Chapter 10: “Carte Blanche”

1 At 10:30 P.M.… of the war … Weapon of Choice, pp. 140–42.… 24th STS … 160th SOAR sources.

2 The first … on Kandahar. A TF Sword planner.

3 Operators and planners … according to Blaber. The Mission, the Men, and Me, pp. 83, 141, 174–78.

4 For once … and Herat. A retired special operations officer; a TF Sword planner; a Delta source.

5 Although the … Blaber wrote. The Mission, the Men, and Me, pp. 177–78.

6 When a reinforced … “the bundle” … Three Delta sources; a JSOC staffer; Kill bin Laden, p. 73.

7 … meaning that … jumpers. A special operations source experienced in HALO jumps.

8 … badly injuring his knee … Two Team 6 sources.

9 These rugged … upgrade them. Special Operations Patrol Vehicles: Afghanistan and Iraq, by Leigh Neville (Oxford: Osprey, 2011), p. 29; a JSOC staff officer.

10 For one TF Sword … to prove it. Little Bird pilots.… Dailey had cut … a TF Sword source.

11 As the first … cold, dry silence. Little Bird pilots; Weapon of Choice, pp. 140–43;… insisted the Little Bird missions … a TF Sword source.

12 Less than three … machine gun. Weapon of Choice, p. 143; Little Bird pilots. The Desert Mobility Vehicle is also known as the Ground Mobility Vehicle.

13 Another two … flight to Masirah. Little Bird pilots.

14 While the AH-6s … 2:51 A.M. Weapon of Choice, pp. 143–44; Little Bird pilots.

15 Not to be … pilot said. JSOC staff officer; Little Bird pilots; Delta operator.

16 Those mid-November … Afghan desert. Little Bird pilots.