CIA contractor and retired US Navy SEAL Glen Doherty lost his life defending against 150 militants in Benghazi

On the evening of September 11, 2012, militants launched a coordinated assault on the US State Department mission in Benghazi, Libya. The attack, which later spread to the CIA’s regional base, persisted into the following day and led to the deaths of four Americans. Among those who lost their lives was retired US Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, who died defending American values.

Glen Doherty's early life

Glen Anthony "BUB" Doherty was one of three children. Raised in Winchester, Massachusetts, Doherty left home after high school to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, where he discovered his passion for adventure.

It was no surprise to those who knew him that Doherty became a US Navy SEAL . Known for his love of living on the edge, he was an avid mountain biker, skier and surfer, and he also held a private pilot's license. Continusously improve himself, Doherty spent his spare time studying aviation and medical techniques, further fueling his drive for personal growth.

Enlistment in the US Navy

Glen Doherty decided to become a Navy SEAL in October 1995. He completed basic training, then was sent to Naval Hospital Corpsman School at Naval Station Great Lakes . This was followed by Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Naval Base Coronado and the Basic Airborne Course (BAC) at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore ), Georgia.

To complete his extensive training, Doherty attended the John F. Kennedy Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty ), North Carolina.

Doherty became a parademic and sniper, serving with SEAL Teams 3 and 7 over the course of his career as a SEAL. His primary area of operations was the Middle East, with his team being among those to respond to the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, which saw the deaths of 17 American sailors.

Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq

By 2001, Glen Doherty was ready to retire from the military, having undergone reconstructive surgery on his knees. However, the 9/11 attacks changed this, and he went on to serve combat deployments in both Afghanistan and Iraq .

During two of his deployments as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Navy SEAL worked to secure oil fields in Kuwait and helped lead US Marine contingents toward Baghdad. He was also among those to capture Saddam Hussein 's palaces.

For his service with the Navy, Doherty received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with "V" Device, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. He retired from the Navy with the rank of petty officer first class.

Joining the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Glen Doherty joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after his military service. Beginning in 2005, he was deployed to Libya, Israel, Kenya, Afghanistan and Iraq, with his missions including the '03 rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch in Iraq and the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in '09.

In the summer of 2012, Doherty was in Libya working to collect weapons that had been looted during the country's civil war the year prior.

2012 Benghazi attack

At 9:42 PM on September 11, 2012, 150 militants launched an attack on the Department of State's mission facility in Benghazi, Libya. Armed with firearms, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and automatic weapons, they targeted the compound. Inside, personnel, including the US Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, sought cover.

A Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent quickly escorted Stevens and US Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith to a secure room within the building. The militants tried to breach the room but were unsuccessful, so they drenched the entrance in diesel and set it on fire.

Although the DSS agent managed to escape, both Smith and Stevens tragically lost their lives.

A dangerous mission

Aware that an attack was underway, the CIA's Global Response Staff (GRS) moved quickly to the scene. Among the responders was Glen Doherty.

Upon reaching the facility, the team could not locate J. Christopher Stevens, their primary rescue target. With uncertainty about his location, they decided to proceed to the CIA base in Benghazi to evacuate personnel there and reinforce the perimeter, anticipating that militants might target the base next.

Once they reached the base, Doherty and the GRS found it already under siege. Those inside had taken defensive positions as militants assaul

Glen Doherty gave his life to defend the CIA base

The fight between the militants and the Global Response Team continued into the next day, with the former raining down on the CIA base with mortar fire. Learning that former Navy SEAL and fellow CIA officer Tyrone Woods was manning a defensive position on the roof, Glen Doherty ran to his aid.

While defending the location, the pair were killed when a mortar round landed nearby. They were among the four Americans killed in the engagement, along with J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith.

Following the firefight, the bodies of the deceased were transported to Benina International Airport and flown to Tripoli, before being transported to Ramstein Air Base , Germany. They were then returned to the US, where a service was held at Joint Base Andrews , Maryland.

US response to the 2012 Benghazi attack

Security was immediately increased at American diplomatic centers following the Benghazi attack, with then-US President Barack Obama condemning what had occurred. Several government investigations were also launched, which found the attack had been planned and that bureaucratic failures had led the US to be ill-prepared for such an assault.

Just under a year later, criminal charges were filed against those involved. Upon entering office, current President Joe Biden also signed into law H.R. 310 , which posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to those who lost their lives in the attack, including Glen Doherty.

Glen Doherty's legacy

Glen Doherty was 42 years old when he lost his life in Benghazi. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery . His heroics and those of everyone else on the Global Response Team were memorialized in the 2016 film, 1 3 Hours. The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi .

To keep Doherty's memory alive, his family established the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation (GDMF), which provides scholarships to members of the special operations community to help them transition back into civilian life.

Doherty's friend, Sean Lake, also founded BUBS Naturals in the late Navy SEAL's memory. The company helps fund veterans' transition back into civilian life, with 10 percent of all profits donated to veterans charities.

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That total is upped to 100 percent of profits every Veterans Day.