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Why I Forgive General Petraeus — And Why You Should, Too

Nov. 20, 2012 12:36am
Brandon Webb is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with combat deployments to southwest Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan. His proudest accomplishment in the U.S.  […]
Brandon Webb is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with combat deployments to southwest Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan. His proudest accomplishment in the U.S. Military was his role as Course Manager for the US Navy SEAL Sniper program. This is arguably one of the most difficult sniper courses in the world. Webb has received numerous distinguished service awards throughout his career, including the Presidential Unit Citation (personally awarded to him by President George W. Bush) awarded to his SEAL platoon after their Sept 11th, 2001 deployment to Afghanistan. After the Navy, he worked in Iraq in support of U.S. Intelligence interests as a private contractor, then left to focus on business and writing. He was formerly a contributing editor for Military.com, and currently the Editor-in-Chief of SOFREP.com. SOFREP (Special Ops Situation Report) is the #1 Internet site for timely and accurate information regarding the Special Operations and Intelligence communities. Brandon is regularly featured in the international media as a subject matter expert. He has appeared on ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, BBC, Newsmax, The Blaze, SIRIUS radio, The New York Times and more. Brandon is a New York Times best selling author with several non-fiction titles completed with his first novel in the works. His last book, The Red Circle, was a New York Times best seller and his last e-book, No Easy Op, was an Amazon best seller. No Easy Op was featured exclusively in the New York Times for it breaking analysis of the controversial book No Easy Day. He is an avid surfer, skier, member of the legendary Windansea surf club, and private (instrument rated) pilot. When he’s not flying his Yak 52 you’ll find him on the ground in La Jolla, CA or Lake Tahoe, NV.
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Former CIA Director PetraeusGeneral David Petraeus is an American patriot and hero. America has lost a great leader, we now have a huge leadership gap to fill and a lot is sure to fall on Admiral William McRaven, the Commander of U.S. Special Operations.

It takes guts to realize you screwed up and to then come clean without any excuses. How refreshing it was to see, regardless of the circumstances. Too often it’s the Washington way to hide, point fingers, and try to place blame on someone else. Very rarely does someone stand up and take it head on, and I personally applaud the general for doing this.  It’s what good leaders do.

I don’t support cheating, but I know a lot of good men who succumbed to the same fate and the allure of an attractive younger woman —  in this case an aggressive power groupie. I personally know how aggressive these groupies can be and how they covet the spotlight. A quick look at Paula Broadwell’s less than stellar career, and personal conduct tells me that she fits the profile of what we commonly call in the military a “strap hanger.” This is someone who grabs onto your rucksack as you pull them up a hill they’ve never summit on their own.  In Navy SEAL teams, we even have a special name for these types of groupies; we call them Frog Hogs. These women crave attention and the spotlight of association. They will stop at nothing to fend off others grabbing for the same straps they’re holding onto. I’m sure this is why Jill Kelley (a groupie in her own right) started to receive threatening emails from Broadwell.

Some mistakes destroy reputations and are unrecoverable.  The SEAL author of the tell-all UBL book, No Easy Day, is experiencing this firsthand.  The fallout of his betrayal is still being felt in the SEAL community. Many are finding out the true depth of his betrayal as other SEALs associated with him are being punished for participating in video game consulting, which one source tells us that he likely coordinated.  It’s a series of decisions that can destroy an otherwise good reputation, and finished it for good.

However, in the case of Petraeus, his mistake is of a different kind, a minor misstep in an otherwise exemplary career. I like to measure people by their accomplishments in life, and how they consistently act. As Aristotle put it best, we are what we repeatedly do, and the general has a long history of accomplishment and exemplary behavior.

  • Confirmed as Director of the CIA 94-0 by the Senate
  • 37 years of service to the U.S. Military
  • Achieved the highest military rank possible (Four Star General)
  • Major contributor to asymmetrical warfare doctrine
  • Commander US & ISAF Forces in Afghanistan
  • Commanded US & Multi-national troops in Iraq
  • Commander US Central Command
  • Distinguished graduate (top 5% of his class) at West Point

Among the many rumors and speculation I’ve heard lately, is that his cheating is a direct reflection of the current administration’s culture.  After all, Petraeus was hand-picked by President Obama, they say. This is absurd to me, look at his track record and make up your own mind. My mind is already made up.

