Special Ops being warned after Army Times writer releases book on their most secretive missions

U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has sent out warning letters to special-forces operators ahead of the release of the book,  “Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command.”

The book’s author, Sean Naylor, says the letters warn special operators that they may come under public scrutiny or be contacted by media, and are offered resources on how to deal with the response, according to The Hill.

Sean Naylor, a senior writer for the Army Times and a contributing editor at Foreign Policy magazine, was reportedly told that Fort Bragg, where the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Forces is headquartered, “is going ape shit over your book.”

The book delves into the secret, sensitive missions of Navy SEALs, Delta Force and other special operators, including the one that killed Osama bin Laden back in 2011.

It has grabbed the attention of top Pentagon leadership, which has “struggled to keep a lid on information of special operations forces” at a time when more ops have written books or spoken out about their experiences.

Naylor said more information about the secretive unit is necessary for oversight due to the “sheer amount that Joint Special Operations Command has grown over the last couple of decades.”

He said the book’s release should be no surprise to USSOCOM because he reached out to the command years ago, and offered them the opportunity to weigh in or cooperate on the book. They politely declined, he added.

Naylor said he spoke to a “wide spectrum” of sources across the special operations community and took measures to obscure sources’ identities, and “would never intentionally put them at risk.”

Sources reportedly talked to Naylor not because they wanted to disclose secrets, but out of a sense that “my guys or my buddies deserve recognition.” Naylor, who previously covered special operations forces for Army Times, said he was not passed any classified documents for the book, or to his knowledge, given any classified information.