The Team House Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six | Matthew Cole (throwback ep)
Oct 22, 2025
02:36:52
Original airdate 3/11/22
The Navy SEALs are, for most Americans, the ultimate heroes. Their 2011 killing of Osama Bin Laden was celebrated as a victory in the War on Terror. Former SEALs rake in thousands of dollars as leadership consultants for American corporations. And young men who want to join the military dream of serving in their elite ranks.
But as recent revelations have shown, the SEALs have lost their bearings. In Code Over Country, investigative journalist Matthew A. Cole tells the story of the most celebrated SEAL unit, SEAL Team 6, revealing the dark, troubling pattern of war crimes and deep moral rot hidden behind the heroic narratives. From their origins during the World War II and their first test during the Vietnam War, the SEALs were trained to be specialized killers with short missions. But as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turned into the endless War on Terror, their carefully-managed violence spiraled out of control. Drawing on years of reporting, Cole follows SEAL Team 6's history, the high-level decisions that unleashed their violence, and the coverups that prevented their crimes from coming to light. Code Over Country is a much-needed reckoning with the unchecked power of the military -- and the harms enacted by and upon soldiers in our name.
Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six
https://www.amazon.com/Code-Over-Country-Tragedy-Corruption/dp/1568589050
Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
TrueWerk ⬇️
https://truewerk.com/house
use code "HOUSE" for 15% off!
01:04 Defining "Code Over Country" (Code of Silence)
15:32 Origins of SEAL "Pirate Culture"
31:01 The "Warrior Class" and Accountability Failure
1:00:15 Commander Howard and Hatchet Desecration
1:56:06 Melgar Murder: Immediate Cover-up Focus
2:02:01 Reasons for OBL Mission Selection
2:04:09 Importance of ROE and the "Gray Shoot" Standard
2:20:51 Dropping CQD Training and Ethical Screening
2:27:38 Slabinski Award Signaling "The Cover-up Wins"
2:29:02 The Core Problem: Lack of Internal Accountability
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.
The Navy SEALs are, for most Americans, the ultimate heroes. Their 2011 killing of Osama Bin Laden was celebrated as a victory in the War on Terror. Former SEALs rake in thousands of dollars as leadership consultants for American corporations. And young men who want to join the military dream of serving in their elite ranks.
But as recent revelations have shown, the SEALs have lost their bearings. In Code Over Country, investigative journalist Matthew A. Cole tells the story of the most celebrated SEAL unit, SEAL Team 6, revealing the dark, troubling pattern of war crimes and deep moral rot hidden behind the heroic narratives. From their origins during the World War II and their first test during the Vietnam War, the SEALs were trained to be specialized killers with short missions. But as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turned into the endless War on Terror, their carefully-managed violence spiraled out of control. Drawing on years of reporting, Cole follows SEAL Team 6's history, the high-level decisions that unleashed their violence, and the coverups that prevented their crimes from coming to light. Code Over Country is a much-needed reckoning with the unchecked power of the military -- and the harms enacted by and upon soldiers in our name.
Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six
https://www.amazon.com/Code-Over-Country-Tragedy-Corruption/dp/1568589050
Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
TrueWerk ⬇️
https://truewerk.com/house
use code "HOUSE" for 15% off!
01:04 Defining "Code Over Country" (Code of Silence)
15:32 Origins of SEAL "Pirate Culture"
31:01 The "Warrior Class" and Accountability Failure
1:00:15 Commander Howard and Hatchet Desecration
1:56:06 Melgar Murder: Immediate Cover-up Focus
2:02:01 Reasons for OBL Mission Selection
2:04:09 Importance of ROE and the "Gray Shoot" Standard
2:20:51 Dropping CQD Training and Ethical Screening
2:27:38 Slabinski Award Signaling "The Cover-up Wins"
2:29:02 The Core Problem: Lack of Internal Accountability
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.