Operation Anaconda
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Soldiers from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), prepare to move out after being dropped off by a Chinook helicopter at the combat zone during Operation Anaconda. The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U The 187th Infantry Regiment ( Rakkasans) is a Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault of the United States Army. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Date March 1, 2002–March 18, 2002 Location Shahi Kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan Result Coalition victory. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Shah-i-Kot Valley (also Shahi-Kot Shah-e-Kot and other variant spellings is a Valley located in Afghanistan 's Paktia province southeast of the town Paktia ( پکتيا) is one of the thirty-four Provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,
Belligerents
United States,  Canada,  United Kingdom,  Germany,  Australia,  New Zealand,  Norway, Afghan National Army	Taliban insurgents, al-Qaeda
Commanders
Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck	Saifur Rahman Mansoor
Strength
2,000	500–1,500
Casualties and losses
8 U.S. servicemen killed, 82 wounded; 7 Afghan soldiers killed	500–800 [1]

Operation Anaconda is the code name for an operation in early March 2002 in which the United States military, along with allied Afghan military forces, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Afghan National Army (ANA is a service branch of the Military of Afghanistan currently being trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the lead in The Taliban insurgency took root shortly after the group's fall from power following the 2001 war in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Lieutenant General Franklin L Hagenbeck assumed duties as the 57th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, West Point New York in June 2006 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term " serviceman " alternatively "service member" refers to an enlisted individual in the Armed forces. Eunectes is a Genus of non-venomous boas found in tropical South America, commonly called anacondas. March 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately The Shah-i-Kot Valley (also Shahi-Kot Shah-e-Kot and other variant spellings is a Valley located in Afghanistan 's Paktia province southeast of the town This operation was the first large-scale battle in the United States war in Afghanistan since the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001 This was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U. S. conventional (i. e. non-Special Operations Forces) forces participating in direct combat activities. United States Special Operations Forces are active and reserve Component forces of U

Between March 2 and March 16, 2002, 1,700 airlifted U. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled over 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters and obtained control of the valley. The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately The Taliban and al-Qaida forces entrenched themselves in caves and ridges in the mountainous terrain, and fired on U. S. forces attempting to secure the area with mortars and heavy machine guns. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saifur Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U. S. forces had estimated the strength of the rebels in the Shahi-Kot Valley at 150 to 200, but later information suggested the actual strength was of 500 to 1,000 fighters. The U. S. forces estimated that they had killed at least 500 fighters over the duration of the battle.

Contents 1 Operational plan and summary 2 Units participating 3 Timeline 3.1 November 2001 3.2 March 1, 2002 3.3 March 2, 2002 3.3.1 TF Hammer 3.3.2 TF Anvil/TF Rakkasan 3.4 March 3 and March 4, 2002 3.4.1 Battle of Takur Ghar 3.4.2 Fate of Chapman and Roberts 3.5 March 6, 2002 3.6 March 10, 2002 3.7 March 12, 2002 3.8 March 18, 2002 4 Results and effects of Operation Anaconda 5 Long-distance sniper record 6 See also 7 Notes and references 8 External links 9 Further reading

Operational plan and summary

In early 2002 increasing signals and human intelligence indicated a strong presence of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in the Shahi-Kot Valley. The Shah-i-Kot Valley (also Shahi-Kot Shah-e-Kot and other variant spellings is a Valley located in Afghanistan 's Paktia province southeast of the town Approximately 150-200 fighters were believed to be wintering and possibly preparing for a spring offensive in the valley. The signal intelligence also raised the possibility that high-value targets (HVTs) were present in the valley. These HVTs were believed to be Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Mullah Omar, the leaders of al-Qaida and the Taliban, respectively. Osama bin Laden, with some spelling variations is the name used in English to refer to (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن born 10 March Mullah Mohammed Omar ( Pashto: ملا محمد عمر (born c In late January and February plans were drawn up to assault the Shahi-Kot Valley using Afghan military forces (AMF) advised and assisted by U. S. special operators. Major General Franklin L. "Buster" Hagenback was put in command of the operation. Lieutenant General Franklin L Hagenbeck assumed duties as the 57th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, West Point New York in June 2006 The plan called for an attack on the valley, along with units positioned in the mountains to the east to prevent escape into Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and It was decided to use U. S. conventional infantry. The forces used, consisting of the 3rd Brigade ("Rakkasans") of the 101st Airborne Division, led by Colonel Frank Wiercinski, and 1st Battalion, 87th Regiment (1-87) of the 10th Mountain Division, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul LaCamera, to secure these blocking positions. Brigadier General Frank Wiercinski is currently the Deputy Commanding General for support of the Multinational Division North in Iraq and a member of the United States In keeping with established strategy in Afghanistan, fire support was to be provided by United States Air Force units, rather than artillery. The amount of conventional assets allowed in Afghanistan was limited by CENTCOM and civilian defense leadership^[1]. The United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM) is a theater -level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U The final plan foresaw two major forces: TF Hammer and TF Anvil. TF Hammer consisted of AMF and special operators as the primary effort to assault the Shahi-Kot Valley. TF Anvil consisted of TF Rakkasan and the 1-87 to set up blocking positions and prevent enemy forces from escaping. Special operations teams from the Advanced Force Operations (AFO) detachment led by Lieutenant Colonel Pete Blaber were to provide on-location reconnaissance in the Shahi-Kot Valley for the operation. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies

Units participating

The operation was composed of elements of the United States 10th Mountain Division, 101st Airborne Division, the US special forces groups TF 11, TF Bowie, and TF Dagger, British Royal Marines, Canada's 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and Joint Task Force 2, the Afghan National Army, the German KSK, the Norwegian FSK and elements of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, the New Zealand Special Air Service and Danish special forces Jægerkorpset. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the United States Special Operations Forces are active and reserve Component forces of U Task Force (TF 11 was a United States Navy Task force in World War II. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI is an infantry regiment in the Canadian Forces (CF belonging to 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2 was formed on April 1, 1993 and is the Canadian Forces unit responsible for federal counter-terrorist operations The Afghan National Army (ANA is a service branch of the Military of Afghanistan currently being trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the lead in Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Kommando Spezialkräfte ( Special Forces Command, KSK is part of Germany 's Special Forces. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Forsvarets Spesialkommando, FSK is the Special forces of the Norwegian army The Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR) is a Special Forces Regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions The New Zealand Special Air Service ( NZ SAS) was formed on July 7 1955 and is a New Zealand Army Special Forces unit which was Jægerkorpset (translated from Danish as Hunter Corps or Huntsmen Corps) is a Danish Special

On October 17 2007 Dutch media revealed that Dutch special forces (Korps Commando Troepen) were also involved in Operation Anaconda. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT is the elite special operations force of the Royal Netherlands Army. However, this was in direct contravention with the Dutch government assurance to the Dutch parliament that Dutch special forces were not involved and would remain within the limits of their given mandate, i. e. Taskforce K-bar/ISAF stabilization of Kandahar.

Timeline

November 2001

Afghanistan's Taliban regime falls. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Some of the Taliban regime's forces along with al-Qaida elements continue to hold out in mountains.

March 1, 2002

In eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda begins. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, U.S. special operations forces infiltrate the area and set up observation posts. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance These forces consist of three teams: Juliet, India, and Mako 31. Teams Juliet and India are primarily from US Army Delta Force, and they were to take positions to allow the north and south of the Shahi-Kot Valley and the approaches from Gardez to be observed. For the computer game see Delta Force (video game. For the movie see The Delta Force (film. Gardēz is the capital of the Paktiā province of Afghanistan. Mako 31, a SEAL sqaudron from DEVGRU, is tasked to set up an observation post on the Finger, allowing reconnaissance of the TF Rakkasan landing zones. The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six ( ST6) by civilians is the United States While attempting to reach their post, Mako 31 observed a group of fighters with a DShK machine gun. The DShK 1938 ( ДШК, for Дегтярёва-Шпагина Крупнокалиберный Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny, 'Degtyaryov-Shpagin Large-Calibre' This gun was emplaced in a position that would have allowed it to engage the Chinook helicopters bringing in the first wave of U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. troops. Plans were made to destroy this emplacement at D-1 hour.

March 2, 2002

U. S. and Afghan forces begin to sweep the Shahi-Kot valley area to root out rebel forces regrouping in the valley after the fall of the Taliban regime. The Shah-i-Kot Valley (also Shahi-Kot Shah-e-Kot and other variant spellings is a Valley located in Afghanistan 's Paktia province southeast of the town The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately

TF Hammer

Around midnight, the units of TF Hammer load into their vehicles and leave their base in Gardez at 33°35′58″N 69°13′44″E / 33.59944, 69.22889 (Gardez) for the Shahi-Kot Valley. TF Hammer consists of a large force Afghan militia led by Zia Lodin and the Special Forces A-team Texas 14/ODA 594. The road is in poor condition and difficulties ensue. After several soldiers are injured after their jinga trucks overturn, the commanders order the trucks to use their headlights, destroying any element of surprise. As TF Hammer continued, it suffered from a lack of unit cohesion because of the transportation difficulties. A convoy led by Army Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman of the Third Special Forces Group splits off from the main TF Hammer force to reach the assigned observation point. Grim 31, an AC-130 aircraft providing fire support and reconnaissance for the assault, spots Harriman's convoy and, due to a failure in its inertial navigation system, believes it is in a position away from friendly forces (this was due to a problem with the "glint" panels which should have identified the convoy as American). The Lockheed AC-130 Gunship is a heavily-armed ground attack airplane An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity Grim 31 engages the column, resulting in the death of Harriman and wounding several Afghan militia and U. S. special forces [2].

The main body of TF Hammer reached its pre-assault point around 0615 hours and waited for the expected "55 minute" aerial bombardment of enemy positions^[2]. Miscommunication between Texas 14 and higher command meant the bombardment was not that extensive and consisted of six bombs. This was due to a bomb getting stuck in the launch bay of the B-1B that was on its bomb run. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The next aircraft in line waited for the B-1B to receive permission to jettison the bomb and go round again. During this time, both bombers plus the additional two F-15E planes claim to have received a "knock off" call directing them to cease the bombardment. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout One of the F-15E pilots later acknowledged that this may have been a communication directing Grim-31 to cease fire. This lack of air support demoralized the Afghans and frustrated the special forces. The Afghan fighters, in trucks, were devastated by mortar fire registered in advance to strike fixed points on the road. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories The Afghans suffered forty or more deaths and injuries. At this point it became clear that Al Qaeda fighters had been expecting an attack. TF Hammer's attack stalled short of entering the valley, due to unexpected heavy small arms and mortar fire, combined with the lack of expected close air support. These assets were tasked instead to the TF Anvil troops.

TF Anvil/TF Rakkasan

At H-Hour (0630 hours) the first "chalk" or wave of Rakkasans and Mountain troops landed via helicopter along the eastern and northern edges of the valley to await the fleeing fighters at their assigned blocking positions However the 101st and 10th Mountain troops came under fire almost immediately after landing on their way to their objectives, and remained pinned down by heavy mortar fire and locked in a fierce firefight throughout the day. Instead of 150-200 fighters in the valley as expected, the area contained 500-1,000 enemies dug in on the high ground around the valley. The troops of 1-87 in the southern landing zones (LZs) faced the heaviest fighting and were forced to make a strongpoint in the "Halfpipe. " In this engagement, Staff Sergeant Andrzej Ropel, a Polish immigrant who was at the time not a citizen of the United States, led his squad under fire to a ridgeline above the "Halfpipe". The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ropel was able to kill the enemy observer calling mortar fire into the "Halfpipe", and he and his squad provided 1-87 reconnaissance of the surrounding terrain. Ropel was later awarded the Bronze Star with a

valor device for his actions. The expectation of very limited enemy indirect fire capability meant that only a single 120mm mortar was brought in the first wave. The primary fire support for the troops was the Apaches of the 3-101's aviation brigade. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout These Apaches performed well, destroying enemy positions harassing the U. S. and Afghan troops and surviving very serious battle damage without the loss of an aircraft or its crew. Most of these light infantrymen in the southern LZs were airlifted out that night under cover of darkness after suffering 28 wounded and none killed. Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing At least 100 Taliban and Al Qaeda militants were reported killed during the days of fighting. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The

Throughout the day, the Special Forces recce teams that had infiltrated into the area the previous day called in airstrikes from B-1, B-52, F-15, and F-16 aircraft, inflicting heavy casualties on hundreds of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The The Australian Special Air Service Regiment also provided in-depth operational intelligence, and Signalman Martin "Jock" Wallace of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) was awarded the Australian Medal for Gallantry, staying with the US company inside their only cover of a dry creek bed, along with another SASR liaison officer for twelve hours until evacuated. The Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR) is a Special Forces Regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions Martin 'Jock' Wallace MG, born in Tamworth New South Wales, was a member of 152 Signals Squadron and served as a signaler for the SASR, the Australian The Medal for Gallantry (MG is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force.