Nobody in life achieves great things without making some mistakes along the way. It’s a part of life, and anyone who says different is lying to you.

America has lost a great leader, a man who gave the better part of his life to the service of this great country we live in, and his shoes are going to be hard to fill. The general made a mistake. I forgive him, and I suggest you do the same.

 

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Comments (39)

  • unclesam319
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 7:01pm

    I am disappointed with the journalistic integrity here. See paragraph 3. I’ve posted a longer response on SOFREP.

    Report this comment

    unclesam319  
    • SOFREP EDITOR
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 11:12pm

      My integrity is intact, at SOFREP we’re not always PC and we call a spade a spade when needed.

      Report this comment

      SOFREP EDITOR  
  • TKW406
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 6:43pm

    It’s easy for people to sit at their computer, feeling 6’4″ & bullet proof, make condescending comments about the author and call him names because of a difference of opinion. In this case, might I suggest you check that sh** at the door and re-read the author’s introduction, “…former US Navy SEAL”. Do a little research as to what it takes in order to earn the title of SEAL and you will see it is not easily attained. Any member of the S.E.A.L.’s should instantly be shown the proper respect due them for putting their ass on the line for the U.S.A. The disrespect shown by whoever referred to the author as, “idiot”, disgusts me and they dis-honor themselves by doing so. You are talking to an American Patriot! Acknowledge his sacrifice and thank him for his service. If your opinion is different than his then say, “Sir, I respectfully disagree with your opinion. Let me try to explain why…” I suggest you send an apology to Mr. Webb. He’s earned it.

    Report this comment

    TKW406  
  • LANCECORPORALX4GENPETREAUS
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:37pm

    I too am a fan of Gen. Petraeus. I don’t normally agree w/ BW, put here’s my unsolicited support for this article. (Hi, T9)

    There was nothing to forgive, so I didn’t even have to forgive Gen. Petraeus. Most importantly, I feel that the GOP should still run him for 2016.

    As for how this whole affair was outed, via 2 hot star chasers and a questionable G man (one Lebanese, nuff said, here’s a LCpl X advice: for any of you who aren’t familiar with military love affairs, geopolitics aside, there’re three kinds of women you just don’t f around with if you don’t want drama, Armenian, Iranian and Lebanese women–yeah I know Jewish women too).

    I fault the good Gen. for his choice of mistresses, I put the blame on the FBI “whistleblower”.

    I don’t know if BW was hinting that this administration threw P4 under the bus for Benghazi, but I think it’s more that this administration wasn’t able to contain the affair in this case because of the “whistleblower”.

    The Marine Corps and the Navy are different in that we actually get to see our leaders have fun in port–some a little more than others. So we are a little bit more understandable when it comes to women, especially those you aren’t married to (and in many cases men who you think are women).

    For those of you conspiracy nuts still looking longingly at the Benghazi incident, there’s nothing there, move on. Your energies are better served lobbying to FOX news, Karl Rove and the rest of the GOP to support

    Report this comment

    LANCECORPORALX4GENPETREAUS  
  • JuliaHugoRachel
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:31pm

    @Chutwood….Here Here.

    Report this comment

    JuliaHugoRachel  
  • JuliaHugoRachel
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:48pm

    Brandon Webb cuts through the BS with this article. Thanks Blaze and Brandon.

    I Say “Forgiven”.

    Report this comment

    JuliaHugoRachel  
  • polina
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:36pm

    There isn’t anything to forgive unless, you were directly involved in the affair. He owes no one an apology, or any explanation other than to the people he hurt the most. He needs to come to terms with himself first and accept the fact that he was unfaithful to his wife. Before honor is humility, before forgiveness is a contrite heart. The people most deserving of his forgiveness is his wife and children, and yes, his mistress, and God.
    Sadly though, he will be remembered more for his infidelity than for his brilliance as a commander and a stellar leader. Will he be able to redeem himself? Only time will tell. Perhaps if we can get to the truth on Benghazi, the American people will be more forgiving of him as they did of Kennedy, Clinton, and others.
    I believe General Petraeus has a lot to offer whether he remains as a public servant, or chooses to serve in the private sector.

