Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden, sat down with Fox News Digital ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11 to share how that day reshaped his life and his sense of purpose.
Witness to the attacks
At the time of the attacks O’Neill was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, finishing a 40‑day deployment to Kosovo. He was in an operations center when the first tower fell, describing the moment as a “hole in the North Tower” that no one initially understood.
When the second plane struck the South Tower, the significance became clear. “We were in an operations center with intel analysts and Navy SEALs, and we all collectively knew that our lives just changed,” O’Neill said.
From Kosovo to SEAL Team Six
In the weeks after 9/11 O’Neill re‑enlisted, eventually joining SEAL Team Six, the elite unit that would later conduct the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed bin Laden. He did not know at the time that he would play a role in hunting the mastermind of the attacks.
“I joined because I thought it was cool, re‑enlisted because of the guys, re‑enlisted because of 9/11, go to SEAL Team Six,” he recalled.
A message for a new generation
Looking back, O’Neill is moved by the way the nation united after the tragedy. He remembers lawmakers from both parties standing together on the Capitol steps and singing “God Bless America,” noting that the moment was “about America first, not foreign interests.”
He urges younger Americans, many of whom were not alive on that day, to prioritize family and community. “No matter what, at night, don’t go to bed angry with anyone in your family. Hug everyone that’s there and tell them you love them,” he advised.
He also stresses the importance of simple, God‑centered habits: spending time outdoors, appreciating the design of creation, and caring for neighbors and first responders.
Faith, purpose, and opportunity
O’Neill’s story, from a small town in Montana to the highest‑risk missions of SEAL Team Six, illustrates the opportunities available to Americans who answer a call to service. “If you want to do something, leave the house. You can do anything you want,” he encouraged.
He concluded with a reminder to keep a positive outlook: “Don’t let the negativity get to you. At any moment you decide, you can do that.”
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
