the fight,” Baker concluded.
Captain Ericson relaxed some in his chair and looked down at his desk to compose his next response. He felt some relief from this report but realized he had to address the lieutenant’s discomfort.
“I can see why you might be a little confused by Lawrence’s interview responses, Lieutenant. So tell me about your ‘impressions,’” Ericson said.
“Well, when I was asking about the fight, Lawrence seemed to pause a lot and frequently stared off into space. At one point, when describing the need for a transfer, he seemed to tense his jaw and immediately grimaced, I assume from the pain. He did this a few times. I asked him about it, but he said it was nothing. It was difficult to discern what was behind this behavior. I asked him if he had spoken with any of the other team members, thinking that maybe he had been harassed or threatened, but he emphatically denied that he had any contact with anyone from his team. When I got the chance, I had one of the other investigators explore the possibility that someone from the team had knowledge of any contact with Lawrence, but got nothing that suggested that it happened, and no one from the hospital staff had seen anyone visit Lawrence. If you take it on face value, it looks like a mutually engaged fight that got out of hand. As I state in my report, the fact that Lawrence pulled a knife explains the escalation by Bryant. It might possibly justify further charges against Lawrence, but his broken jaw could be deemed punishment enough,” Lieutenant Baker concluded.
A long silence followed Lieutenant Baker’s summary. Captain Ericson slowly looked up from his desk. His eyebrows were lowered, and his mouth slightly twisted. He said, “Well, we have to go with the information we have. It looks like I will have to address this incident with each participant, and it appears we will not be bringing charges against Petty Officer Bryant. Thank you for your report and evaluation, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir!” Baker replied.
“I will call you if I need any other information,” he said. “Meanwhile, you can consider this case closed on your end.”
“I understand, sir,” Baker said as he rose to leave.
Captain Ericson met with Petty Officer Lawrence two days later and informed him that the investigation was concluded, and that he was to be transferred out of his current unit. Lawrence mildly protested, but when Captain Ericson made it clear that the decision was not negotiable and added that his drawing a knife on another SEAL was potentially a criminal act, Lawrence became quiet and nodded his acceptance.
Next was the meeting with Petty Officer Shawn Bryant. Ericson had taken some time to prepare for this meeting. First, he wanted to let Bryant know that although this incident was considered important and a breach of SEAL conduct, he would not be prosecuted for his actions. Second, he was to let Bryant know that he was to be transferred out of his unit and inform him his new assignment would have some unusual aspects to it.
Petty Officer Bryant entered Captain Ericson’s office in his Navy dress uniform. The only designation that he was a SEAL team member was the trident above his Afghanistan Campaign Medal. He was followed by two Marines, who had been assigned to escort him to the captain’s office. As soon as they entered the office, Captain Ericson dismissed the Marines and told Bryant to have a seat.
“So, Petty Officer Bryant, you understand that this meeting is in lieu of a captain’s mast. I decided to make this a little less formal due to the results of the investigation into the incident between you and Petty Officer Lawrence,” Captain Ericson explained.
“Yes, sir!” Bryant responded with a strong yet surprised sound to his voice.
“The information I am about to convey to you is to be kept in strictest confidence. Do you understand, Petty Officer?”
Captain Ericson gazed at Bryant with a firm look and unwavering eye contact.
“Yes, sir?” Bryant responded with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.
“You’ll understand better in a few moments, but the final orders will be provided by Captain David Fredericks of SEAL Team Eight. You will be transferred immediately to SEAL Team Eight and will report to Captain Fredericks in three days. You are to be assigned to a special action in the Kandahar region, and you will be released from the brig tomorrow morning at 0900 hours. Although your records regarding this incident will be sealed for the present, they may be considered in the future if you engage in any activity that we deem to be outside the expected behavior of a SEAL team member. Do you understand that, Petty Officer Bryant?”
Bryant dropped his eyes and nodded. “Yes, sir!”
Shawn was puzzled by the abrupt change in his circumstances, but he had learned long ago that this was how the Navy worked. He felt an enormous relief that he would not be prosecuted for the fight. He wondered how this had happened, and he was very curious about his next assignment.
“One other thing. Commander Stevens expects to meet with you today to conclude your therapy sessions. He told me to have you go to his office at 1430 hours. After that, you can prepare for your departure.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“I guess the questions I have will be answered when I meet with Captain Fredericks, sir.”
“That’s correct. And keep your nose clean. If you do a good job for Captain Fredericks, this incident may be expunged from your records.”
“By expunge, you mean removed, sir?”
Captain Ericson suppressed a slight smile. “That’s correct, Petty Officer. So if you have no further questions, you may return to your cell. I will dismiss the Marines guarding you. Don’t forget the meeting with Lieutenant Commander Stevens.”
Bryant’s brain was unsettled as he walked back to his cell. He felt relief and even elation. He had essentially been returned to normal status. It was hard to believe. For the past seven weeks, he had been confined to the brig with Marine guards as his only companions. The only exception to his confinement had been the repeated and lengthy sessions with Lieutenant Commander Carl Stevens and the required meetings with interviewers and investigators, until this meeting with Captain Ericson. He shook his head and smiled.
What was this new assignment all about? His mind was filled with questions. Where would he be going? What would he be doing? Would he be alone? He felt excited and puzzled. But he knew it would be better than being in the brig—or would it?
At 1425 hours, Bryant was standing just outside Lieutenant Commander Steven’s office. He reflected on the time he had spent with the SEAL psychologist; he felt a mixture of fondness for their interactions and relief that this chapter of his life was about to be over. At first, Bryant was reluctant to accept anything that Stevens tried to convey, but slowly their relationship became much more relaxed. Some of the things that Stevens did during the session were difficult. He thought specifically about the photos of injured or dead animals, mostly dogs, that Lieutenant Commander Stevens had shown him. He had wanted to turn away, but the Lt. Commander insisted that he look. Bryant hated that, but after a while, he managed to stay focused on the photos. He and Stevens had discussed how it was odd that he could see the death and mutilation of people and still be a focused and competent SEAL team member, but seeing animals suffer was hard for him.
Lt. Commander Stevens helped him to connect this to the death of his dog “Nick.” Shawn understood why Lt. Commander Stevens kept showing him the photos of animals suffering, and eventually Bryant could recognize his reaction. In time, he learned to take