March 3 and March 4, 2002

Battle of Takur Ghar

Main article: Battle of Takur Ghar

In the late evening of March 3, Lieutenant Colonel Blaber received notice from Brigadier General Gregory Trebon, commander of TF 11, that two SEAL teams commanded by Lieutenant Commander Vic Hyder were to arrive in Gardez for immediate insertion into the Shahi-Kot Valley. The Battle of Takur Ghar was a short but intense military engagement between United States special forces and Al-Qaeda insurgents fought in March 2002 atop Takur Task Force (TF 11 was a United States Navy Task force in World War II. The two SEAL teams, Mako 30 and Mako 21, planned to establish an observation point on the peak of Takur Ghar, which commanded the Shahi-Kot valley. Takur Ghar is a high peak located in the Arma Mountains of southeastern Afghanistan. Due to time constraints, a helicopter insertion would be needed for the teams to reach the peak before dawn. While the AFO forces suggested an insertion at a point 1300 meters east of the peak, the SEALs eventually decided upon an insertion to the peak itself.

The two teams were picked up by Razor 03 and Razor 04, two MH-47 Chinook helicopters at 11:23 PM on March 3. However, the Razor 03 Chinook experienced engine difficulties, and two new MH-47s were dispatched to replace the original helicopters. This delay meant that the SEALs could not be inserted into the LZ east of the peak until 2:30 AM on March 4, which did not allow enough time to reach the peak before daylight. A Landing Zone or " LZ " is a military term for any area where Aircraft land In the fractured command situation at the time, Blaber was not notified that the SEALs were planning to insert at the peak in order to fulfill the order to infil Mako 30 and 21 that night. Nail 22, an AC-130 gunship reconnitored the peak and saw no enemy activity prior to the landing, but was called away to support other troops before Razor 03 and 04 arrived at the LZ. At around 0245 hours, Razor 03 landed at the LZ and was struck in the left side electrical compartment by an RPG. RPG or rocket-propelled grenade, is a loose term describing hand-held shoulder-launched Anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided The stricken helicopter took off, but Petty Officer First Class Neil C. Roberts fell out of the open ramp. Neil Roberts was part of a team fighting the Taliban, a fundamentalist regime that a U Razor 03 attempted to return and retrieve him, but the damage prevented proper control and the helicopter was forced to crash-land in the valley below approximately 4 miles away. Razor 04 returned to the peak to attempt to rescue Roberts, offloading Mako 30. The team came under immediate fire, and Air Force combat controller Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman was believed killed and two SEALs wounded. A forward air controller (FAC is a qualified individual who from a forward position on the ground or in the air directs the action of Military aircraft engaged Mako 30 was forced off the peak due to its losses and requested the assistance of the Ranger quick-reaction force located at Bagram Air Base, led by Captain Nate Self. The 75th Ranger Regiment (Airborne is a Military unit of the United States Army. Bagram Air Base is a militarized Airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan

The quick reaction force (QRF) consisted of 19 Rangers, a Tactical Air Control Party (Tacp), and a three-man USAF special tactics team carried by two Chinooks, Razor 01 and Razor 02. Quick Reaction Force (QRF is a military unit It is usually a force that is poised to respond on very short notice typically less than fifteen minutes A Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP (pronounced TAC-P is usually a team of two or more United States Air Force A Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP (pronounced TAC-P is usually a team of two or more United States Air Force Due to satellite communications difficulties, Razor 01 was mistakenly directed to the "hot" LZ on the peak at 33°20′34″N 69°12′49″E / 33.34278, 69.21361. As Air Force rules prohibited AC-130 aircraft from remaining in hostile airspace in daylight after the crash of an AC-130 in Khajfi in the Gulf War, the AC-130 support protecting Mako 30 was forced to leave before Razor 01 reached the LZ. The Lockheed AC-130 Gunship is a heavily-armed ground attack airplane Further communications difficulties meant that the pilot of the AC-130 was unaware that Razor 01 was incoming. At approximately 0610 hours, Razor 01 reached the landing zone. The aircraft immediately began taking fire, and the right door minigunner, Sergeant Phillip Svitak, was killed by small arms fire. The minigun is a multi-barrel Machine gun with a high rate of fire (several thousand Rounds per minute) employing Gatling -style rotating barrels and an A RPG then hit the helicopter, destroying the right engine and forcing it to crash land. As the Rangers and special tactics team exited the aircraft, Private First Class Matt Commons, posthumously promoted to Corporal, Sergeant Brad Crose, and Specialist Marc Anderson were killed. The surviving crew and quick-reaction force took cover in a hillock and a fierce firefight began. Razor 02, which had been diverted to Gardez as Razor 01 was landing on Takur Ghar, returned with the rest of the quick-reaction force and Lieutenant Commander Hyder at 0625 hours. With the help of the new arrivals and close air support, the force was able to consolidate its position on the peak. An enemy counterattack midday mortally wounded Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham, a pararescueman. Senior Airman Jason D Cunningham was a United States Air Force pararescueman who was killed in action on March 4, 2002 while Pararescuemen ( AFSC 1T2X1 also called PJs (a nickname pronounced 'pee jays' are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC and The wounded were refused medevac during the daylight hours, due to risk of another downed helicopter. Medical evacuation, often termed MEDEVAC or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being Australian SAS soldiers had infiltrated the area prior to the first helicopter crash undetected as part of a long range reconnaissance mission when the Chinooks went down. The Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR) is a Special Forces Regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions They remained undetected in an observation post through the firefight and proved critical in co-ordinating multiple Coalition air strikes to prevent the al-Qaeda fighters from overrunning the downed aircraft, to devastating effect. An observation post, temporary or fixed is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements to warn of approaching soldiers (such as in Trench warfare This, plus the actions of the two SASR officers working with the 10th mountain, earned the commander of the Australian SAS force in Afghanistan the US Bronze Star for his unit's outstanding contribution to the war on terrorism.

