Delta has confirmed banning Robert O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who was part of the raid at Abbottabad and claims credit for shooting Osama bin Laden, over his refusal to wear a mask inflight (and bragging about it on social media, putting down others who wore masks).
He’s expressed the opinion online that as a hero he should be exempt from rules – and, in a now-deleted tweet, offers this put-down of Delta for requiring masks in the first place,
Thank God it wasn’t @Delta flying us in when we killed bin Laden… we weren’t wearing masks…
Now, in point of fact the SEALs may not have worn masks but they did wear (night vision) goggles.
There’s absolutely no question though that U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment took extensive, mission-appropriate precautions for Operation Neptune Spear.
The team was equipped to fight their way out of Pakistan if necessary. Chinook helicopters were sent with additional troops as a backup to the specially-equipped stealth Black Hawks. The Chinooks turned out to be necessary as one of the Black Hawks became destabilized about bin Laden’s compound, suffered a tail strike, and crashed there.
Entering an indoor compound during a pandemic, with Covid-19 raging the way it is today in Pakistan, you can absolutely bet that SEALs would have been afforded the best-available protective gear for their mission.
And with what 9/11 meant to aviation, I guarantee that any Delta Air Lines pilot – or any other American pilot flying on that day – would have been honored to fly the C-17 aircraft that took the SEALs from Virginia Beach to Ramstein Air Base in Germany and then to Bagram Air Base, before the mission brought the team to Jalalabad.
I have tremendous respect for the people on the ground that day. I wouldn’t ever be in their league to execute in that way. O’Neill says he’s the one that actually took the shot, though others dispute that, and I’ve always been bothered by his appearing to take glory from the others of the two dozen SEALS who were a part of that team.
At root ending the bin Laden threat was supposed to be about protecting people. However using the accomplishment of being part of the group that shot bin Laden as an excuse to shame those who wear a mask during a pandemic, and to claim special dispensation from doing the things that might protect people, strikes me as just sad.
Starting to doubt his claim that he killed Bin Laden more and more and its become pretty clear he is just another attention seeker. Great that he was a navy seal and much respect for that, but somehow I think history is going to proven his claims false.
One can be both a hero and a jerk.
Isn’t part of being a SEAL is to be covert and inconspicuous? This dude is the complete opposite and just doesn’t know when to shut the F up.
From Wikipedia:
Journalist Peter Bergen investigated the conflicting claims and found that most of the SEALs present during the raid favored Bissonnette’s account of the events [over O’Neill’s account]. According to Bergen’s sources, O’Neill did not mention firing the shots that killed Bin Laden in the after action report following the operations.
I’m not sure where he thinks ANYONE should be exempt from keeping each other safe …
Sounds like he’s looking for attention and fame???
The proper spelling is: S – C – A – M – D – E – M – I – C.
You’re welcome.
Can we please stop glorifying military idiots? And police! These are not the cream of the crop or the brightest bunch and I for one am sick of deifying these cretins. Most of them are intellectually challenged and get off on hurting other human beings. We piss away the majority of our nation’s wealth into military and law enforcement and it contributes zero to our society. Someone had to say it, enough is enough.
high profile banning to make others behave?
Good for him. He shouldn’t back down in the face of propaganda and hype over something that is harmless for 99% of people and where masks haven’t been proven to reduce transmission when worn by the public. Delta management has made a lot of bad decisions in recent years and has alienated a big portion of the population. One day Delta management may be held accountable for their actions. Delta has a terrible business class product with a terrible color scheme. I rather fly American or United domestically in most cases and internationally in all cases . Sky team is an inferior alliance.
What “hero”…he did the job he signed up and was paid for! There are certain jobs that may be inherently dangerous and those who take them are to respected for their decision to put their life on the line from time to time, but heroes, no. Heroes are ordinary people who’ do extraordinary things at unanticipated times. The word has been so over-inflated…and especially with professional athletes who are no closer to being heroes than any of us who follow this blog. They get paid to do a job, and they get grossly over-paid most of the time.
This guy is a pr#ck.
@Amazing Larry, fools and frauds and scammers like you are the ones that catch the virus, get hospitalized, and possibly die. Still we take care of you at our medical centers because we don’t discriminate unlike your hateful self.
