1. 9/11 Commission Report, formally titled Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, August 2004, Chapter 1: ‘We Have Some Planes.’”
2. There hadn’t been a hijacking in the US since December 7, 1987 when a recently fired US Air employee used his invalidated credentials to a board Pacific Southwest Airline (USAir had recently purchased PSA) with a pistol and apparently killed his former manager and both pilots. The remaining five crew members and 37 other passengers were killed when the aircraft crashed. Source: AirSafe.com Foundation, http://www.airsafe.com/events/hijack.htm.
3. Cape Cod Times, Kevin Dennehy, Staff Writer, August 21, 2002.
4. Author interview with Colonel David A. Wood, August 2013.
5. Franks, General Tommy, with McConnell, Malcolm, American Soldier, HarperCollins, New York, 2004, p.240. Reprinted with permission.
6. Source: Author interview.
7. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368 (2001).
8. Source: The Heritage Foundation, http://www.heritage.org/research/projects/enemy-detention/response-to-911.
9. Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People, Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, September 20, 2001, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html.
1. 9/11 Commission Report, formally titled Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, p.208.
1. Franks, American Soldier.
2. The Northern Alliance, officially known as the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan, was formed from the military wing of the government ousted by the Taliban in 1996. Many of the alliance followers were part of the Mujahedeen guerillas who fought the Soviets in 1979–89. The Alliance’s strongest member and US asset, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was assassinated on September 9, 2001. Two individuals disguised as reporters exploded a bomb hidden in a camera.
3. US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute’s Study of Civil Military Operations in Afghanistan, September 2001 to December 2002.
4. Ryhne, Major Richard G., Special Forces Command and Control in Afghanistan, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2004, pp.39–40.
5. Global Security, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/tf-11.htm. TF 11 eventually established a base of operations in Khost, Afghanistan.
6. The full composition of TF K-Bar was Navy SEALS, Marines, Navy Seabees, Army Special Forces, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) troops, Army helicopter support, and Army 4th Psychological Operations Group personnel. Task Force K-Bar included Special Operations personnel from Joint Task Force 2 (Canada), the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, New Zealand Special Air Service, Kommando Spezialkräfte (Germany), Jægerkorpset og Frømandskorpset (Denmark), Jegerkommando og Marinejegerkommandoen (Norway), and Turkish Special Forces.
7. Zimmerman, Dwight Jon, Task Force K-Bar – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom: Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days – Part 6, Defense Media Network, September 19, 2011. Reprinted with permission.
8. Source: Price, Johann, “Operation Enduring Freedom: Commands and HQs” June 1, 2002, v.1.1 June 23, 2002, http://www.orbat.com/site/agtwopen/oef.html.
9. Source: American Special Ops, United States Military and Law Enforcement, http://www.americanspecialops.com/cia-special-operations/jawbreaker/.
10. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, US Naval Aviation 1910–2010, Appendix 38 (unedited draft), Operation Enduring Freedom Phase I, October 7 to November 20, 2001, Washington, DC.
11. Afghan Media Dossier: 4, US Military Psychological Warfare, October 2001–2002.
12. Special Forces groups are organized in small teams of 12 men known as an Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA). A typical Green Berets team structure usually consists of two each of the following: weapons sergeants, communications sergeants, medical sergeants, and engineering sergeants. A commander, assistant commander (warrant officer), operations/intelligence sergeant and non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) complete the team. The composition of these teams can change according to the type of mission. Source: US Army Special Forces website, http://www.goarmy.com/special-forces/team-members.html.
13. Combined Force Research Library Interview, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan 09/11/2001 through 04/01/2002, 92Y5S2S, Task Force Dagger, Master Sergeant Dale G. Aaknes, J-4 NCOIC, September 29, 2006. Reprinted with permission.
14. United States Special Operations Command History 20, 1987–2007, USSOCOM/SOCS-HO, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
15. Information gathered from American Special Ops website, http://www.americanspecialops.com/operations/sof-afghanistan/task-force-dagger.php.
16. Sources: Author phone interview and material from http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3774; http://www.sgtmacsbar.com/CCTPhotos/Gallery24/Silver%20Stars/Markham.html. Master Sergeant Markham was awarded a Silver Star for his actions.
17. The primary difference between a Spooky and Spectre is the armament: AC-130H Spectre: 1) 40mm (1.58in) L/60 Bofors cannon; 2) 105mm (4.13in) M102 howitzer. AC-130U Spooky II: 1) General Dynamics 25mm (0.984in) GAU-12/U Equalizer 5-barreled Gatling cannon; 2) 40mm (1.58in) L/60 Bofors cannon; 3) 105mm (4.13in) M102 howitzer.
18. Author interview with Captain Allison Black, the first female Air Force Combat Action Medal recipient.
19. Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, USS Kitty Hawk (CV(A)-63), Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, DC.
20. American Special Operations, United States Military &Law Enforcement Special Operations website,
http://www.americanspecialops.com/operations/rangers-delta-afghanistan-2001/.
21. United States Special Operations Command History 20, 1987–2007, USSOCOM/SOCS-HO, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, p.90.
22. US Marine Corps 15th MEU website: http://www.15thmeu.marine.mil.
23. Interview with Major Lou Albano, Combat Studies Institute, the Operational Leadership Experiences, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 21, 2009.
