Weapon of Choice: US Army Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan

438 Pages·2006·6.39 MB·English

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CSI
Press
Cover created by Earl Moniz
CMH Pub 70–100–1 PIN : 082666–000
Foreword
This extensive account of U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers and their actions in Af-
ghanistan is an important contribution to understanding how these unique individuals removed
the Taliban from power and destroyed al-Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan as
part of the US global war on terrorism. The originating idea, research, and writing that went
into it are strictly the product of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and its assigned
authors.
The Combat Studies Institute (CSI), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is pleased to have been se-
lected to provide the technical editing and production assistance required to produce this novel
work. The editing section of CSI’s Research and Publication Team has faithfully produced the
thoughts, ideas, and sentiments of the original authors.
Lawyn C. Edwards
Colonel, Aviation
Director, Combat Studies
Weapon of Choice
U.S. Army Special Operations Forces
in Afghanistan
Charles H. Briscoe
Richard L. Kiper
James A. Schroder
Kalev I. Sepp
Combat Studies Institute Press
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Weapon of Choice: U.S. Army Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan / Charles H. Briscoe, Richard
L. Kiper, James A. Schroder, and Kalev I. Sepp, authors.
p. cm.
1. Afghanistan—History—2001. 2. United States Army Special Forces—History—21st century. I.
Briscoe, Charles H. (Charles Harry)
DS371.4.W43 2003
958.104’6—dc22
2003021246
The fi gures that appear in this book are credited as follows:
U.S. government photos: chapter 1, fi gures 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
CIA photos: chapter 1, fi gures 1 and 2; chapter 2, fi gures 4, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 31; chapter 3,
fi gures 2, 19, and 52; and chapter 5, fi gure 5.
Joint Combat Camera Center: chapter 1, fi gure 6; chapter 2, fi gures 6, 12, 15, 30, and 36; chapter
3, fi gures 7, 8, 13, 15, 24, 59, 66, and 69.
U.S. Army Special Operations Command History Offi ce: chapter 1, fi gures 4, 5, and 7; chapter 2,
fi gures 1, 3-5, 7-11, 13, 14, 15-22, 26, 29-35, 39-60; chapter 3, fi gures 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16-18, 20-23, 25-
58, 60-68, 70, 73-75; chapter 4, fi gures 1-34; and chapter 5, fi gures 1-4, 6-31.
Combat Studies Institute (CSI) Press publications cover a variety of military history topics. The
views expressed in this CSI Press publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the
Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.
A full list of CSI/CGSC Press publications, many of them available for downloading, can be found
at <http:www.cgsc.army.mil/csi>.
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Contents
Chapter Page
USSOCOM Foreword ..................................................................................................................i
USASOC Foreword ...................................................................................................................iii
Figures .....................................................................................................................................viii
Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................xiii
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................xv
1. Prelude to Terror .........................................................................................................................1
2. Awakening the Giant .................................................................................................................33
“Subdue Without Fighting”: JPOTF, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida ....................................47
Developing the SOF Campaign at SOCCENT, Tampa, Florida................................................50
Top Draft Choices: 10th SFG, Fort Carson, CO, and 7th SFG, Fort Bragg, NC ......................51
5th SFG = CJSOTF-North, Fort Campbell, Kentucky ..............................................................52
Standing Up JSOTFs in Tampa and Fort Campbell ..................................................................54
Committed to Middle East Exercises ........................................................................................57
3rd SFG Prepares for the Horn of Africa at Fort Bragg ............................................................58
Thinking Ahead: Senior Liaison Offi cers for Resistance Leaders ............................................59
Civil Affairs to Islamabad, Pakistan ..........................................................................................60
Of Vital Importance: PSYOP ....................................................................................................62
Site Coordination With the Uzbeks at Karshi Kanabad ............................................................64
Uncorking the Bottled Airlift ....................................................................................................66
All Credit Cards Accepted at K2 Gas Station ...........................................................................68
Air Campaign and CSAR Go Hand in Hand ............................................................................68
Making Camp Freedom a Fully Operational Base: K2, Uzbekistan .........................................70
Northern Air Campaign CSAR = MH-47Es .............................................................................71
Building Camp Freedom at Double Time .................................................................................72
The Universal Morale Booster at K2—Hot Food ......................................................................73
Special Forces: CSAR Personnel Recovery and UW Preparation .............................................74
Real Estate and Security at K2 ..................................................................................................74
Task Force Dagger = JSOTF-North at K2 .................................................................................74
Hot-Wiring the “Snake”: Rearranging JSOTF-North Communications ...................................75
Building the JOC Inside the “Snake”: TF Dagger’s JOC ...........................................................77
Staff “Battle Captain”: The Combat Operations “Pulse Monitor” ............................................78
Different Intelligence Concerns for Air Planners ......................................................................78
JSOTF-North Growing Pains at K2 ...........................................................................................79
We Don’t Fail .............................................................................................................................80
DAPs Set the Stage for UW in Afghanistan ..............................................................................82
3. Toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, 19 October-7 December 2001 .........................................93