@Jackson
Have surgeons been wearing scrubs and surgical masks in the operating room for 70 years because it’s a good look? The countries that have good mask compliance have lower rates of infection is just a coincidence?
It certainly has been proven to reduce significant amount of pathogen, it just doesn’t remove all the aerosol. But it’s been proven that the spray is minimized. Again and again. I don’t think it’s been actually proven that if a person with Covid-19 french kisses you that you are likely going to get it, but by all means, try it and see.
The comment about harmless for 99% of the people is on par with saying the earth being flat. I guess the regular flu doesn’t exist either.
This guy reminds me of the line people said about Rudy Guiliani. “His sentences are a noun, a verb, and 9/11.”
This guy is a clown. He wasn’t even the guy on point when entering the room. O’neil acknowledged in an interview that TWO other SEALs fired shots before he did. What he apparently is so proud of is shooting a wounded and unarmed enemy in the head as he laid there dying. Only later on when he started making money off this did he start claiming that it was him alone who took down Bin Laden. He just sounds like a sad little man at this point. I had a problem with the way all of this was leaked out by higherups. It should have been simply Obama announcing the removal of bin laden as a threat and that should have been it. All the operational stuff and frickin movies about it was rather pathetic. They are supposed to be quiet professionals, but instead now you have guys like this embarrassing the teams.
A close friend of mine tested positive for COVID-19. The thing is that he was asymptomatic. He didn’t even know he contracted it. It was a fluke that he got tested: a coworker wasn’t feeling well, and they have easy access to testing at their workplace, so he decided to get tested since she was in the same area he was.
But he basically didn’t have any symptoms but a runny nose. He would not have known he was spreading the virus. If he was out and about without a mask, he’d basically be spreading the coronavirus to people he was in contact with. Luckily, he found out, and quarantined himself.
But imagine those people that are asymptomatic; who didn’t know but actually were spreading the virus… they are perpetuating the virus; and some unfortunate person will not be as lucky, and instead of being asymptomatic, could wind up with life threatening symptoms or complications from COVID-19.
This is why wearing a mask is important; if not for yourself, then for the people around you. In order for the the community to get back up and running again, masks make a difference. It takes a collective effort… and it’s not a hard ask; not a big sacrifice… and it’s perplexing for a guy who was willing to sacrifice for his country, he can’t put on a mask to protect his fellow countrymen.
@Too Many
Herd immunity is even more effective. If 99% of people who “have” coronavirus are asymptomatic, then it makes sense not to delay the inevitable. The same people dying of pneumonia or the flu are the same people dying of coronavirus. It makes no sense to stop the world for it. In 2016, nearly 3 million people died in the United States. Are we going to shut down normal life for these people who will die by the end of the year and not let them spend their last year in peace doing what they choose to.
@Marv
You’re right that we shouldn’t glorify soldiers or cops. Cops blindly follow orders and enforce liberal laws that infringe on personal liberty. Cops enforce the war on drugs, terrorize motorists (with cops making the roads even more unsafe and disrupting traffic). The military blindly follows orders and is not actually used to defend our borders and coastlines. The Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syrian war were a disaster. Another Vietnam. Troops should be here guarding the border and building public infrastructure. We don’t need them in Syria. Trump pulled out troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. He pursued peace deals in Afghanistan, tried with Palestine, and UAE-Israel just happened. It’s nice the right wing on my party is anti war.
We need security to stop rape, looting, theft, vandalism, rioting, blocking traffic, robbery, and trespassing. We need troops to defend the border. That’s it. I agree, if the military budget were cut in half it still would be the most powerful and well funded in the world. It has missiles. It’s doesn’t need to waste money on things that would actually be used in the type of war the military should actually be in. If cops ended the war on drugs, half of prisons could close, conditions could be improved, and cops could focus on stopping real crime with thugs running wild in cities.
@Marv
Please submit your address and phone number to your local police department so you or one of your family members is in dire need of help we don’t have to waste our tax money on you. Feel free to try and negotiate with any intruder/ criminal you encounter. Good luck…lol
@Jackson
I am unsure how you interpret numbers, but for you to say 3 million people died in the US in 2016 and make a comparison to COVID-19 indicates to me (and most critical thinking people) that you don’t know/understand the numbers and it’s applicability to specifically the pandemic; or you are actively trying to muddy the waters with irrelevant information.