24. USSOCOM History, pp.93–94.
25. Major Richard Obert, US Air Force, Combat Studies Institute, the Operational Leadership Experiences interview collection, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, reprinted with permission.
26. Wright, Donald P., Ph.D. (et al), A Different Kind of War, The United States Army on Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) October 2001 – September 2005, Combat Studies Institute Press, US Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 2009.
27. United Nations Security Council Document 1154, http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/afghan/afghan-agree.htm.
28. US Army in Afghanistan, p.30.
1. Zimmerman, Task Force K-Bar – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom: Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days – Part 6.
2. Army Guardsman Completes Special Duty in Afghanistan, Sergeant 1st Class Eric Wedeking, US Army Public Affairs, Washington, DC, February 10, 2003.
3. Author interview with Staff Sergeant Scott Kaufman and Master Sergeant Ernest Svenkerud, July 26, 2013.
4. David King, Personal recorded interview, October 6, 2005, Operational Leadership Experiences Project, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
5. Ibid.
6. Major Jeremy Turner Operational Leadership Experiences interview, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 11, 2006.
7. Operation Anaconda, An Air Power Perspective, Headquarters United States Air Force, AF/XOL, February 7, 2005.
8. Major David King, Operational Leadership Experiences interview, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, October 6, 2005.
9. MAJ Mark Quander, Operational Leadership Experiences interview, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 7 March 2007.
10. Wright, A Different Kind of War, Chapter 6.
11. Operation Anaconda Case Study, ADA463075, College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education, Maxwell AFB Alabama, November 13, 2003.
12. Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.151.
13. Kugler, Dr Richard L., Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan: A Case Study of Adaptation in Battle, National Defense University, Center for Technology and National Security Policy, Fort Lesley J. McNair BG 20, Washington, DC, 2007.
14. Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.152.
15. Major Jeremy Turner interview.
16. Lieutenant Colonel Scott “Soup” Campbell, Operational Leadership Experiences interview Part II, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 15, 2009.
17. Sources: Executive Summary of the Battle of Takur Ghar, Released through the Department of Defense, May 24, 2002; Technical Sergeant Keary J. Miller interview, Air National Guard at 60: A History, pp.46–49; Battle Attack at Takur Ghar: Roberts Ridge, National Museum of the Air Force, August 4, 2009.
18. Author interview with Colonel Christopher Short, Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho, July 2013.
19. Executive Summary of the Battle of Takur Ghar.
20. Wright, A Different Kind of War.
21. Annan, Kofi, “The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security,” Report to the Secretary-General, General Assembly Fifty-Sixth Session, United Nations, NY, March 18, 2002.
22. Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.202.
23. US Troops Finish ‘Operation Mountain Lion, CNN, Aired April 7, 2002. Reprinted with permission.
24. Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.338.
25. Brigadier General Robert L. Caslen, Jr., Operational Leadership Experience interview, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, April 4, 2008.
26. Master Sergeant Carl A. Richards, 18Z50/1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, 11/30/2001-10/30/2002, Riverton, Utah 84065, June 1, 2008.
27. Author interview with Command Sergeant Major Richard Lopez, Fayetteville, August 2013.
28. Author interview with Staff Sergeant Antuan Ray, Hurlburt Air Field, Florida, August 2013.
29. Sources: Global Security “Operation Mountain Sweep”; Garamone, Jim, Coalition Forces Complete Operation Mountain Sweep, Armed Forces Press Service, US Department of Defense, August 26, 2002; Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.221.
30. Wright, A Different Kind of War, pp.223–24.
31. “Tactics In Counterinsurgency, FM-3-24.2 (FM 90-8, FM 7-98), Headquarters Department of the Army, Washington, DC, April 21, 2009.
32. Sources: Kennedy, Harold, Back From Afghanistan, Civil Affairs Unit Deploys to Iraq, National Defense Industrial Association, Arlington, Virginia, February 2004. Reprinted with permission; Company Sergeant Major James W. King interview, United States Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 2008.
33. James W. King interview, United States Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 2008.
1. Major Del Monroy, Operational Leadership Experiences interview, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 9, 2009.
2. Ibid.
3. Author interview, Fargo, Idaho, July 2013.
4. Author interview, Hurlburt Field, Florida, July 2013.
5. Desert Devil Dispatch, TF Devil Newsletter I, Issue 7, February 28, 2003, p.3.
6. Excerpts from Operation Valiant Strike by Specialist Marie Schult, Army, May 2003.
7. “Operation Iraqi Freedom — By the Numbers,” US Central Air Forces, Assessment and Analysis Division, April 30, 2003, p.3.
8. Franks, American soldier.
9. Global Security “Operation Desert Lion.”
10. Rorke, Private Terri, 11th Public Affairs Detachment, “Carpathian Lightning strikes largest cache,” Freedom Watch Newspaper published under the supervision of Combined Joint Task Force 180, April 22, 2003.
11. Rorke, Private Terri, 11th Public Affairs Detachment, “Devils craft Vigilant Guardian in Kandahar,” Freedom Watch Newspaper published under the supervision of Combined Joint Task Force 180, May 10, 2003.
12. Rorke, Private Terri, 11th Public Affairs Detachment, “No findings, still success for ‘White Devils,’” Freedom Watch Newspaper published under the supervision of Combined Joint Task Force 180, May 2, 2003.
13. Rorke, Private Terri, 11th Public Affairs Detachment, “The beauty behind the burqa,” Freedom Watch Newspaper published under the supervision of Combined Joint Task Force 180, May 10, 2003.
