A platoon of Navy SEALs was sent home for drinking alcohol while deployed in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said Wednesday, The Washington Post reports. The U.S. Special Operations Command said in a statement the team was forced out early to San Diego by the commander of the task force, Maj. Gen. Eric T. Hill, “due to a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods” of their deployment. “The commander lost confidence in the team’s ability to accomplish the mission,” the statement said. “Commanders have worked to mitigate the operational impact as this SEAL platoon follows a deliberate redeployment.” The statement did not state what led to the decision, but two defense officials told The Post that the SEALs drinking alcohol prompted their return. General Order No. 1 bans alcohol use for SEALs. It is unclear at this time whether the members of SEAL Team 7 could face criminal charges or administrative punishment of some kind, as the unit is still under investigation. Just two days ago, The Navy Times reported that six members of SEAL Team 10 tested positive last year for cocaine use.