    Report this comment

    polina  
  • neverending
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:29pm

    Oh a big boo hoo hoo – a little mistake? Wonder how many this clown did NOT get caught at. And oh please – blame the broad? Yeah she really sucks as well oh but wait isn’t she okay now since she said she is just devastated. This is one of the many problems wrong with this country. Everything is okay – everything is just a mistake – everything is justified. If he is such a flippin hero then why didn’t he come forth sooner???????? Sick of all of it. Let him go back to kissing the big O’s rear.

    Report this comment

    neverending  
  • 50run50gun
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:51pm

    @phillycornerboy – The guy made a mistake. He also gave 37 years of his life to serving his country and let two wars. Damn your standards are high. Give the man some credit.

    Report this comment

    50run50gun  
  • 50run50gun
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:48pm

    @phillycornerboy – Since you’re in such a position of honor to judge one of the greatest generals of the past two decades, why don’t you strap up and put in 37 years in the military and lead a couple of wars like he did? Sounds like you should be president.

    People are human and make mistakes. This was a major black eye for him, but does not erase the service of his entire career.

    Report this comment

    50run50gun  
  • tangonine
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:45pm

    It’s as if the commenters here have never seen adultery. I’m not defending it but holy holier than thou! I guess you have that glass house reinforced with bullet-proof shades. Judge not and all that.

    @sofrep is the tightest, most dedicated collection of current and past warriors I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Opinions differ, often, but respectfully. You people, on the other hand, are off the da** hook.

    Report this comment

    tangonine  
  • Dismayed Veteran
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:13pm

    Adultery is a sin and unfortunately a fairly common one. This is between his wife and him. I do have a problem with him not telling the truth about the terrorist aspect the first time he testified before Congress. This is a fundamental break down of the honor code. Do I dismiss his entire career? No. Has he earned back my trust? Maybe.

    Report this comment

    Dismayed Veteran  
    • neverending
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:42pm

      Agree with you wholeheartedly. If they will lie once they will do it over and over again – and really didn’t come clean til he was basically forced to.

      Report this comment

      neverending  
    • JuliaHugoRachel
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:29pm

      Do You Mean LIE or Protect National Security?

      Report this comment

      JuliaHugoRachel  
  • edcoil
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 10:17am

    Since I did not take what the General did personally, I don’t feel any need to forgive him.

    Report this comment

    edcoil  
    • raptor45
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:40pm

      Good comment Ed. The only one who has been sinned against in this case are the spouses of the parties involved and they are the only ones who need to forgive. I have to wonder, just where in the hell do people come up with the idea that they need to forgive someone when they weren’t remotely involved.

      Whoever wrote this article is an idiot.

      Report this comment

      raptor45  
    • SOFREP EDITOR
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:26pm

      RAPTOR45

      I wrote the article and I’d think most people consider me “not an idiot”. This article is not intended to draw religious connections about traditional thoughts on forgiveness. It IS intended for the public and media to show some compassion towards a man that gave most of his life to the service of the United States and its defense from enemies foreign and domestic.

      It’s easy to sling mud behind the safety of your computer, I’d doubt you’d be as bold if we were to meet face-to-face.

      Report this comment

      SOFREP EDITOR  
    • engelbrad
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:25pm

      Raptor
      I think you missed ED’s point and you posted a “FAIL” calling the person who wrote this an idiot!

      Report this comment

      engelbrad  
    • Chutwood
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:58pm

      I was with you, Raptor, until you referred to the writer as an ‘idiot”. If anyone outside of the General’s family has a right to speak on this, it’s someone in the military community whose lives were directly affected by the General’s decisions – and the writer is one such man. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask people to look past the scandal to the life of service the General has given to his country. I do think it’s unreasonable for someone to call a SEAL an idiot. He is someone who walked his talk, rather than someone who spews insults hidden behind a computer screen.

      Report this comment

      Chutwood  
  • watashbuddyfriend
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 8:52am

    “What Ever Will Be Will Be!”

