Top U.S. Special Forces General: ‘We’re Hurting Ourselves’ With All These Movies and Books
Top U.S. Special Forces General: ‘We’re Hurting Ourselves’ With All These Movies and Books by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Washington Post
Army Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, rarely talks specifics about the troops under his command. Direct action raids in Iraq, rescue missions in Afghanistan, Special Operations forces deployed in places like Syria, Somalia and Yemen are all — if even acknowledged — described in broad platitudes.
But when asked about the propensity of some of his elite forces to write books, star in movies and help advise on the production of certain video games, Thomas is outspoken — and angry.
“It is a phenomenon that is anathema to me. It runs counter to everything that any of us whoever entered special operations know [is] the right way to do business,” Thomas said during a conference hosted by the Institute for the Study of War in Washington on Wednesday. “It baffles me that people don’t hold true to that standard.”
“We won’t tolerate it,” he added…