14. Global Security, Fire Base Shkin, Fire Base Checo.
15. Angell, Lieutenant Cory, 10th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, “Female MPs patrol ‘just another Joe,’” Freedom Watch Newspaper published under the supervision of Combined Joint Task Force 180, June 21, 2003.
16. “Secretary Rumsfeld Joint Media Availability with President Karzai,” Department of Defense news transcript, May 1, 2003, http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=2562.
17. Wright, A Different Kind of War, pp.256–57.
18. Author interview, Fort Indian Town Gap, August 2003.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Captain Bakhtiyorjon U. Hammidov, Uzbekistan Armed Forces, The fall of the Taliban Regime and its Recovery as an Insurgent Movement in Afghanistan, Tashkent Higher Military Academy of Combined Arms, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Master of Military Art and Science General Studies Thesis presented to the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2004.
22. Ibid.
23. Defend America, US Department of Defense news about the War on Terrorism, September 2003.
24. Global Security.
25. Sullivan interview.
26. Sources: Wright, A Different Kind of War, pp. 258–59; US Department of Defense, Heroes, Ryan Worthan, http://ourmilitaryheroes.defense.gov/profiles/worthanR.html; Mcgirk, Tim, “Battle in the Evilest Place,” Time, October 27, 2003.
27. Wright, A Different Kind of War.
28. Thiel, Joshua, COIN Manpower Ratios: Debunking the 10 to 1 Ratio and Surges¸ Small Wars Journal, January 15, 2011.
29 “Tora Bora Revisited: How We Failed To Get Bin Laden And Why It Matters Today,” A Report to the Members of the Committee On Foreign Relations United States Senate, 111th Congress, First Session, US Government Printing Office, November 30, 2009.
30. Sly, Liz, Offensive Targets Taliban, Al-qaida, Chicago Tribune, December 9, 2003. [Author’s Note: This air strike and the casualties have been attributed to both Operation Mountain Resolve and Operation Avalanche by different sources.]
31. Sources: NJ Run For the Fallen and Arlington National Cemetery website.
32. Heath, Sergeant Greg, 4th Public Affairs Detachment, “2-87 Catamounts keep rolling in Afghanistan,” The Mountaineer Online, January 8, 2004.
33. Summary of Afghan National Army (ANA), Program for Culture &Conflict Studies.
34. Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.319
1. American Forces Press Service, Coalition in Afghanistan Wraps Up Mountain Blizzard, March 13, 2004.
2. Some information obtained from Synovitz, Ron, Afghanistan: US-led Commando Teams Fight Taliban With Unconventional Warfare, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, March 15, 2004, http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1051894.html.
3. Forward-looking infrared imaging systems.
4. Garrett Hopkins interview, Saving the Legacy: An Oral History of Utah Veterans,
J. Willard Marriott Library, Special Collections Department, American West Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 22, 2010.
5. Wright, A Different Kind of War, pp.288–89.
6. Ibid, p.290.
7. Colonel Walter M. Herd, interview by Contemporary Operations Study Team, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, KS, June 22, 2007.
8. Bogart, Adrian T. III, One Valley at a Time, Hurlburt Field, FL: Joint Special Operations University Press, 2006, pp.59–62.
9. Personal Experience Paper of Dwight C. Utley, “Operation Enduring Freedom, Kunar Valley, Afghanistan, May 15 – December 1, 2004,” Fort Bragg, North Carolina, August 20, 2006.
10. Lieutenant General David W. Barno, interview by Center for Military History, May 3, 2006.
11. US Institute for Peace Afghanistan USIP – ADST Experience Project interview #5, reprinted with permission.
12. Ibid.
13. US Institute for Peace USIP – ADST Afghanistan Experience Project interview #45, reprinted with permission.
14. US Institute for Peace USIP – ADST Afghanistan Experience Project interview #51, reprinted with permission.
15. Personal Experiences Paper of Dwight C. Utley.
16. Sources: Milks, Gunnery Sergeant Keith A., 22nd MEU Afghanistan Recap: Operation ASBURY PARK, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps website, September 1, 2004; Sellers, LTC Terry L., MEMORANDUM FOR BOBCAT FAMILIES, Update from Afghanistan, department of the army, headquarters, 2nd battalion, 5th infantry regiment, 2nd brigade, 25th infantry division (light), July 13, 2004.
17. Clawson, Sergeant Jeremy A., 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, “Operation Dragon Tree takes root,” Hawaii Army Weekly, July 16, 2004.
18. Sources: Dietl, Gulshan, War, Peace and the Warlords: The Case of Ismail Khan of Herat in Afghanistan, Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, Vol. 3, No. 2&3, Summer &Fall 2004; Wright, A Different Kind of War, p.297.
19. Sources: The Cater Center Country Profile: Afghanistan; CRS Report for Congress, Afghanistan: Elections, Constitution, and Government, updated May 25, 2006.
20. Operation Enduring Freedom Deployment Photos, http://www.25idl.army.mil/deployment/oef%20afghanistan/deployment/13dec04pictures.htm.
21. “US Begins New Offensive Vs. Afghan Militants,” Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2004.
