Newsbrief: A group of U.S. Navy SEALs has been reprimanded for divulging classified information to Electronic Arts during the development of Medal of Honor: Warfighter, a report from CNN states.
A U.S. Navy official told the news channel that seven senior enlisted sailors were docked two months pay for consulting on the recently-released Medal of Honor game, during which time they showed EA official combat gear and classified material.
The information was divulged over two days in the summer, when the seven individuals worked as paid consultants for EA on the title. Another four SEAL operatives who have since transferred to different teams are also currently under investigation for their involvement.
It really does surprise me that a SEAL operative would divulge ANY classified information to civilians. Tricked, maybe? Don't know, but something doesn't seem right...
They are human beings. Not every Navy Seal has the same traits as the next. They messed up. Maybe they were bribed, maybe they were just plain stupid. Either way, they should have known better.
I have read stories about this and basically it think its stupid. However it seems the SEAL are taking a beating from the story in comments on other forums while EA walks free. If EA development team wasn't trying so hard to make things so realistic and trying so hard to buy exclusive rights to actual material for the use of digital copy then maybe we wouldn't have this story. My problem is they waive something like a couple of hundred thousand in a persons face face and they are suppose to be the bigger person about taking it, when in reality they may never make that kind of money ever in a full career as a public sector employee. At some point the companies should question their ethics on trying to be true to life in a digital landscape. Once again this is about graphic over gameplay to get a consumer to by in to the fact that they are a greenback. Is it worth it to create a suspicion of corruption where there is none, just to say you have the best graphical depiction of an avatar in a game?
While I understand what you're saying the article states that the punishment was dcoked pay for 2 months. Their careers are hardly over and if that's the only action the military is taking apparently they don't view it as TOO serious an offense.
The article also states that the soldiers in question were acting as paid consultants. What do you want to bet the amount of money received for that work far exceeds 2 months wages? I don't think you need shed too many tears over their plight.
[edit] For another take on the incident and the possible cause/motivations check out this link http://blog.alexrubens.com/us-department-of-defense-using-medal-of-honor- to-scar e-seals-from-working-with-outside-consultants/
It expands a bit on what happened in terms of punishment (total loss of pay was only 1 months wages but chances for promotions in the future are possibly in jeapordy) and points out the uneven handling of these situations by the military.
"If EA development team wasn't trying so hard to make things so realistic and trying so hard to buy exclusive rights to actual material for the use of digital copy then maybe we wouldn't have this story. My problem is they waive something like a couple of hundred thousand in a persons face and they are suppose to be the bigger person about taking it, when in reality they may never make that kind of money ever in a full career as a public sector employee."
You're not supposed to give out classified information under *torture*, let alone something like a paid contract. I hate to judge, but it sounds like to me the SEALs probably just got a little too excited about the whole consultancy thing. Maybe they were really enthusiastic about working on MoH or were unclear about the classification level of the stuff they were divulging. Then again, it could just be the money, we might never know.
"The move essentially prevents their chances for promotion and ends their military careers."
I wouldn't be so sure. Very few people reach senior enlisted rank without running into some kind of non-judicial punishment in their career. Now, if those SEALs had been regular ol' lower enlisted Sailors, you could bet your bottom dollar they would've been crucified for something like this.
The article also states that the soldiers in question were acting as paid consultants. What do you want to bet the amount of money received for that work far exceeds 2 months wages? I don't think you need shed too many tears over their plight.
[edit] For another take on the incident and the possible cause/motivations check out this link http://blog.alexrubens.com/us-department-of-defense-using-medal-of-honor- to-scar
e-seals-from-working-with-outside-consultants/
It expands a bit on what happened in terms of punishment (total loss of pay was only 1 months wages but chances for promotions in the future are possibly in jeapordy) and points out the uneven handling of these situations by the military.
You're not supposed to give out classified information under *torture*, let alone something like a paid contract. I hate to judge, but it sounds like to me the SEALs probably just got a little too excited about the whole consultancy thing. Maybe they were really enthusiastic about working on MoH or were unclear about the classification level of the stuff they were divulging. Then again, it could just be the money, we might never know.
"The move essentially prevents their chances for promotion and ends their military careers."
I wouldn't be so sure. Very few people reach senior enlisted rank without running into some kind of non-judicial punishment in their career. Now, if those SEALs had been regular ol' lower enlisted Sailors, you could bet your bottom dollar they would've been crucified for something like this.