Fact check

Man Who Killed OBL Can Get Benefits

Stars and Stripes criticizes Esquire story.

The man who shot Osama bin Laden may not be quite as screwed as Esquire made him seem. After publishing an article that claimed the Navy SEAL who killed bin Laden got “no pension, no health care, and no protection for himself or his family,” everyone was outraged. But Stars and Stripes writer Megan McCloskey points out that, actually, the SEAL should get five years of free health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Esquire fired back, saying that the VA does such a poor job of explaining what benefits vets are eligible for that the SEAL (along with 40 percent of vets) didn't apply for them. Furthermore, Esquire says, even if he did get benefits, his family wouldn't.