22. CTF Thunder covered the central and eastern region of the country. It included: 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division (Light); 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division; 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment of the Virginia Army National Guard; 1st Battalion, 505th PIR 82nd Airborne Division, along with many smaller attachments. CTF Thunder was also responsible for Provincial Reconstruction Teams supporting security and reconstruction efforts in the Parwan, Bamyan, Ghazni, Gardez, Khost, Sharona, Asadabad, and Jalalabad areas. Source: US Department of Defense, http://osd.dtic.mil/home/features/1082004d.html. Colonel Gary H. Cheek commands Combined Task Force Thunder.
23. Rhen, Staff Sergeant Bradley, Coalition begins winter offensive in Afghanistan, Army News Service, December 20, 2004.
24. Mattingly, Corporal Rich, 3/3 Marines, Sailors Repel Christmas Eve Ambush, Task Force Trinity, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines in the Global War on Terror, http://www.taskforcetrinity.com/archives/146#more-146.
25. According to a Congressional Research Service report in December 2004, Afghanistan was the source of 87 percent of the world’s opium and heroin. CRS Report for Congress, Afghanistan: Narcotics and US Policy, December 7, 2004.
26. CRS Report to Congress, US Military Operations in the Global War on Terrorism: Afghanistan, Africa, the Philippines, and Colombia, August 26, 2005.
27. Wright, A Different Kind of War.
28. Major General Jason Kamiya, interview by Contemporary Operations Study Team, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, September 11, 2007.
29. The ANP is the primary police force of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan Border Police (ABP) provides law enforcement capabilities at borders and entry points, including Afghanistan’s airports, in order to deter criminal activity and the movement of insurgents into Afghanistan.
30. GAO Report, “Afghanistan Security: Efforts to Establish Army and Police Have Made Progress, but Future Plans Need to Be Better Defined,” June 2005.
31. Rhen, Staff Sergeant Bradley, “Team trains, assists Afghan police,” Sentinel, February 15, 2005.
32. Command Chronology for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, January–June 2005.
33. Mattingly, Corporal Rich, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Operation Mavericks Captures Suspected Terrorist, April 5, 2005.
34. Command Chronology for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, January–June 2005.
35. Looker’s Personal Experience Paper, Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, AO East, Afghanistan, 11/07/2004–06/04/2005, Center for Army Lessons Learned, September 4, 2006.
36. Sources: Leo, Roger, “No letup for Marines,” Worcester Telegram &Gazette, July 5, 2005; Dickerson, Corporal Michelle M., Marine recalls Silver Star actions, Marine Corps Base, Hawaii, February 10, 2006.
37. Scavetta, Sergeant 1st Class Rick, Marines Return to Tora Bora for Operation Celtics, Special to American Forces Press Service, Department of Defense, May 31, 2005.
38. Sources: Caldwell, Staff Sergeant Jacob, Combined Task Force Bayonet, “Operation Diablo Reach Back Targets Militia,” Defend America, June 28, 2005; CRS Report to Congress, August 26, 2005.
39. For details see “Operation Red Wings Summary of Action,” http://www.navy.mil/moh/mpmurphy/soa.html.
40. Pryor, Private Mike, 1/352 Public Affairs Detachment, “Operation Neptune strikes Taliban in Afghan desert,” ARNEWS, August 22, 2005.
41. Mraz, Steve, “Operation Pil targets Taliban in Kunar province,” Stars and Stripes, October 24, 2005
42. Fusco, Private Vincent, 20th Public Affairs Detachment, “US Paratroopers Complete Operation Pizmah,” Defend America News, January 5, 2006.
43. CRS Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians, December 6, 2012.
1. Cole, Beth Ellen and Hsu, Emily, Afghan Insurgency Still A Potent Force, US Institute for Peace briefing, February 2006.
2. CRS Report to Congress, US and Coalition Military Operations in Afghanistan: Issues for Congress, June 9, 2006.
3. Ibid.
4. US Field Manual (FM) 3-24 Para 5-51 – 5-78.
5. Master Sergeant Michael Threatt, Combined Studies Institute interview, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, September 20, 2006.
6. Perito, Robert M., The US Experience with Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan: Lessons Identified, United States Institute for Peace Special Report 152, USIP, 1220, 17th Street NW, Washington, DC, October 2005.
7. Commander John Wade and Commander Mike Vaney interviews, Operational Leadership Experiences, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
8. Commander Wade interview.
9. Commander Vaney interview.
10. 1st Sergeant Arthur L. Fredericks, Operation Enduring Freedom 01/04/2006 to 05/22/2007, United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, SMNRC Class 35 Phase II, 02/27/2010.
11. CJTF-76 composition: 10th Mountain’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team; USMC 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment; brigades from the ANA 201st and 203rd Corps; 10th Combat Aviation Brigade (TF Falcon); multicomponent Special Operations Forces (SOF); 710th Brigade Support Battalion, various support elements; joint PRTs to coordinate R&D activities, engineers to provide mobility and support R and US military embedded training teams (ETTs) to train and mentor the ANSF.
12. Sources: CRS Report to Congress, June 9, 2006; Coss, Colonel Michael A, “Operation Mountain Lion: CJTF-76 in Afghanistan, Spring 2006,” Military Review, January–February 2008; Lindsay, Sergeant Joe, USMC, “Operation Mountain Lion Roars Into Korengal Valley,” Special to American Forces Press Service, US Department of Defence, May 8, 2006; Zenk, Major Eric, “‘Lion’s Pride’ Brings Medical Care to Afghans,” Defend America News, May 5, 2006.