An accurate comparison of deaths related to COVID-19 will be influenza. For that number, the entire year of 2016 there was a total of 57,062 deaths… the WHOLE YEAR. Since January, for 8 months, we have close to 160, 000 deaths. The year is not even over yet. In other words, flu deaths averaged 4,755/month for the year. So far, COVID-19 deaths are 20,000/month for the year. We don’t even have flu season to factor in.
Your mentality/approach shows a lack of concern for the value of life, and consider it rather disposable actually.
No one practical minded is saying to lock down the economy. But everyone with common sense is saying to wear a mask so we can get through this with the least amount of casualties as possible.
Gotta love how Lucky doesn’t censor those who claim that the Covid 19 situation is a scamdemic. But call him out on his hypocrisy, and you get block. Serious money grabbing dick move Lucky.
Sorry. Though this OMAAT. Please disregard my earlier comment
Want to stay alive during a pandemic? Consult a doctor.
Navy seals are only good at killing & should otherwise maintain radio silence.
@ drdrew: S – C – A – M – D – E – M – I – C
@Amazing Larry – why don’t you skip this site and just go find a QAnon one to wallow in somewhere? You’ll be among your “kind” and a whole lot happier.
Regardless of whether he was the one who pulled *the* trigger or not, there is no doubt that he has put his life on the line for the safety of this country — on this mission, and many others. AND AT ANY OTHER TIME, I have no doubt that every pilot, co-pilot, crew member and passenger would have applauded his presence. But what O’Neill did by not wearing a mask it the EXACT OPPOSITE of everything he has spent his life doing —> saving American lives!
As Jerry said above, “One can be both a hero and a jerk..”
He’s smarter than all of you put together clearly. This whole scamdemic is a joke ANYONE with any level of intelligence would be able to come to that conclusion based on data. DL can su@k my b@lls
@Amazing Larry: C-H-U-M-P F-O-O-L
@Jackson Henderson Man, you’re a lunatic, You would fit right in working for chump.
The best spot for you would be the QAnon representative to the chump administration
Have you applied for that post yet? You have a few months left to get that position.
Robert O’Neill is a conservative. As a soldier, he swore to uphold the Constitution. The Constitution and conservatism are both underpinned by the rule of law.
When parties enter into a lawful contract, as between the contract parties, the contract has the force of law, and upholding and enforcing the contract is part of the rule of law.
When Robert O’Neill purchased his ticket, he entered into a private contract with Delta Airlines under which each party willingly, voluntarily became legally obligated to do certain things in exchange for the other party’s performance of their part of the contract.
Part of Robert O’Neill‘s legal obligation under the contract he voluntarily and willingly entered into with Delta Airlines was to wear a mask at all times except while actually eating or drinking at his seat.
Robert O’Neill intentionally repudiated his obligations under the contract he voluntarily entered into with Delta Airlines.
Delta Airlines responded to Robert O’Neill’s contract repudiation by deciding they would no longer enter into future contracts with Robert O’Neill, by banning him from future Delta flights. Delta was entirely entitled to do this under contract law.
If Robert O’Neill is truly a conservative and truly believes in the rule of law, he needs to sit down, shut up, and put on his mask, Or exercise his freedom and right not to enter into contracts agreeing to wear a mask.
Undisciplined soldiers are a liability. It’s simple. Just follow the rules that are created for your safety and the safety of the general public. #Make America Safe Again.
@Charlie
Funny, I feel exactly the same way about Covid deniers. No ICU or hospital services for wingnuts who willfully ignore science. Also, I live in AZ(gun happy state) and can defend myself just fine without our bloated useless law enforcement who does nothing but hand out driving tickets to collect revenue.
@Michael Feldman
That’s neo conservatism which condemns us to being ruled over by liberals against our interests. Blindly following orders and supporting the enforcement of liberal laws and liberal orders is the opposite of what we should do. Playing by the rules of liberals leaves us nowhere good. Private contracts are great, however, air travel is a utility, is government supported, and we are not going to sit silently when our people are harmed by stupid rules that lack legitimacy.
