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SEALs take out bin Laden

Former SEAL proud of his former mates
SEALs take out bin Laden
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - Monday, President Obama praised the locally-based anonymous heroes, who tracked and killed bin Laden. The team spent months planning out every second of this delicate mission.

Don Shipley spent 24 years in the Navy- most of the time as a SEAL.

"It’s a major commitment to us and our families," Shipley said.

He’s now retired, but his heart is never too far from the job.

"Honestly, a lot of people think it’s a big patriotic thing for the guys (SEALS) do, but it’s really not," Shipley added. "They want to fight. Those are the guys that become SEALS."

Shipley now spends his days on his compound in Chesapeake training future SEALS.

"We just bring the guys down here and show them about SEALS," Shipley said. "It’s all run by SEAL instructors and we just show them what it’s like."

They train for real life scenarios like the one that just played out ending with the death of bin Laden.

"It was just game on," Shipley said.

The game plan took months to develop and went into action in the middle of the night. Two U.S. helicopters with about two dozen Navy SEALs closed in in for the kill. On approach, one helicopter had mechanical problems and crash landed. No one on board was hurt.

"We always did the planning for what ifs," Shipley added. "What if this happens? What if that happens? What if we lose one of the helicopters? What if they have that mechanical problem? What are we going to do if we lose one? Are we still committed? Are we still going in?"

The SEALS went ahead with the mission immediately coming under fire.

"It never does go according to plan," Shipley said. "But those guys just rolled with it."

U.S. officials said bin Laden, armed with a rifle, fired at the Americans who then shot him in the head. When the shooting stopped, the Americans loaded bin Laden’s body on a helicopter.

For Shipley, the kill comes with an overflow of emotions.

"There was a lot of SEALs that paid the ultimate price over there, so it is a lot of closure for a lot of people," Shipley added. "Bad guy gone. They threw him over the side of the ship. Right to the bottom with you."