13. Connors interview by Douglas Cubbison, the Command Historian for the 10th Mountain Division.
14. Jorgensen interview by Douglas Cubbison, the Command Historian for the 10th Mountain Division.
15. Nilon interview by Douglas Cubbison, the Command Historian for the 10th Mountain Division.
16. Sax interview by Douglas Cubbison, the Command Historian for the 10th Mountain Division.
17. CRS Report for Congress, US Forces in Afghanistan, March 27, 2007.
18. Institute for War &Peace Reporting, Helmand Residents Question NATO Success Claims, ARR Issue 257, June 29, 2007
19. Ibid.
20. Sources: (Dutch) Uruzgan Weblog: Uruzgan: Het gevecht om Chora; (Dutch) Infanteristen, commando’s: iedereen vecht tegen Taliban – Binnenland – de Volkskrant; Battle for Chora, War and Tactics, http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/afghanistan-476/battle-for-chora-june-2007/, March 12, 2010; Honor the Fallen, Military Times.
21. Author interview.
22. The US Air Force Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopters handled the problem by not displaying a Red Cross and mounting crew-served weapons on both sides (more on this in Chapter 7).
23. Major Gary Means interview, Operational Leadership Experiences, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, February 1, 2010.
24. Regional Command East, Institute for the Study of War, Washington, DC.
25. Caldwell, Jacob, USA, “Company Works to Flush Out Taliban During ‘Rock Avalanche,’” Armed Forces Press Service, October 31, 2007.
26. Rubin, Elizabeth, “Battle Company Is Out There,” New York Times Magazine, February 24, 2008.
27. Sources: Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta Medal of Honor Official Narrative; Tilghman, Andrew, “Medal of Honor bittersweet, Giunta says,” Army Times, September 15, 2010.
28. Author interview with Captain Angelina Stephens, Mountain Home Air Base.
29. “Afghan flag flies over Musa Qaleh once again,” Defence News, British Ministry of Defence. December 12, 2007.
1. The French Government reduced its caveats and agreed to allow its forces in Kabul and elsewhere come to the assistance of other NATO forces in an emergency. Germany also allowed its forces to respond in an emergency, but German troops reportedly patrol only in armored personnel carriers, and do not leave their bases at night. Turkey refused to change its proscription against its forces’ use in combat. The Italian and Spanish governments allowed that their force commanders in the field could make the decision to send forces to assist in an urgent situation. CRS Report for Congress, NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance, Updated January 7, 2008.
2. RC-North – Germany, RC-East – US, RC-South – Britain, RC-West – Italy, RC-Capital – Turkey.
3. Sources: Associated Press, 1/15/2008; The Guardian, 14 January 2008; BBC News, January 15, 2008.
4. www.army.mil: the Official Homepage of the United States Army, December 15, 2008.
5. Captain Kyle Walton, Master Sergeant Scott Ford, Staff Sergeant Dillon Behr, Staff Sergeant Seth Howard, Staff Sergeant Luis Morales, Staff Sergeant Ronald Shurer, Staff Sergeant John Walding, Sergeant David Sanders, Sergeant Matthew Williams, and Specialist Michael Carter were awarded Silver Stars for their actions. SrA Zachary Rhyner became the third and only living Air Force Cross Combat Controller in the Global War on Terrorism to be awarded the Air Force Cross.
6. Dupee, Matt, “Kapisa province: The Taliban’s gateway to Kabul and ANA Commandos and US Special Forces capture and kill insurgents in Kapisa province,” The Long War Journal, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, April 29, 2008, updated on April 30, 2008.
7. Sources: 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Operation Azada Wosa: Recounting the 24th MEU’s progress in Garmsir, July 19, 2008; 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 24th MEU flips to COIN, July 7, 2008.
8. Author interview with General David D. McKiernan.
9. Sources: Cavallaro, Gina and Fuentes, Gidget, “Valor awards mount up for little-known battle,” Marine Corps Times, Gannett Company, July 17, 2011; Lamothe, Dan, “‘We drove them from the battlefield’: Marines overcome 8-to-1 odds during an 8-hour battle,” Marine Corps News Room, December 22, 2008; Lowe, Christian, “Marines Prevailed in a Day of Battle,” Military.com, December 3, 2008.
10. Congressional Research Service, Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilian, December 8, 2010.
11. Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, Report DRS 11280, Modified Location Country Report, December 2008.
1. Fair, Christine C., Jones, Seth G., Securing Afghanistan Getting on Track, United States Institute for Peace Working Paper, January 23, 2009.
2. Combating Terrorism Center, CTC Sentinel, West Point, February 15, 2009.
3. “Dozens killed in Afghan fighting,” BBC News, January 7, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7814995.stm.
4. Sources: ISAF Press Releases, “Joint ANSF, ISAF operation disrupts IED networks in Kandahar,” January 13, 2009 (PR# 2009-043) and “ANSF and ISAF disrupt terrorist bomb-making network,” February 6, 2009 (PR# 2009-117).
5. Ibid.
6. Major Casey Crowley interview, Operational Leadership Experiences Project, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, September 2011.