@Bob M
Most Doctors just blindly follow orders of the medical industrial complex and liberal academics that control the field. If you care about your health, you would be wise to do your own research and study medicine yourself. The whole hydroxychloroquine lies told by the medical establishment and the media should make it clear why you can’t blindly trust most doctors or the health officials. Hydroxychloroquine has proven to be very effective at reducing mortality for high risk groups in the treatment of COVID. It’s all political. The medical establishment wants to undermine hydroxychloroquine so they put out false studies. Those studies were then retracted. Then they do studies with hydroxychloroquine on its own and say it’s not effective when the protocol that’s recommended is hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin and zinc. They do studies on patients who are already suffering severe complications and say it doesn’t work; it does work, it works when people first get COVID symptoms, not when they are in renal failure.
@Jason Brandt Lewis
I guess you think people are putting others in danger when they go out with the slight chance they may have a cold. For 99% of people who get COVID, the maximum symptoms are a bad cold and 95% don’t have any symptoms. If you have to blow your nose once throughout the day, I guess you think this person should have to wear a mask when outside the home because he or she may have a cold.
@Amazing Larry
@Jackson Henderson
Lot’s of inane chatter coming from you guys (or gals). So, as the say, put your money where your mouth is:
Post something like this:
“I don’t believe that Covid -19 is dangerous, so I hereby reject any and all treatment for said disease for myself and my family if any of us should contract it”.
You need to include your family because you are putting families at risk by your denial of science. Then follow up by telling everyone about your post.
@ Jackson Henderson, Herman Cain would agree with you, except…he is dead and buried.
Idiots are anywhere to be found , nowadays ; be it seating in cheap flights or in espensive old Chippendale “chaises” . What a world !!!
@Rog: You’re right… anyone who believes this scamdemic IS a chumpfool. Good on ya!
@WileyDog:
No problem!
“I don’t believe that Covid -19 is dangerous, so I hereby reject any and all treatment for said disease for myself and my family if any of us should contract it”.
Now you can stay home and piss your pants in the corner like the sniveling coward you are. I will be living my life.
As an Md with 5 genertions of Mds on top of me, I clearly think you’re an idiot !!!
@Amazing Larry
Excellent, you f**king moron. Did you tell your mommy what you did?
I bet you were the kid whose parents never said “no”. A spoiled brat who had trouble finishing high school, if you even did. Continuing education for you is learning how to pump gas. LOL!!
Marv, Can we please stop glorifying liberal idiots? And BLM! Those calling a high risk group (blacks) into the streets during a pandemic, encouraging looting (as a form of reparation) and rioting, burning and assaulting people for months (Portland) are your true cretins. Most of them are intellectually challenged and get off on hurting other human beings. We piss away the majority of our nation’s wealth on social programs and education to better people and it contributes zero to our society to see them rioting in the streets and then blaming law enforcement for their own lawlessness. Someone had to say it, enough is enough with the Burning, Looting and Murder and public officials, like the hypocritical mayor of Chicago who won’t protect her own citizens, but diverts police to protect her house when protesters move close by. Enough with the hypocrisy and the haters who threaten to burn the system down if they don’t get their way (BLM Leader Hawk Newsome).
Funny how someone who killed someone responsible for ~2,000 people wants to be glorified while at the same time helping to keep the daily rate of death around 10,000 per day by ignoring health protocols during a pandemic and feels that anyone trying to prevent 10,000 deaths per day is weak. I wouldn’t call this person a hero.
Good for Delta for banning him. This guy did his job. People at Delta do their jobs every day and have to put selfish people like this guy every day. Those people are the real heroes.
@ WileyDog: LOL, what a weak “comeback”… And you are wrong on both points (of course). My parents were strict and I have 2 college and 2 university degrees. And before you make yourself look dumber than you already have, there IS a difference, look it up. Now go back to eating lead paint chips.
@AlohaDaveKennedy: You are 100% correct.
Amazing Larry
Yep, I believe what you say, heh heh, But, the fact remains that you really don’t care about people other than yourself. The fact that you took the bait and included your family shows how how self-centered you are. You AlohaKennedy and Jackson Henderson are just trolls and it’s obviously a waste of time trying to debate people who live in an alternate reality.
Nuff said.
@WileyDog You keep being arrogant (and ignorant) enough to claim to know what is in the hearts of others you have never met. You are a grade-A FOOL.
Do yourself a favor and stop making asinine comments…. you already look dumb enough.