The Art of Information Security: Reflections from a 25-Year Journey

In a dramatic incident that shocked the nation, U.S. Army Special Forces soldier Matthew Livelsberger took his own life on January 1, 2025, after distributing manifestos detailing alleged war crimes. Livelsberger, a decorated Green Beret with five Bronze Stars, drove a Tesla Cybertruck to Trump Hotel before detonating an explosive device, killing himself in what appears to have been a desperate attempt to draw attention to his allegations.

The military community continues to grapple with the implications of Livelsberger’s final act, which came amid increasing concerns about mental health challenges facing special operations personnel. His detailed accounts of civilian casualties from drone strikes in Afghanistan aligned with previous UN investigations, lending credibility to portions of his testimony.

Ten months after this tragic event, Netflix released “In Waves and War,” a documentary exploring psychedelic therapy treatments for Navy SEALs suffering from combat-related trauma. The film documents promising results from Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT), an electromagnetic brain stimulation treatment developed by Dr. Nolan Williams.

Military health experts note the documentary’s focus on what some clinicians describe as “narcissistic injury” – trauma resulting from operational failures, team losses, or personal injuries – rather than the “moral injury” often experienced by those who question the ethical foundations of their missions.

“The film presents an incomplete picture of combat trauma,” said Dr. Eleanor Chambers, a specialist in military psychology at Georgetown University. “It focuses exclusively on one subset of special operations forces while omitting other perspectives that might challenge the institutional narrative.”

In a troubling development that has received minimal media attention, Dr. Williams, the Stanford neuroscientist whose groundbreaking work forms the foundation of the documentary, died by suicide at age 43 just one month before the film’s release. The documentary makes no mention of his death, raising questions about the ethical considerations surrounding the project’s timing and framing.

The contrast between treatment approaches highlighted in the film and broader concerns about accountability in military operations has grown more relevant following recent developments in U.S. foreign policy. In October 2025, Four-Star Admiral Alvin Holsey resigned his position as SOUTHCOM Commander, reportedly over concerns about what Pentagon officials described as “criminal attacks on civilians” in Caribbean operations.

These operations, characterized by Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as successful missions against “narco-terrorists,” have come under scrutiny after Associated Press investigations revealed that victims included civilians such as fishermen, laborers, and a bus driver – many reportedly working transportation jobs to escape economic hardship.

Military ethics experts point to fundamental differences in how various special operations units experience trauma. Navy SEALs, selected for aggression and intense team bonding, typically conduct direct action missions with limited cultural engagement. Green Berets like Livelsberger, selected for intelligence and cultural sensitivity, often engage in longer deployments embedded with local forces, potentially leading to different types of psychological wounds.

“SEALs and Green Berets can experience fundamentally different types of trauma,” explained Dr. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association. “One group might primarily suffer from loss of teammates or operational failures, while the other might experience deeper ethical conflicts about their missions.”

The documentary’s focus on SAINT therapy, which showed 83% PTSD remission and 73% depression remission in special operations veterans, has generated significant interest in the medical community. However, critics note that while the treatment appears effective for certain types of trauma, it may not address deeper moral questions about participation in potentially unethical operations.

These developments come amid ongoing debate about accountability in special operations. Hegseth has previously advocated for pardons of convicted war criminals and criticized what he termed “academic rules of engagement” that he believes constrain military effectiveness.

The absence of Livelsberger’s story from the Netflix documentary represents a significant omission, according to veterans’ advocates who argue that comprehensive approaches to military mental health must acknowledge diverse experiences, including those who developed psychological trauma after witnessing potential violations of the laws of war.

As the military continues developing treatment protocols for veterans, the contrasting stories of Livelsberger and the SEALs featured in the documentary highlight the complex ethical terrain surrounding combat trauma, accountability, and healing in America’s special operations communities.