The Team House

Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six | Matthew Cole (throwback ep)

Oct 22, 2025
Matthew Cole, investigative journalist and author of Code Over Country, digs into SEAL Team 6’s hidden history. He traces origins of violent rites, revenge-driven missions, and leadership failures. Short, sharp stories cover desecration rituals, cover-ups like the Melgar case, and how unit culture warped over decades.
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INSIGHT

Roberts Ridge Was The Catalyst For Revenge Ops

  • Roberts Ridge (Takar Gar) marked SEAL Team 6's brutal baptism into sustained war and catalyzed revenge operations.
  • The team's exposure to mutilation of a teammate triggered an escalation of desecration and retaliation norms.
INSIGHT

Squadron Identity Drove How Violence Was Expressed

  • Squadrons developed distinct identities that shaped behavior: Red favored 'meet violence with more violence', Blue pursued a tactical 'art' to minimize killing.
  • These mascots, yard‑in rituals, and rituals like tomahawk lore concentrated cultural norms.
ANECDOTE

Operators Rewatched Videos Of Dying Enemies

  • Cole describes 'bleed‑out' videos where an operator replayed footage of dying enemies and counted down as they expired for teammates.
  • The behavior flagged a disturbing enjoyment of filmed killing; the operator was later kicked out after pistol‑whipping a teammate.
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