7. Ibid.
8. Blanchard, Christopher M., Afghanistan: Narcotics and US Policy, Congressional Research Service, April 21, 2009.
9. Ibid.
10. Major Kurt C. Merseal, Team Chief, CNIK ETT, ARSIC-K, Memorandum Subject: Serious Incident Report (SIR) for Troops in Contact (TIC), department of the army, counter narcotics infantry kandak embedded training team (CNIK ETT) camp Dubbs, Darulaman, Afghanistan, AFGHANISTAN APO AE 09320.
11. Report on Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan Report to Congress in accordance with the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1230, Public Law 110-181), June 2009.
12. Among the sources are: DoD News Briefing with Brigadier General Nicholson from Afghanistan, Presenters: Commander, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan Brigadier General Lawrence Nicholson, July 8, 2009; Sheppard, Ben, “US Marines battle on in Afghanistan,” The Sydney Morning Herald, July 3, 2009; Strazious, Jason, “Marines suffer first casualties in Afghanistan offensive,” Associated Press, July 1, 2009; Shanker, Thom and Oppel, Jr., Richard A., “In Tactical Shift, Troops Will Stay and Hold Ground in Afghanistan,” New York Times, July 2, 2009; Youssef, Nancy, “Taliban scatters in Afghanistan, but the threat survives,” McClatchy Newspapers, July 8, 2009; Chandrasekaran, Rajiv, “Taliban Insurgents Step Up Attacks on Marines in Southern Afghanistan,” Washington Post, July 4, 2009.
13. Youssef, Nancy A., “Afghans: Taliban have escaped Helmand and Marines,” McClatchy Newspapers.
14. Among the sources were: de Montesquiou, Alfred, “Marines Assault Dahaneh, Afghan Town Held By Taliban, For First Time,” The World Post, August 13, 2009; Nelson, Soraya Sarahaddi, “Marines Find Afghan Mission Is A Matter Of Trust,” NPR, August 24, 2009.
15. Regimental Combat Team 3 Public Affairs, Regimental Combat Team 3, First Marine RCT in Afghanistan concludes historic deployment, October 26, 2009.
16. Major Louis Gianoulakis interview, Operational Leadership Experiences Project, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, October 12, 2010.
17. “Commander’s Initial Assessment,” Headquarters, ISAF, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 30, 2009.
18. Sources include: Leipold, J.D., Battle of Ganjgal: Army’s first officer to receive Medal of Honor from OIF/OEF recounts ambush, www.army.mil, October 15, 2013; Lamothe, Dan, “Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards,” Marine Corps Times, August 2, 2010.
19. Westbrook was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and seemed on the verge of recovery, then complications developed as the result of a blood transfusion in Afghanistan, which initially saved his life. He passed away October 7, a month after the battle.
20. Captain William D. Swenson and Corporal Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. Corporal Meyer is the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, and Captain Swenson is the fifth living soldier to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Staff Sergeant Juan Rodriguez-Chavez and Captain Ademola Fabayo received the Navy Cross.
21. US soldiers killed in the battle were: Justin T. Gallegos, Christopher Griffin, Kevin C. Thomson, Michael P. Scusa, Vernon W. Martin, Stephan L. Mace, Joshua J. Kirk, and Joshua M. Hardt.
22. Sources include: Defense Department interview posted online; US Army Executive Summary – AR 15-6 Investigation re: Complex Attack on COP Keating – 3 October 2009.
23. Official Narrative: Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha, Medal of Honor, http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/romesha/narrative.html.
24. Hitesman, Lance Corporal John, Marines clear Taliban from Buji Bhast Pass, Defense Video &Imagery Distribution Center (DVIDS), October 16, 2009.
25. Nola, Corporal Zachary, “Marines face two-front engagement during Operation North Star,” Marine Official website, December 2, 2009.
26. Sources: Marino II, Lance Corporal Walter D., Cobra’s Anger: Marines assault into Now Zad, Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs, December 13, 2009; Adkins, Sergeant Lia, Lima Company comes full circle in Now Zad: Marines reflect on progress, sacrifices, ISAF Regional Command South, August 18, 2013.
1. Congressional Research Service (CRS) – War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress June 8, 2010.
2. Ibid.
3. Afghanistan: The London Conference, January 28, 2010 communiqué.
4. Ibid.
5. Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), NATO OTAN Media Backgrounder, October 26, 2010.
6. February 14, 2010, 6:57pm. “Opium city captured,” http://www.heraldsun.com.au/archive/news/opium-city-captured/story-e6frf7lf-1225830238012.
7. NATO-ISAF Briefing, Major General Nick Carter, February 18, 2010. IJC Public Affairs Office, http://www.nato.int/isaf.
8. ISAF Joint Command – Afghanistan News Release 2010-02-CA-59 Operation Moshtarak, February 13, 2010.
9. CRS – War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress June 8, 2010.
10. The information and quotes regarding the operation were taken from two press releases filed by Marine Sergeant Brian Tuthill, Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs. Links: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/45179/marines-fight-insurgents-secure-key-intersection-road-marjeh#.UkWKZD8jaSq; http://www.dvidshub.net/news/46619/marines-name-new-outpost-near-marjah-fallen-brother#.UkWHwT8jaSq.
11. Major Robert Lee interview, Operational Leadership Experiences, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, March 2011.
12. Norton-Taylor, Richard, “Nato offensive aims to tackle bribery and corruption in Kandahar,” Guardian, April 18, 2010 6:22pm EDT.
