Editor's Note: SEALs Beat Biden is a documentary series produced by The Sentinel. You can learn how to watch the first episode for free by clicking here.

When the federal government began issuing mandates for an experimental vaccine with no long-term safety data, many Americans were hesitant.

Within the military, there were large groups of service members who remembered the tragedy of anthrax vaccine injuries and feared it might happen again. Others were concerned that taking a vaccine tested and developed using aborted fetal cell tissue was inconsistent with their religious beliefs. Others wondered where the limits of government power would end if we simply conceded and allowed Washington bureaucrats to make healthcare decisions for their families.

As the government response to COVID intensified, many inside and outside the military started to see taking the vaccine, wearing a mask, or refusing to do either as a political symbol. Eventually, as it became clearer that masks, lockdowns, and mRNA products were not effective at preventing the infection or spread of the virus, it also became clearer that the virus was not nearly as serious as predicted.

As the fear dissipated and the reality of COVID became apparent to most Americans, governments and institutions continued to double down on ineffective mandates. Because bureaucrats were so reluctant to relinquish the power they had gained in the crisis, the real fight clearly became one against tyranny rather than one against a virus. It became a battle to preserve the Constitution and our inalienable rights.

The fear and polarization surrounding COVID caused far too many Americans to miss the real story of COVID and the lessons we should learn from what happened. 

Preserving History

SEALs Beat Biden, an original documentary project from The Sentinel due for release this week, is a gripping effort to tell the story of a courageous group of military members, attorneys, and pastors who valued truth and principle enough to take a stand against tyranny.

In SEALs Beat Biden we learn the disturbing truth that the vaccine mandate was issued in clear violation of federal law. We discover that senior leaders in the military knew the order was illegal and implemented it anyway. We learn that military leaders threw the vaccine hesitant in the brig, threatened to court-martial them, and did everything they could to coerce them into violating their religious beliefs or risking their health. Many unvaccinated service members were prohibited from attending church and taking leave.

Even worse, we discover that while giving lip service to the religious accommodation review process required by the Constitution and mandated by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, all of the services failed to follow the law. Military chaplains were given a checklist-style template that would allow them to manipulate interviews and claim religious beliefs were not sincere.

We learn that an Air Force pilot was fired from her position simply because she submitted a religious accommodation request. We learn that many chaplains, JAGs, and senior military leaders simply went along with the regime out of fear that asking questions or taking a stand could impact their careers or their pensions. We learn that almost 10,000 military members, some within months of retirement, were kicked out of the military and have been abandoned by the Defense Department, the court system, and Congress.

Despite the threats and pressure, there were a handful of Navy SEALs who took a stand. Their motivation was not political or driven by the fear of getting a shot. They were willing to risk court-martial and confinement in a military prison because they believed the mandate was illegal and violated the Constitution. They saw other nations arresting pastors and forcing the unvaccinated into prison camps, and they feared that tyranny might remain unchecked in the United States as well if they remained silent. Their faith prompted them to take a public stand for the American people.

Lessons Learned

In the end, SEALs Beat Biden tells the story of a small group of courageous individuals who took a stand for truth and the rule of law against hysteria and tyranny. Vaccine mandates in the military and throughout society eventually collapsed because of those who did not comply with unlawful orders and those who resisted. The enduring importance of this documentary is that the film can and will inspire others to have the courage to take a stand against tyranny.

No matter the odds, no matter how isolated or alone you may feel, America has always been a nation where a small and courageous minority can make the difference between the preservation or collapse of our constitutional republic. Make no mistake: the urge to trade freedom for perceived safety will persist, and there will always be corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who manipulate so-called crises as an opportunity to grow their influence and power.

I pray there will always be Americans who will fight to protect our freedom like those whose story is told in SEALs Beat Biden.