Osama Bin Laden's killer struggles to get by

[dualstow]

'The Shooter'

The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden sat in a wicker chair in my backyard, wondering how he was going to feed his wife and kids or pay for their medical care.

It was a mild spring day, April 2012, and our small group, including a few of his friends and family, was shielded from the sun by the patchwork shadows of maple trees. But the Shooter was sweating as he talked about his uncertain future, his plans to leave the Navy and SEAL Team 6.

http://cironline.org/node/4139

[MediumTex]

I wonder why he left the military.

As I understand it, he only had four years to go to make 20 years and then he could have retired.

OTOH, I always felt like if someone could make it as a SEAL, they could make it doing about anything.

[dualstow]

I wonder why he left the military.

Part of it must have been the physical strain. The article mentions

his body filled with scar tissue, arthritis, tendonitis, eye damage, and blown disks,

But, it's a good question. It does seem like he could have pushed for a desk job and hung on for four more years before venturing out to the business/civilian world.
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Edit: Probably not so simple though. And perhaps his wife and kids would not have waited another four years.

[Jan Van]

I seem to remember reading in one of  Andy McNab's books that when you serve at the SAS, they will make sure to get you another job, any job, on base if you can't physically do your commando job anymore. For example, if you get shot once too often. Which is the way it should be in my opinion.

Great reading btw, "Immediate Action" and "Bravo Two Zero"...

[Coffee]

I've heard it's the same with the French Foreign Legion.

I would be surprised if the Seals didn't also have their own community to take care of their own.  Since this story first ran, there have been a number of questions and inaccuracies pointed out.