    Report this comment

    watashbuddyfriend  
  • M24
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 8:20am

    Semper Fi Webb

    Report this comment

    M24  
  • phillycornerboy
    Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:44am

    holy cow! what are you talking about? the man swore an oath, both to his wife and his country. by CHEATING he violated both. as an intelligence officer he well knew the dangers of being in such a compromising position. where is YOUR sense of honor? and as for your experience with “groupies”…drunk teenage girls in the bars of virginia beach don’t quite make it. twit.

    Report this comment

    phillycornerboy  
    • M24
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 8:19am

      you have no clue

      Report this comment

      M24  
    • SOFREP EDITOR
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 10:44am

      @PHILLYCORNERBOY “holy cow! what are you talking about? the man swore an oath, both to his wife and his country. by CHEATING”

      Over 50% of America is divorced, broke an oath “Till Death Do Us Part” and is at fault by your logic. Wake up and join the real world.

      -Brandon

      Report this comment

      SOFREP EDITOR  
    • phillycornerboy
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:34pm

      @sofrep…if 50% of Americans were robbing banks would it be ok for me to rob one also? as an intelligence officer he was required to avoid compromising positions where he could be subjected to blackmail. this is spy101 stuff. where was his discipline? where was his honor?

      Report this comment

      phillycornerboy  
    • SOFREP EDITOR
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:30pm

      I don’t advocate robbing banks but am pointing out that the world we live in is full of good people who occasionally make mistakes.

      I’ve worked with several intelligence agencies and spies and sex mix all the time. The Russians were best at leveraging this. I trust Petraeus to sleep with his mistress and not divulge any classified information the same as he did his own wife. You reference spy 101 but I’d like to know your credentials and experience in the intelligence field if you’re going to back up your statement on trade craft.

      Report this comment

      SOFREP EDITOR  
    • engelbrad
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:41pm

      Philly… A little respect for the opinion of one of our great Warriors who clearly knows all about Oath, Honor, Leadership and Service. Please!
      Thanks!

      Report this comment

      engelbrad  
    • tangonine
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:47pm

      Philly, no one is advocating what he did as right. That’s a foregone conclusion. All that matters now is how he deals with his mistake. Lay off the caffeine, man. Or the whiskey. Whatever.

      Report this comment

      tangonine  
    • JuliaHugoRachel
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:46pm

      Hey Philly; You are obviously not in the “I am so Hot with Power, SOF, Atletics, Entertainment” etc. category that you can not be objective here. The deal is, Powerful, Athletic, Strong, Hot Warriors have Groupies that will stop at nothing to attract them. When my son was 14 years old, he was participating in 5 sports and flying planes. I had to fend off chicks calling us at all hours. I’ve seen Politicians, SOF operators, Bikers, Entertainment folks, Athletes and even prominent business men that hold vast power get manipulated by groupies. You are wrong for saying “twit”. Because you have never been exposed to this type of behavior, does not mean it does not exist. Your moral high horse must be pretty danged hard to stay on.

      Report this comment

      JuliaHugoRachel  
    • Chutwood
      Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:03pm

      “twit”?? Seriously??? That’s how you make your case. And since you seem to only know about drunk teen-agers girls in bars, I think I can easily disregard anything else you might say.

      Report this comment

      Chutwood  
    • phillycornerboy
      Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:20pm

      hmm, i seem to be suddenly popular. ok, i’ll go this way. for the “groupie and twit” comments…i apologise. i have fought seal trainees in bars in vb more than once and i reacted with attitude. again, sorry. as to my comments on “oaths, honor and discipline” i must stand with those. the General had a remarkable career and i respect his service. yet, he fell. i can understand the human failings that caused that, what bothers me is that he let a common human weakness overcome his discipline and some of you seem to think that this was somehow ok. other people do, right? the Generals loss of discipline in his position is simply unacceptible. he needed to act to a higher standard than “joe the plumber”.

      Report this comment

      phillycornerboy  
    • TKW406
      Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:14pm

      Way to man up Philly. Seriously. Well Done.

      Report this comment

      TKW406  

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