Jumping Into the Dark: Seizing Rhino, 19 October 2001 ........................................................109
Tactical PSYOP for Rhino .......................................................................................................113
Showing American Power ........................................................................................................115
“Look, We Have to Get the Special Forces Teams Into Afghanistan!” ....................................117
On Horseback With Dostum ....................................................................................................122
ODA 595 Begins Bombing Taliban Defenses .........................................................................125
Aerial Resupply From the Receiver .........................................................................................127
Aerial Resupply by SOCEUR ..................................................................................................129
A “Bump” and Missiles in the Abyss ......................................................................................132
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Chapter Page
500 Afghans Can Die, But Not One American Can Be Injured ..............................................134
AAA = A Bad Night in the Hindu Kush ..................................................................................134
Getting a Handle on the Air Threat ..........................................................................................138
Fostering Faith and Providing Solace .......................................................................................138
AAA Payback Time .................................................................................................................139
Bastogne in Afghanistan ..........................................................................................................140
“Little Birds” of Prey ...............................................................................................................141
High Desert Rat Patrol .............................................................................................................143
The Great Communications Terminus .....................................................................................145
Resupply From 10,000 Feet .....................................................................................................146
PSYOP = Hard, Steady Work ...................................................................................................147
A Supportive Populace ............................................................................................................150
Getting PSYOP on the Ground in Afghanistan ........................................................................151
Have Tools Will Travel .............................................................................................................151
Mr. President ............................................................................................................................153
A Signifi cant Meeting With an Unusual Man ..........................................................................154
The Battle of Tarin Kowt .........................................................................................................155
SOCCENT to Mazar-e-Sharif ..................................................................................................158
Al-Qaeda Uprising—Qala-i-Jangi—24-29 November ............................................................158
ODA 583 Meets Gul Agha Sherzai ..........................................................................................165
The Fight at Tahk-te-pol ..........................................................................................................167
Fighting at Arghastan Bridge ...................................................................................................169
Plans Versus Reality .................................................................................................................171
The Karzai Way to Kandahar ...................................................................................................172
Charge to the Airport and Back Again .....................................................................................174
Attacking the Arghendab Bridge With Karzai .........................................................................175
Who Dares, Wins .....................................................................................................................178
Death From Above ...................................................................................................................179
Another Reaction to Kandahar’s Fall .......................................................................................182
CA and Humanitarian Relief ...................................................................................................183
CA Teams on the Ground .........................................................................................................184
Tactical PSYOP to Mazar-e-Sharif ..........................................................................................185
Emergency Casualty Evacuation at K2 ....................................................................................187
4. The Campaign in Transition, 8 December 2001-28 February 2002 .........................................203
Old Glory Flies Again in Kabul ...............................................................................................211
Tora Bora ..................................................................................................................................213
One Army .................................................................................................................................216
The Answer is Out There ..........................................................................................................219
A New Twist on an Old Idea ....................................................................................................220
Chokepoint ...............................................................................................................................225
“60 Minutes II” ........................................................................................................................227
High-Altitude Rescue of a Marine CH-53 ...............................................................................229
Taking Down al-Qaeda at the Mir Wais Hospital ....................................................................232
The Raid at Hazer Qadam ........................................................................................................235
SR Eyes on Target ....................................................................................................................241
From EMT to Special Forces Force Multiplier ........................................................................244
Politics, War, and Rapport ........................................................................................................248
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