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Lieutenant Commander Rorke Denver tells Alan about his new book, which was co-written by Fox News Contributor Ellis Henican.
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-- Denver who has written exam if you making the modern -- warrior.
Also involved with a movie act of valor and co written with our friend Ellis -- -- thank you for coming on the program tonight -- -- heparin is very much.
Lieutenant commander Denver.
You run every phase of training for the US navy -- -- special forces missions in the middle East Africa and Latin America and use star -- act of valor.
Based on true seal adventures -- your book stack up to the other -- books out there.
Well you know the thing that I'm excited about when it comes this book is -- -- good reasons -- books that have been popular successful or are great -- have been.
Real Cingular and they're they're in their point of view you know it's been individual operator account or an individual mission that's been highlighted and and my my book continues -- there -- a -- if you really takes.
A much greater look -- how we select field -- we trained seals deployed around the war bring them back to family connections and so.
And -- comes from an officer's perspective which we haven't seen.
And made a recent -- -- books that are out so it's it's definitely different.
I -- -- the book on bin Laden that came out by ceiling was involved was at the wrong thing to do.
You know I think I think he took a lot of internal.
A lot of internal grief from from the team simply because the book was.
-- such a direct capitalization often individual mission that we we don't control.
You know those assignments it really is if -- gets did you have to designated go they go and do the nation's work and then to come back and and kind of dial in on -- -- I think he took some grief for missing I definitely give him.
Respect for that you have a that the Pentagon made such a big deal about the secret nature of written and I -- -- I creating it was an egregious breach of security or something that would put our guys.
Harm's way I understand anyway credit that -- -- -- like I heated securely know what you did day -- -- -- that.
That really became.
And an act of valor was the same way that they can't you -- -- -- that story I think this does have her and pulled back a little bit herself.
What are we what is what should the average citizen know about what the seals do that can be -- You don't I think the thing -- of value that I want to concentrate when I was writing was bad I think there's a greater.
Translation of all of the special things we do that could be don't benefit.
Beat you know businesses individuals families and those focused on succeeding in any walk of life mean I think.
-- don't we focus and have a mere.
Pathological.
Aversion -- failure and a tremendous desire not to quit the sailor teammates.
Disciplined focus drive a commitment to one another and everything that we do and I think those.
Those tenets or something special and and translate across.
You know any any demographic any job and and been wrapping those stories that that kind of illuminate and I think -- the value.
You talk in the book read how a when you do and assume that the college they didn't want you -- first.
They didn't I mean I it's it's.
Unbelievably competitive to get an officer -- spot into the seal team that's what I want I want to be an officer and kind of start.
My career and in that in that path and stay with that's -- my first application went -- and about eight months later I got a very polite and curt -- from the US navy saying that I had fallen short but it wasn't for me -- That that didn't that didn't feel right so I re applied bettered my application came back.
-- do you like major acceptable the second time that didn't work the first.
-- it may not have been anything new I think they want resilient folks -- people that won't quit so.
It may have been just the second applications and okay well this does not going away that's actual we're looking for so if it really.
I didn't have kind of -- -- that I knew that wrote me a letter recommendation on the second.
Go around him but he's got the same thing this guy's gonna -- attack and keep going after -- that's what they want.
You've expressed concern that they're giving people more chances now which may be.
Not be good in terms -- checking that the top people right.
Think it goes through peaks and valleys and and when I was when I was running the training program I I was in the window of time early and -- Experience that that was a challenging time and I I write it but -- right almost an entire chapter but this kind of internal struggle.
That was taken place senior leadership the United States military and and government leaders -- up to -- -- defense Rumsfeld at the time.
Wanted to grow all the special operations forces everybody get bigger seals Rangers green beret and all those units in this field with a week.
Group that weren't producing more once that that directive came down and it was really big guys that -- from the combat teams say look we're.
Would be if we could figure we'd do without changing our standards were -- and where the military is of course we do it anyway but we didn't want to -- change the standard.
If -- need to do is a -- get to do is -- -- Or have to do physically is a seal that maybe don't apply to some of the other branches where the other forces.
