Navy SEAL Team Six raided an al-Shabaab HQ in Barawe, Somalia. Although none of the SEALs were killed in the assault, a series of conflicting reports about the raid’s target were released, some of which claiming the individual was captured while others were claiming he died in the firefight. The raid was aborted as a failure.

    Despite conflicting reports, the SEAL team leader decided that the fighting was too hot, and after 20 minutes of gunfire, the SEAL team swam away. Somali intelligence officials have claimed, according to CBS News, that the SEAL team was targeting the leader of the al-Shabaab Islamist faction in Somalia, Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr AKA Ahmed Godane; however, an al-Shabaab official by the name of Sheikh Abdiaziz Abu Musab said via audio message that the raid had failed in its goal.

    The strike in Somalia by Navy SEAL Team Six was a part of a coordinated response to the Nairobi Westgate Mall attacks. The failed raid was part of a two-pronged response, with the second staged in Libya just hours after SEAL Team Six pulled out. The Libyan strike was targeting an al Qaeda leader associated with the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

    The Libyan raid, unlike the Somali one, was considered a huge success. Navy SEAL teams surrounded a house in Tripoli containing Anu Abas al-Liby, the al-Qaeda leader who claimed responsibility for the Embassy bombings. Liby had previously been indicted for his role in the bombings.

    The CS Monitor noted an interesting dichotomy: until recently, the Obama administration’s primary method of fighting terror abroad was authorized drone strikes. Having conducted hundreds of drone strikes during his presidency, Obama sought to decrease their frequency. Whereas 2010 saw 117 drone strikes in Pakistan alone, this year has seen only 46 Pakistani strikes while Yemen only endured 10 strikes this year. With these recent Navy SEAL raids, is the Obama administration changing tactics in the War on Terror?

    Obama recently acknowledged the deep resentment felt by the international community with regard to U.S. drone policy: “To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance,” Obama said in a speech at the National Defense University. “For the same human progress that gives us the technology to strike half a world away also demands the discipline to constrain that power – or risk abusing it.”

    [Image via a KTN YouTube news report of the raids]

  • Navy Seal Dies, Seven Injured at Fort Knox

    Navy Seal Dies, Seven Injured at Fort Knox

    A Navy SEAL was killed and seven other soldiers have been injured in a training accident that occurred this week in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

    According to a Louisville Courier-Journal report, 23-year-old Navy SEAL Jonathan Kaloust died Wednesday after his Humvee flipped during training exercises. Seven other soldiers who were injured in the incident have been treated for minor injuries and released.

    Kaloust was assigned to the Navy SEAL team in Forty Story, Virginia. According to the Courier-Journal, Kaloust was from Massapequa, New York and attended State University of New York Binghamton University before joining the Navy in 2011.

    This is not the first military training death to happen in 2013. Earlier this year, two Navy divers accidentally drowned during training exercises in a test pond at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

    Though Fort Knox is most well-known as the location of the U.S. Treasury’s Gold Bullion Depository, the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division, and the 3rd Recruiting Brigade of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command are all located at the facility, in addition to several other divisions.

  • SEALReady App Lets You Test Your Meddle

    (image)
    This image is courtesy of the United States Navy SEALs

    Have you ever wanted to see if you could make the grade and join the world famous Navy SEALS? Well now there is an app for that. A former Navy diver named Marty Costello came up with the idea to write an app for the iPhone that features a simulated published physical screening regimen that is used by the Navy for candidates for SEALs, Divers, EOD, Surface Warfare Combatant Crew and Air Rescue Swimmers.

    “I challenged the iPhone program APP writers and coders to figure out where the sensors indicated a proper military push-up and they nailed it.” Said Costello, “we did the same for the sit-ups and pull-ups in the same manner but each a little differently.”

    The program that his company developed includes a formula that runs in the background recording the person’s performance and a scored report is completed at the end of the run to be emailed for tracking.

    “Two of the coolest features includes a female voice-over guiding you through the times, rest periods, distances remaining and all the while you can jam to your motivational music.”

    The developer wants to remind you that this is only an app and is in now way a substitute for the real thing. The real training and tests has more strenuous adverse things involved including competition.

    The app is currently in the App store on the iPhone and costs $4.99. It’s a little pricey for what it does, but they do feel the money is worth the experience.

  • Act of Valor Assaults Box Office

    In what was a very slow weekend for new releases, the Navy SEAL action flick “Act of Valor” took the top spot with $24,700,000 beating “Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds” with $16,000,000 , and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” with $13,475,000.

    In 2007, Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh of Bandito Brothers Production filmed a recruitment video for the NAVY which led the United States allow them to use actual active duty SEALs. After spending so much time working closely with the SEALs, the directors conceived the idea for a modern day action movie about this covert and elite fighting force. As Act of Valor developed with the SEALs on board as advisors, the filmmakers realized that no actors could realistically portray or physically fill the roles they had written. So the SEALs were moved form the advising role to the starring role.

    While the movie features real active duty NAVY SEALs in the starring roles, this doesn’t help with the dramatic parts of the movie. The bad acting and over the top action has led to something you don’t see very often. A movie that critics hate and movie goers love. Over at Rotten Tomatoes the movie has a 31% from the critics and 85% from the fans.

    Sick today, flu I think. Had a great time Saturday night with my boyz!! Movie Act Of Valor was inspiring and makes me proud to be here. 1 minute ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Just saw Act of Valor. So intense I was curled up in my seat the whole time.Awesome to see real Navy Seals up on the screen. @ActofValorFilm 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    My review of “Act of Valor.” The Navy Seals are real. It’s the thriller that’s unreal. My new review: http://t.co/ykw9hEMw 4 days ago via SocialOomph ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto