The U.S. Defense Department says seven members of an elite Navy SEAL team have been disciplined for disclosing classified information when they served as consultants to developers of a video game.
Officials said Thursday that the SEALs are alleged to have divulged the information and shown the designers specially-designed combat equipment without authorization from their superiors. The designers were developing a game known as Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
Each of the seven were given a punitive letter of reprimand and docked part of their pay for the next two months.
Officials said several other team members are also under investigation.
Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli, deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a statement that the Navy takes seriously the non-disclosure agreements signed by its sailors who join special operations forces.
He said Thursday's actions against the seven SEALs were meant to send a "clear message" that members of the force will be held to a "high standard of accountability."
The announcement comes two months after the Navy accused retired SEAL Matt Bissonnette, who took part in the raid in Pakistan that brought down Osama bin Laden, of publishing classified information in a book about the operation. Bissonnette, who wrote the book under the pen name Mark Owen, disputes the charge.