Yet the maritime component of what we do is really what distinguishes our organization from other units of the time in the out of -- under the water and cold cold water environments and those skill sets of being -- maintain your focus and that very tough environment is is really what separates us.
Why would you want to do that sounds like it's very physically.
Challenging if not hurtful.
It is I you don't want to serve he was read Winston Churchill my senior college and I knew I want to serve in the military so for me have always been hyper competitive but always like competing and so.
You know what I've read that about 7580%.
Of people don't get through that sound like in the.
The -- served in Iraq -- served in Afghanistan.
He assured in one of the key battles to do not.
I didn't look in my I write -- you know a lot about my time in 2006.
In Iraq and that was.
You know really in western Iraq in the Sunni Triangle that was that was.
About -- -- well it's hard to quantify exactly what the roughest time was a very very lawless and challenging time tremendous violence and in western Iraq and and and seal team three -- in my unit was one of the units provincial -- terrific really help.
Take the fight the -- and and help almost midnight that tribal awakening that took place.
How do you readjust to civilian life we had a psychologist on earlier.
Who had worked in the military and we knew there was a story in the Associated Press -- out today about the emotional turmoil that people suffer through when they come back and how difficult that is went off and this doesn't get talked about enough.
-- -- I think it's going to be something that we really really need to deal with as a as a culture of the society of the military when when when guys come back I think for the most part.
-- we're gonna come back and they're going to be -- I really do I think they're gonna.
I have little moments where -- they readjust to that the intensity of that time it in the combat zone and that but normal personal life but I think.
But they'll be a few that need help and we -- really need to extend that olive branch -- -- good programs to get them back into the fold.
We're talking with the the author of damn few.
-- Denver he went on more than a 190 missions.
At it sniper operations.
Do direct assault special reconnaissance.
Ground patrols.
Is there a particular moment at a particular moment you remember that you keep thinking about we weren't such danger where it was a close call.
I think the I think the blessings sometimes come -- -- -- -- don't know the worst moments that unfold I imagine there were I mean I heard bullets -- investment had -- between my legs behind walls bullet holes but I don't know how they didn't hit -- and and and not it's someone else and there's there's such random acts of intensity that's hard to quantify that much but one of my greatest memories is.
Is we had.
Look the army unit that was connected to -- they lost.
One of their medics from a -- -- we were able to actually take.
His senior officer we found the sniper cell where it would assault that target and bring several of those guys justice that was extremely as.
How are you a different person now than you were before you went in.
I just think I confirmed a lot of things that I want to know going into the military I want I wanted to get new venture wanna cut my peace and leadership there and really explore that the most intense -- and -- I think it's.
You can do that in and I think what I found is what what I hoped I'd find that I was able to.
You -- -- this aggressive group of challenging and capable guys and in some very tough environment and that.
You know I had I had to stop -- at least be able to perform when -- and -- -- corridor -- -- -- -- the most challenging and so I think everything.
Going forward it's got a great -- minutes ago a lot of my life will be a reduction from the -- Giving get caught up in the political -- -- on back -- and liberals telling me you're pretty much anti war does that upset people like you.
It really doesn't mean I'll be honest would be I think I think you get to have that opinion and you get to voice stat in this country because there's those folks -- don't harm's way to afford that right agreement -- a very special place and so I'm.
I'm honored that people can have their voice an opinion and our country and I think we have a large part to do with the.
-- avenger you're defending that right up our lifestyle also talked to veterans at the back -- -- really angry at like some of the things I've said maybe people on my side of the plate.
Who wish you weren't of these wars the first place.
-- no I mean and at the united I can I can see why -- I don't begrudge him for having that feeling for me I really look at it is that describes I think we live in the most special place on earth.
I feel like about -- confirmed that being in a lot of other.
Dangerous and ugly parts the world those things that we -- give everyone a voice and the opportunities it would they wanna say I feel honored to have had the opportunity to help.
He'll keep that ensure -- can and hope it lasts forever.
-- appreciate your service and I think -- what you said and then the book -- -- -- wish the best luck with ensor thanks so much I appreciate thanks for your time.