13. McKenzie, Jean, “Dread surrounds Operation Hope,” Global Post, April 19, 2010.
14. Operation New Dawn was also referred to as Operation Cobra in news releases.
15. Fayloga, Sergeant Mark, America’s Battalion, Afghan Army complete first task in Operation New Dawn, Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs, June 20, 2010.
16. Staff Sergeant Matthew Loheide was awarded the Silver Star for his part in the battle.
17. The information for this operation was excerpted from: “Operation Strong Eagle: The Brutal Battle of Sangam,” by Dianna Cahn, Stars and Stripes, September 20, 2010; “Fort Campbell soldier Sergeant 1st Class Matthew Loheide received Silver Star in Ceremony on Friday,” Clarksville Online, April 8, 2013.
18. 300th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Press Release, “No Slack” Continues Clearing the Ghaki Valley, July 24, 2010.
19. Sources: Padula, Sergeant Joe, “Operation Dragon Strike: Mission improves Kandahar security,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, October 7, 2010; Pendlebury, Richard and Wiseman, Jamie, “Dicing with death in the devil’s playground: In a heart stopping dispatch, the Mail’s Richard Pendlebury joins troops clearing roadside bombs in the Afghan valley where every step could be your last,” Mail Online, October 25, 2010; Millham, Matthew, “Compensation in Kandahar,” ISAF HQ Public Affairs; ISAF News, “Afghan Security Forces, ISAF Assist Residents In Returning Home,” ISAF Joint Command –Afghanistan,” 2011-01-D-328; Barikzai, Naweed, Operation Dragon Strike – Afghanistan, Center for Conflict and Peace Studies Afghanistan, October 2010.
20. Task Force Bastogne Public Affairs Office, “Security forces begin operations in the Pech River Valley, October 15, 2010.
21. Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, “CDO, USSF reduce caches, kill 13 insurgents in Kunar,” October 23, 2010.
22. Security forces begin operations in the Pech River Valley.
23. The defense of COP Margah resulted in award or recommendation for one Silver Star, three Bronze Star Medals with Valor, 12 Army Commendation Medals with Valor, two Purple Hearts, ten Combat Infantryman Badges, and one battlefield promotion.
24. Sources: Boothe Jr., Specialist Luther L., “The Defense of COP Margah: a story of valor,” Task Force Currahee Public Affairs, December 11, 2010; Axe, David, “US Kills 70 Taliban, Loses No One In Huge Outpost Battle,” Danger Room, Wired, November 17, 2011.
25. For their heroism and valiant efforts, members of the 33rd RQS are being recognized with the Jolly Green Association Rescue Mission of the Year Award. The association is composed of military service members and veterans who have flown in or otherwise supported “Jolly Green” rescue operations. The 33rd RQS, which has as its home base Kadena A.B. in Japan, was chosen from a competitive field that included US Air Force rescue units from across the globe.
26. Over the course of the five days of Operation Bulldog Bite, the three pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron conducted 25 CASEVAC and MEDEVAC missions, and retrieved 49 coalition personnel.
27. Author interview with Captain Andresky.
28. Sources: Burrell, Sergeant Mark, “‘Bulldog Bite’ clears Pech River Valley,” Task Force Bastogne Public Affairs, November 30, 201; Hostullier, Senior Airman Shaunlee, “33rd RQS wins third straight ‘Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year,’” 18th Wing Public Affairs, May 2, 2011; Lowery, Jake, “3-star: Operation Bulldog Bite disrupts Taliban,” The Leaf-Chronicle, November 18, 2010; Dunham, Mike, “Alaska squadron rescues troops in fierce battle,” Anchorage Daily News, August 20, 2011.
29. “American Marines pay a heavy price in fight for Sangin,” factstoknow.co.uk, December 6, 2010.
30. Abbot, Sebastian, “In Afghan cauldron, realism can trump the rulebook,” Associated Press 10:07am, December 2, 2010.
31. Shukla, Paraag, BATTLEFIELD UPDATE: TASK FORCE DREADNAUGHT IN MAIWAND DISTRICT, KANDAHAR, Institute for the Study of War Backgrounder, January 23, 2012.
32. McCall, Corporal John, “1st CEB, coalition forces complete Outlaw Wrath, destroy more than 50 IEDs,” 1st Marine Division, December 12, 2010.
33. Truscott, Claire, “US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state,” AFP, December 6, 2010.
1. Sources: Lim, Lieutenant Alex, “2/1 clears Durzay in Operation Godfather,” Regimental Combat Team, January 14, 2011; Woodall, Corporal Daniel, “Engineer Marines begin civil development projects in Durzay,” 1st Marine Logistics Group, February 11, 2011.
2. Ross, Staff Sergeant Jeremy, “Afghan soldiers, coalition Advisors sweep villages during Operation Omid Shash,” Regional Command Southwest, February 18, 2011.
3. Sources: Wallace, Technical Sergeant Kevin, “Operation Red Sand destroys insurgent compounds in Bala Murghab,” ISAF Joint Command, April 6, 2011; Wallace, Master Sergeant Kevin, “Flashbacks of War, Remembering Red Sand,” 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, July 26, 2012; Wallace, Master Sergeant Kevin, “To hell and back: The Bala Murghab saga,” 336th Fighter Wing, April 4, 2013; Petty Officer 1st Class John A. Pearl, Sworn Statement on the events that occurred on April 4, 2011 in Bala Murghab, Badghis province, Afghanistan; Lieutenant Joseph Cecil Law, Sworn Statement COP Metro, Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, 2012/01/10; Author interview with Technical Sergeant Kevin Wallace.