At around 2000 hours, the quick-reaction force and Mako 30 were exfiltrated from the Takur Ghar peak. As a result of this action, both Technical Sergeant Chapman and Senior Airman Cunningham were awarded the Air Force Cross, the second highest award for bravery. The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. US and Afghan sources believe at least 200 Taliban and Al Qaida fighters were killed during the initial assault and subsequent rescue mission. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The

Fate of Chapman and Roberts

It is not certain whether the soldiers died immediately or were killed by opposing soldiers. There is a possibility that Roberts was captured by the al Qaeda fighters, and executed later with a single shot to the back of the head (One of the feeds showed a group of 8-10 fighters huddling around what appeared to be a body; both GRIM 32 and MAKO 30 noted that an IR strobe was active, a video feed showed the fighters passing the IR strobe around)^[3] . Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of This report has not been confirmed. Maj. Gen. Frank Hagenbeck did confirm that al Qaeda fighters were seen (on live video feed from a Predator drone orbiting the firefight) chasing Roberts, and later dragging his body away from the spot where he fell. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Another feed from the same predator showed a puff of heat [from a rifle] and the indistinct figure in front of it fall. ^[4] Also, the quick-reaction soldiers reported fighters wearing Robert's gear and finding "a helmet with a bullet hole in it, [from which] it was clear the last person [Roberts] to wear it had been shot in the head" ^[5]. Predator drone footage also shows the possibility that Chapman was alive and fighting on the peak after the SEALs left rather than being killed outright as thought by Mako 30. A man was seen fighting in a bunker against multiple enemies until hit by an RPG. If this man was Chapman, he succumbed "a mere 45 seconds before. . . Razor 01 appeared over the mountaintop"^[6].

Note: A paper written by Col. Andrew Milani (Former commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment) and Dr. Stephen D. Biddle entitled "Pitfalls of Technology: A Case Study of the battle of Takur Ghar" noted that the predator was on station 90 minutes after Roberts had fallen; the images that were shot before the Predator had arrived were shot by GRIM-32's Infrared Cameras. ^[7] although this has not been confirmed by commanders.

March 6, 2002

American aircraft strike a vehicle near the village of Shikin, killing 14.

March 10, 2002

Major Bryan Hilferty states that the "major battle ended three or four days ago". The U. S. sends 400 of its troops back to base.

March 12, 2002

By March 12th, following the bombing, joint U. S. and Afghan forces swept through the valley and cleared it of remaining rebel forces, with little significant combat by March 18th. A total of 8 U. S. soldiers were killed and 82 wounded, along with several Afghan militiamen; U. S. estimates of other casualties vary, indicating rebel casualties between 500 and 800 and at least 14 civilian casualties. An undetermined number of rebels is said to have escaped the fighting through rugged terrain.

March 18, 2002

General Tommy Franks declares Operation Anaconda over, terming it "an unqualified and complete success". However, Seymour Hersh, a liberal author, according to Salon. Seymour (Sy Myron Hersh (born April 8, 1937) is an American Pulitzer Prize winning investigative Journalist and Author com [3] claims that "it was in fact a debacle, plagued by squabbling between the services, bad military planning and avoidable deaths of American soldiers, as well as the escape of key al-Qaida leaders, likely including Osama bin Laden. "

Results and effects of Operation Anaconda

The operation ran into problems from the outset. By mistake American Forces had landed in the middle of the valley, instead of the outside and were immediately caught in the Taliban’s kill zone. In the heavy fire fight that followed two Chinooks were shot down and a number of others were severely damaged. American forces eventually gained the upper hand and after inflicting heavy casualties on the Taliban forces were able to push them out of the valley.

