O'Neill initially sought to become a sniper in the United States Marine Corps where he had known some friends. On the day he arrived at the recruitment office, the Marine recruiter was not in. Instead, a Navy recruiter suggested that O'Neill enlist in the U.S. Navy, telling him that he could be a sniper in the U.S. Navy SEALs. O'Neill graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training class 208. O'Neill served with SEAL Team Two from 1997 to 2001 and SEAL Team Four from 2001 to 2004. In March 2004, O'Neill joined the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group and completed numerous deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq over the next eight years. As a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs, O'Neill was reportedly involved in more than 400 missions, including the mission to save Captain Richard Phillips during the Maersk Alabama hijacking, and Operation Red Wings in which O'Neill helped save Marcus Luttrell. In 2012, having served 16 years, O'Neill left the U.S. Navy, feeling that the choice was best for his family. He was honorably discharged, but his early departure cost him a government pension and he had some tough financial times while transitioning into civilian life. He is now a public speaker employed by Leading Authorities, a speakers bureau, and has been criticized for trying to cash in. O'Neill was hired as a contributor for Fox News Channel in 2015 to lend "his military expertise across the cable channel’s daytime and primetime programs." O'Neill rose to the rank of senior chief special warfare operator. His 52 decorations include two Silver Stars, four Bronze Star Medals with Valor device, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor device, three Presidential Unit Citations, and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Valor device. In 2017, O'Neill published The Operator, in which he describes his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, life as a Navy SEAL, and the death of Osama bin Laden.
Death of Bin Laden
O'Neill had been identified as the man who killed bin Laden in anticipation of a Fox News special called The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden, which was expected to reveal his identity and details of the mission Operation Neptune Spear. He had previously been interviewed anonymously in an Esquire magazine article in February 2013. O'Neill's statements resulted in criticism by fellow Navy SEALs. Rear AdmiralBrian Losey and Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci issued a public statement, stating that "a critical tenant of our ethos is 'I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. In 2012, Matt Bissonnette, using the pseudonym "Mark Owen", wrote a book called No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden documenting his participation in the raid. In his book, he does not identify the man who fired the fatal shots at Bin Laden, referring to him as simply the "Point Man". Bissonnette himself admits to firing his weapon at bin Laden after the fatal shots were fired by the "Point Man" when bin Laden was already "in his death throes." He has, however, refused to respond directly to O'Neill's claims, adding that he believed the team effort was more important than one person pulling the trigger. The United States Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into whether Bissonnette leaked classified material.
Legal issues
In April 2016, O'Neill was charged with DUI after police found him unconscious behind the wheel of a car at a gas station in Butte, Montana. He failed a field sobriety test and refused to undergo a breathalyzer test; he denied being intoxicated, saying that his falling asleep was the result of his taking a prescription sleep aid. The Butte-Silver Bow County Attorney's office opted to downgrade charges from driving under the influence to endangerment and defer prosecution for 12 months, agreeing to drop the charges completely so long as O'Neill sought treatment for unspecified medical reasons.
Personal life
In August 2017, O'Neill, then 41, married Jessica Halpin in a Catholic ceremony held on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. O'Neill has children from his former wife Amber Jenkins who were married from 2004 until their divorce in 2014. The TMZ News website reported in 2014 that he is a Washington Redskins fan. O'Neill identifies as a conservative.