4. Author interview with Staff Sergeant Ben Seekell, June 2013.
5. Major Eric McKinney interview, Operational Leadership Experiences, Combat Studies Institute, Leavenworth, Kansas, February 2013.
6. Author interview with Captain Gary Charney, USAF.
7. Sources: Radin, C.J., “US begins drawdown of forces from Afghanistan,” The Long War Journal, July 15, 2011; Lamothe, Dan, “3/4 eyed as part of Afghanistan drawdown,” Marine Corps Times, July 6, 2011.
8. Sources: Shea, Neil, “Unlikely unit of cooks, fuelers, and mechanic and clerks leads assault into a Taliban stronghold,” Stars and Stripes, August 21, 2011; Pouliot, Staff Sergeant Todd, “TF Knighthawk supports Operation Dagger Fury,” Task Force Falcon Public Affairs, August 10, 2011.
9. Major Matthew Brown interview, Operational Leadership Experiences, Combat Studies Institute, Leavenworth, Kansas, July 2012.
10. Author interview with Captain Andrew L. Chaulk.
11. US War Casualties – Afghanistan, http://citizenjournalistreview.wordpress.com/us-war-casualties-afghanistan-by-date/.
12. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan opium Survey 2011 Summary findings, October 2011.
1. Author interview with Master Sergeant William Kennedy.
2. Author interview with Staff Sergeant Anthony Delvecchio.
3. Sources include the author’s discussion with Afghan-American interpreters in Kabul, February 2013.
4. Downen, Sergeant 1st Class James, “Squad defends combat outpost against rioters,” Joint Force Headquarters, Michigan National Guard, February 26, 2012.
5. Quote excerpted from “US Soldier Massacres 16 Afghan Civilians In Shooting Rampage – Dead Include 12 Women And Kids,” by Heidi Vogt and Mirwais Khan, Associated Press, March 11, 2012.
6. Author interview with personal source.
7. Hyatt, Staff Sergeant Anthony, “Airman’s actions in support of OEF result with AFCAM,” Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs, August 8, 2013. Technical Sergeant Clifford Hartley was awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal and Bronze Star for his actions.
8. Livingston, Ian S. and O’Hanlon, Michael, Afghanistan Index, Brookings, May 16, 2012.
9. Sources include: Smith, Bernard, “Taliban ‘spring offensive’ rocks Afghanistan,” Al Jazeera, April 17, 2012; Mojaddidi, Mushta, “Taliban’s ‘spring offensive’ rocks Afghanistan,” AFP, April 15, 2012; Solheim, Simon, “Omfattande angrep i Kabul i Afghanistan (Comprehensive attacks in Kabul in Afghanistan),” Norwegian Defense Media, April 15, 2012; Stone, Mark, “UK Troops Crucial In Ending Kabul Attack,” Sky News, April 19, 2012.
10. NATO Summit, Chicago Summit Declaration on Afghanistan Issued by the Heads of State and Government of Afghanistan and Nations contributing to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Chicago, Illinois, May 21, 2012.
11. Author interview with Staff Sergeant Christopher R. Miller, USAF.
12. Excerpts from Lamothe, Dan, “Taliban make gains as Marines take back seat,” Marine Corps Times, October 29, 2012.
13. Excerpts from Taylor, Rob, “US troops return to Afghanistan’s ‘lost province,’” Reuters, June 13, 2012.
14. MacLeod, Sergeant Michael J., “Bragg paratroopers, Afghan soldiers disrupt insurgent safe havens in Ghazni province,” www.army.mil, June 11, 2012.
15. United States Central Command Camp Bastion Leatherneck Shorabak (BLS) Investigation Enclosure 3 Executive Summary.
16. Gresham, John D., “Attack on Camp Bastion: The Destruction of VMA-11,” Defense Media Network, September 20, 2012.
17. Lamothe, Dan, “Fallen Marine commander up for Silver Star,” Marine Corps Times, October 12, 2012.
18. Excerpted from Major Rodd T. McDonald’s Silver Star citation.
19. Caldwell, Rachel and Savage, Major Craig, “Special Tactics Airmen awarded Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, and Purple Heart medals,” 24th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs, January 13, 2014, and Master Sergeant Delorean M. Sheridan’s Silver Star citation.
20. Ibid.
21. Sources: Pouliot, Staff Sergeant Todd, “Afghan aviators resupply remote bases with partnered close-air support”; 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, October 28, 2013; Author interview with Mongolian Air Force personnel.
22. Piper, Sergeant 1st Class Raymond, “Army’s top logistician remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ on Afghanistan withdrawal,” www.army.mil. October 4, 2013.
23. Sources: Defenselink Casualty Report, http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf;icasualties.org/oef/.
24. Source: International Security Assistance Force – Afghanistan, troop numbers and contributions, http://www.isaf.nato.int/troop-numbers-and-contributions/index.php.
25. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Counter Narcotics, “Afghanistan Opium Survey 2013 Summary Findings,” http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghan_report_Summary_Findings_2013.pdf.
26. Source: ISAF Transcript: President Obama’s May 27 speech on Afghanistan, http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-news/transcript-president-obamas-may-27-speech-on-afghanistan.html.