At the end of Operation Anaconda, the US and Afghan forces had succeeded at removing the majority of the Al-Qaida and Taliban presence from the Shahi-Kot Valley. The US forces suffered 80 casualties in the operation, with 8 killed and 72 wounded. Estimates of Al-Qaida and Taliban casualties range from 100 to 1,000, with U. S. commanders favoring the higher estimates and Afghan commanders favoring the lower estimates. An unknown number of fighters were able to escape the Shahi-Kot Valley into Pakistan.

In the wake of Operation Anaconda, relations between US and UK forces on the ground soured when Stars and Stripes, the magazine for American forces and their families, openly criticized the Royal Marines for returning "empty-handed" from their search for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters claiming that Britain's contribution to the campaign was "disappointing". The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy Relations were further soured with reports from a number of publications that Osama bin Laden might had escaped due to a substantial delay from the original H-hour of the deployment of American Forces.

Long-distance sniper record

A record of 35 years standing, for the longest combat kill by a sniper,^[8] was broken during Operation Anaconda by a Canadian sniper from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), using MacMillan long-range TAC-50 . The McMillan Tac-50 Sniper rifle is produced in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company 50-calibre rifle. The record was set by Corporal Rob Furlong at a confirmed distance of 2,430 metres (1. Rob Furlong, a former corporal of the Canadian Forces, holds the record for the longest confirmed Sniper kill in combat 51 miles). The target was a Taliban fighter armed with an RPK machine gun. The RPK ( Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, Russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова or "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"

A five-man Canadian sniper team, recording the new distance record and more than 20 kills, were given Bronze Stars from the U. READ DISCUSSION PAGE BEFORE MAKING ANY EDITS TO CAPTION BELOW http//en The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery acts of merit or meritorious service S military for their actions in the operation. Team members were MCpl Graham Ragsdale (Team Commander), MCpl Tim McMeekin, MCpl Arron Perry, Cpl Dennis Eason, and Cpl Rob Furlong. Master Corporal Graham Ragsdale of the Canadian Forces was the commander of the Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry sniper team attached to Rob Furlong, a former corporal of the Canadian Forces, holds the record for the longest confirmed Sniper kill in combat [4] The previous record was set in 1967 by U. S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, using a Browning M2 . Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II ( May 20, 1942 &ndash February 23, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps 50-calibre BMG machine gun mounting a telescopic sight. The distance was 2250 metres (1. 40 miles). Hathcock was one of several individuals who employed the Browning M2 machine gun in a sniping role. This success led to the adoption of the . 50-calibre BMG cartridge as a viable anti-personnel and anti-equipment sniper round.

See also

• Timeline of the history of Afghanistan
• Afghan Civil War
• Mountain warfare
• Osama Bin Laden
• Tora Bora
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Notes and references

External links

• Combat Films and Research
• http://www.stripesonline.com
• BBC News: Al Qaeda 'executed US serviceman'
• USAF Operation Anaconda: An Air Power Perspective (pdf)
• Strategypage interview of Col. Wiercinski
• Press report on sniper kill
• Executive Summary of the Battle of Takur Ghar (pdf)
• VFW Magazine: Valor in the Face of the Enemy - Air Force Cross awarded to Senior Airman Jason Dean Cunningham and Tech. Sgt. John Chapman

Further reading

• Bahmanyar, Mir. Afghanistan Cave Complexes 1979–2004: Mountain strongholds of the Mujahideen, Taliban & Al Qaeda. Osprey Publishing, 2004.
• Bahmanyar, Mir. Shadow Warriors: A History of the US Army Rangers. Osprey Publishing, 2005.
• Bahmanyar, Mir. US Army Ranger 1983-2002. Osprey Publishing, 2003.
• Friedman, Brandon. 2007. The War I Always Wanted: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War: A Screaming Eagle in Afghanistan and Iraq, Zenith Press, ISBN 0760331502
• MacPherson, M. 2005. Roberts Ridge : A Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan, Delacorte, ISBN 0-553-80363-8
• Naylor, S. 2005. Not a Good Day to Die : The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, Berkley Hardcover ISBN 0-425-19609-7.
• US Army Center for Military History The U.S. Army in Afghanistan Operation ENDURING FREEDOM

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic