Chapter 1: A Phoenix Rises

1 It was a late … new organization. Nightingale.

2 On April 24 … humiliated. Guests of the Ayatollah, by Mark Bowden (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006), pp. 447–69.

3 But the men … to Washington. Delta Force, by Col. Charlie Beckwith (Ret.) (New York: Avon, 2000), pp. 326, 330–31; Wayne Long; Nightingale; a JSOC staff officer; a senior JSOC official; a Delta officer; Crippled Eagle: A Historical Perspective on U.S. Special Operations, 1976–1996, by Rod Lenahan (Charleston, S.C.: Narwhal, 1998), p. 158.… code-named Snowbird … The project to mount a second attempt to rescue the hostages is often referred to as Honey Badger, but Honey Badger was actually a subcomponent of Snowbird having mostly to do with the program to create a special operations helicopter force.

4 A more formal … “assigned forces.” The unclassified version of the “Holloway Commission” report, p. 61, accessed at: http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB63/doc8.pdf.

5 The military brass … beginning. Nightingale.

6 Early one September … was concerned. A senior JSOC official.

7 The new … or JSOC. Fitch; a senior JSOC staff member; FM 100-5—Operations, published 1976 by the Department of the Army, Appendix B, pp. 2–3, accessed at: http://www.survivalebooks.com/free%20manuals/1976%20US%20Army%20Vietnam%20War%20OPERATIONS%20201p.pdf.

8 At the core … “the Unit.” Delta Force, pp. 11–40, 132–38; Inside Delta Force, by Eric L. Haney (New York: Dell, 2003), pp. 17–103; Never Surrender, by LTG (Ret.) William G. Boykin with Lynn Vincent (New York: FaithWords, 2008), pp. 68–83; a Delta officer.… West Virginia … The “Long Walk” was initially held in North Carolina’s Uwharrie National Forest, but it had moved to West Virginia by the time JSOC stood up.

9 The battalions … light infantry. The Impact of Leaders on Organizational Culture: A 75th Ranger Regiment Case Study, by Lieutenant Colonel Francis H. Kearney III, a strategy research project for the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, 1997.

10 Beckwith envisioned … donut’s ring. A Ranger officer. The Ranger battalions were not formally assigned to JSOC, but Scholtes exercised operational control over them.

11 Almost simultaneous … for Team 6. Rogue Warrior, by Richard Marcinko with John Weisman (New York: Pocket Books, 1992), pp. 192–205, 212–20; Brave Men, Dark Waters: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALs, by Orr Kelly (New York: Pocket Books, 1993), pp. 213–18.

12 Until … Operations Staff. No Room for Error: The Covert Operations of America’s Special Tactics Units from Iran to Afghanistan, by Colonel John T. Carney Jr. and Benjamin F. Schemmer (New York: Ballantine, 2002), p. 102; Carney interview.

13 Such was … full time to JSOC. A senior JSOC official; Carney.

14 A new organization … the AH-6. The Night Stalkers, by Michael J. Durant and Steven Hartov (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006), pp. 46–56. But Vaught, who remained … A JSOC staff officer.

15 In July … agents. Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era, by Steven Emerson (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1988), pp. 21–22; Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America’s Most Secret Special Operations Team, by Michael Smith (London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2006), p. 23.

16 Halloween … in office. A senior JSOC official; Nightingale; The Night Stalkers, p. 57.

17 Although Scholtes … December 15. Secret Warriors, p. 26.

18 The Pentagon canceled … its paces. A JSOC staff officer.