A new book released Tuesday tells the story of the efforts U.S. Army Rangers made in summer 2005 to recover the casualties of Operation Red Wings and to rescue the mission's lone survivor, U.S. Navy SEAL Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell. Operation Red Wings is one of the darkest times in SEAL team history and the inspiration behind the movie Lone Survivor. [39][failed verification], Further intelligence, including human intelligence and signals intelligence, indicated that Shah based his operations out of some small structures outside of the village of Chichal, high on the slopes of Sawtalo Sar mountain in the upper Korangal Valley, approximately 20 miles (32km) to the west of Kunar's provincial capital Asadabad. We dont hide or run for a fight we stand ground, run towards one when one of or own needs help! Gulab then invoked the assistance of fellow villagers to help protect Luttrell until American forces could be contacted. Lone Survivor and The Truth The Havok Journal Gratefully, local nationals came to his aid, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three days. WOW. [71] In the Summary of Action related to the same citation, the Navy cites an "enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia". It utilized special operations forces (SOF) units and assets, including members of the U.S. Navy SEALs and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) 160th Airborne Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR), for the opening phase of the operation. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. License Complaints Form. But Luttrell wrote (or approved a ghost writer) this self serving ego-stroke of a book making his Lt look incompetent and himself a hero. Operation Red Wings (often incorrectly referred to as Operation Redwing or Operation Red Wing),[13] informally referred to as the Battle of Abbas Ghar, was a joint military operation conducted by the United States in the Pech District of Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Erik Samsel Kristensen (March 15, 1972 - June 28, 2005) was a Lieutenant commander of the United States Navy SEALs who was killed in action during Operation Red Wings. SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2, Virginia Beach, Va. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Adam Brown: The life and legacy of fearless Navy SEAL, The Day of the Rangers: An unforgettable moment in military history, ANA Commando: Afghanistans premier special operations unit, Examining the Differences in Training for SAS and Navy SEALs, Gunners Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz, Comms, Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell, Medic. Side note: if youre not familiar with the book Lone Survivor, go get it. Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountains steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Ahmad Shah was known to be the HVT behind numerous attacks on American forces, although there were other HVTs with more blood on their hands and considered to be bigger fish. So instead of reading and discrediting someone who obviously has seen combat and is living with his whole team being killed. I dont think any seal post 911 has ever been mistaken as a quiet profesional! Like any competent officer would pick a layup spot 10 feet off a goat trail so they get compromised by shepherds like a bunch of muppets. A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition insurgents. By the time of the book, that number had inflated to 200, and their target, who they never even laid eyes on, Ahmed Shah, was hardcore AQ and promoted to an OBL top lieutenant, lies no one but Luttrell has ever even tried to defend. In that incident, sixteen Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed, and three more SEALs were killed in subsequent fighting on the ground. Finding blood pools and body parts are usually what post battle assessment comes up with unless you are the ones conducting the raid. And with regards to voting whether or not to execute unarmed civilians, he admitted, "This is the first time I've ever heard of anything put to a vote like that. I may earn a small part of the sale from links to any products or services on this site. We'll only use the information provided according to our privacy policy. Ssgt. That was one of the greatest losses in the SOF community and the highest single loss in Operation Red Wings. Lt. Murphy said he does not make war on children. The intelligence staff identified four named areas of interest containing specific structures which Shah might be using. Those 3 fought their asses off. Click below for a FREE LESSON! [30] These operations, all of which included Navy SEALs, were conceived and planned by the battalion, with the specifics of those phases involving Navy SEALs being planned by the SEALs. The previous highest U.S. death toll from a single incident in the war came from a rocket attack on a Chinook helicopter carrying Navy SEALs during Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005. If you would have researched it well you would have known that it where GOAT-herders in stead of SHEEP-herders there is a big difference. Doesn't matter anyway, cuz the Talis already knew where they were: they heard their infil bird, found the fast rope the SEALs kicked under a bush at the LZ, and followed their big Salomon boot prints up the mountain. The list of those lost that day are as follows: Navy SEALs SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Contents All of these soldiers, are far better than me. If it pew-pews, its on. Marcus Luttrell writes the book Lone Survivor about Operation Red Wings. Operation Red Wings was a pyrrhic victory U.S. victory. The operation would require a helicopter insertion of forces to cordon the area and search for Shah and his men. [58], A large amount of resources were devoted to the search, rescue, and recovery operations of Red Wings II. Originally, Luttrell believed Axe must have died then and there because his head wounds were so devastating both his blue eyes had gone black with blood. The villagers refused. And just like Pat Tillman, the DOD needed up a hero story to cover up a goatf@ck, except this time here's Luttrell already on the spot trying to cash in with a ghost written book so bad it can't even get the mission name right (it's Red Wings after the hockey team, not Redwing). And we're to believe Murphy was so flabbergasted by what happens, never having considered the possibility of running into goatherds in a country where f@cking goats is the national pass time, that he just breaks down and has to take a vote on how to proceed. In my 14 years of Navy experience, I've never seen or heard of anything like that. As with the specifics of the planning of this phase, 2/3 played no direct role in command and control, as this was the "SOF supported" portion of the operation. During the following weeks of Red Wings II, ground units of 2/3 undertook a number of patrols, as did members of the Afghan National Army, Army Special Operations units, and Navy Special Operations units. And we're supposed to believe they stood around discussing what to do with the herders after the soft compromise, like no one ever considered the possibility? And I don't care how pious these guys were, a reinforced company-sized element that was mauled the way Luttrell claims (at least 50% casualties) does not bury 40 bodies in a few hours (graves no one ever finds) and then vanishes with all their wounded. [2][7], The name has been widely mis-stated as "Operation Redwing" and sometimes "Operation Red Wing". Phase 5 - Exfiltration: Depending on enemy activity, the Marines will remain in the area for up to one month, then depart the area. We already have an account registered for email address James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn. A massive search began, at first from the ground, and then with aviation assets which was able to retrieve the bodies of the 16 killed in the MH-47 shootdown. If Gulab is to be believed then Murphys decision to release the goatherders was irrelevant to the eventual ambush as the Taliban were already well on their way. [2], As with 3/3 before them, 2/3 sought to use Special Operations Forces assets for Red Wings but, unlike 3/3, they sought only the use of Special Operations Aviation assets, specifically, MH-47 Special Operations Aircraft of the 160th SOAR, not any ground forces. That being said, I read the book first, then saw the movie. Shah, they determined, was responsible for approximately 11 incidents against coalition forces and government of Afghanistan entities, including small arms ambushes and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. [1][2] With the goal of successful elections in Kunar, military operations in the area focused primarily on the disruption of ACM activity, and these military operations utilized a number of different units and operational constructs to achieve this goal. According to the Navy's summary of action, the four SEALs were "deep behind enemy lines," in difficult and rugged terrain in Afghanistan, on a reconnaissance mission scouting Ahmad Shah a. That is the literal definition of a liar. Korengal was and is crawling with hezbi e islami. It felt so artificial and contrived. Also the whole Afgan situation should have been avoided in the first place. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Throughout my career Ive been fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know quite a few American heroes and Luttrell is one of them. gear. On June 28, 2005, the 4-man SEAL team was sent on a reconnaissance mission to locate an HVT (high-valuable target) at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. Following the call, Murphy managed to drag himself to a semi-covered position, where he began to cry out to Luttrell for help. And why you are closer to being a terrorist than a Soldier. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life, moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men. [1][2] While many of Afghanistan's provinces at this time had stable security environments, one of the most restive continued to be the Kunar Province, which lies in eastern Afghanistan, on the border with Pakistan. [34], 2/3's battalion staff began planning Operation Red Wings when they arrived in Afghanistan. ANA and Coalition forces still are actively. The SEALs had . Gulab would spend the next 10 years fighting for his life and the lives of his family. [2][31] With the surrender of Najmudeen, ACM activity in the region dropped significantly. They determined that Shah and his men would be occupying the area of Chichal in late June, a time of low lunar illumination. Lone Survivor accuracy: Fact vs. fiction in the Mark Wahlberg and Peter At this point, late in the afternoon, storm clouds were moving in over the region and the aircraft returned to their respective bases. And no, I'm not trying to diss you, I know nothing of you, and you of me. It stands as a cautionary tale of how extreme arrogance and ineptitude can lead to disaster. Thats some serious badassery; thats a level of practically inhuman strength. [70], There has been some conflict over the number of Taliban forces involved in the engagement. [2] A team of four Navy SEALs, tasked with surveillance and reconnaissance of a group of structures known to be used by Shah and his men, were ambushed by Shah and his group just hours after inserting into the area by fast-roping from an MH-47 Chinook helicopter. Then theres the fact that the pain of survivors guilt cannot be understood unless it has been lived. Parents of slain Navy SEAL meet men who recovered their son's body He calls himself a coward. Operation Red Wings: The darkest day in history of Navy SEALs Severely wounded, Lt. Michael Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle. According to Luttrell, Axelson had three full magazines left at that moment in time. Hey you got any additional tin foil hats you could share? Bronze Star. Axelson was shot not once but twice in the head and kept on fighting. For the team to not find any dead combatants isnt unusual either because they have to be buried by sundown, so they will get the bodies fast. [2] These barriers included non-sharing of intelligence with the battalion and non-disclosure of impending raids by special operations units in the area. [52], Not long before Operation Red Wings, relations with the Americans had improved in the Shuryek Valley and the greater Pech River region because of humanitarian work that had taken place. Consequently, Shah and his group were one of the primary targets of the American military operation. Earthy and mesic Ronny page his hassock wagged differ furthest. Upon reaching Sawtalo Sar, the two MH-47s received small arms fire. anything extra and your The men had positioned themselves on the shale mountainside in the Hindu Kush east of Asadabad when they were compromised by a trio of supposed goatherders. Was SEAL Lt. Mike Murphy wrong to not surrender? : r/JockoPodcast - reddit While I understand SEALs tend to exaggerate things and are confident to a fault. The northeastern gulch in which the SEALs became trapped was in this direction, above the village of Salar Ban. [3][11][12], The claim in Luttrell's book that Lieutenant Murphy considered and put to the vote the possible execution of unarmed civilians who stumbled upon the SEAL team has been criticized and dismissed by many as fiction. Meanwhile, Marcus Luttrell had been taken in by a local Afghan, Gulab, from the village of Salar Ban, roughly 0.7 miles (1.1km) down the northeast gulch of Sawtalo Sar[4] from the location of the ambush. The battalion began planning a new operation, tentatively called Operation Stars, which was named after the Dallas Stars professional hockey team (3/3's battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Norman Cooling, hailed from Texas,[32] hence most operations were named after Texas sports teams)[33] Stars, like the other operations before it, focused on disrupting ACM activity, although Najmudeen's surrender caused activity to drop, and specific groups proved difficult to pinpoint. The story of Michael Murph Murphy is the stuff of legends. Many of the details regarding the Afghans who aided Luttrell were reported incorrectly in the American press during the days after the events occurred. He regained consciousness and was rescued by local Pashtun, who ultimately saved his life. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind. They were part of the planned QRF in Operation Red Wings. Shah had two videographers with him during the ambush and As-Sahab Media released their video of the ambush and images of the items recovered from the SEALs. Darack lists these on p. 167-168, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 160th Airborne Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, September 18, 2005, Afghan national parliamentary elections, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan, Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Red wings and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, "Operation Red Wings: What Really Happened? The password should contain at least 8 characters with at least one number or special character. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio. As a result, Ahmad Shah and his men left the region and regrouped in Pakistan. Phase 1 - Shaping: A U.S. Navy SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team is tasked to insert in the region of the suspected safe buildings of Ahmad Shah, observe and identify Shah and his men and specific locations, and guide a direct action team of phase two to structures in which Shah and his men are observed to be staying. 'Lone Survivor' uncovered: The ambush at Sawtalo Sar | SOFREP [68] It was dedicated by Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter in November 2007. [1], After the broken transmission from the SEAL team, their position and situation were unknown.
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