The Linda Norgrove Failed Rescue Mission
On the 13th night of Linda Norgrove’s captivity the notable special operations unit known as “Seal Team Six” conducted a raid in the Dewegal Valley located in Kunar Providence of Afghanistan. During the operation the team immediately came into contact with the enemy in the Taliban infested valley, during the contact Norgrove was able to escape from her captures, after the battle died down Norgroves body was found in a gully in the fetal position tremendously injured. An analysis of the Linda Norgrove failed rescue mission by Seal Team Six reveals the challenges that high ranking officials face: having tactical patience and trusting our local partners to retrieve Linda Norgrove, or forcing our way into the Taliban strong hold valley and retrieving her ourselves with force.
The Dewegal valley is in the Chow-kay district which is located in the center of the Kunar province. To the east it borders with Pakistan and to the North West it connects to the Korangal valley. The area is primarily pashton, it has seen numerous battles and wars dated back as far as the Alexander the Great days through the Afghanistan Soviet Union war and to present day operation enduring freedom. The people of that area consist of many tribes some that care about the needs of Afghanistan and some that are not willing to take in change and do whatever is possible to fight the westerners. The area of Chow-kay and the Dewgal valley are controlled primarily by many local tribal leaders that all report to Haji Ghulam Ehsan Adil, who is the head of the Kunar provincial council. However as far as military presence the local Afghan Nation Army was backed up by Bravo Company, 2/3-27 Infantry, 1st Brigade Comba...
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...ses of this operation the US and UK were operating independently trying to figure out their rescue mission while Afghan officials and tribal leaders were working alone trying to negotiate. I believe that the locals have a deep concrete culture where they are able to communicate with the enemy even though they do not agree on some things and see eye to eye on many subjects, they have been successful in the past with negotiations due to that that concrete cultural and history they have together.
In conclusion it takes the willingness to trust our local partners during war and having tactical patience in order to be successful in our mission that we are trying to accomplish. This will result in gained trust between our military partners and local leaders. Without this trust and patience future operations like these could replay as they have during this mission.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States was incredibly eager to strike back at the nations thought to be responsible for this horrific tragedy. These attacks were quickly attributed to the terrorist group al-Qa’ida, led by Osama bin Laden, and to the Taliban-run government of Afghanistan, which had provided sanctuary to al-Qa’ida. In response, Washington approved a covert plan led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to directly attack those responsible in their Middle East safe haven. Initiated on 26 September 2001 with the approval of the warlords of the Afghan Northern Alliance, with whom the CIA had formed an intelligence liaison relationship, Operation Jawbreaker resulted in the fall of the Taliban regime, the killing and capture of a significant amount of al-Qa’ida leadership, and elimination of a terrorist safe haven by early December 2001. Moreover, the Taliban’s collapse denied al-Qa’ida a pseudo-nation-state partner, serving to reduce the organization’s sanctuary to areas residing along the Pakistani border. Operation Jawbreaker, one of the first post-9/11 covert operations carried out by the United States in support of its national security interests, had proved successful. Word of the operation’s swift success astounded those back in Washington; dubbed the CIA’s “finest hour,” it signified the first of many victories by deposing the Taliban’s control of Northern Afghanistan.
...h planning and the swift execution while quickly adapting to changes, this operation would not have been a success. The integrity of the mission was maintained: seizing control of the country, disabling the PDF, capturing their leader Manuel Noriega, while damage to personal property and Panamanian deaths were kept to a minimum. This type of decisive leadership, operational surprise and joint effort proved that the Army can deliver a long-range, precision strike capability providing a great example of how Soldiers can plan and execute future missions.
Operation Anaconda was the first major joint combat operation against the war on terror that the US was committed to winning. This operation would test our military’s readiness for joint operations against a hardened and willing adversary. The primary mission was to kill/capture Taliban/Al Qaeda forces occupying towns and villages in the vicinity of Shahi Khot in order to gain control of the valley.1 The US needed the towns, villages, mountains, and more importantly, the intricate and hard to access caves cleared of enemy fighters. Units participating in the operation included elements of the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and Coalition forces from seven nations including Afghanistan.2 With so many different nations fighting along with our own branches of military, it would test our ability to conduct joint operations on multiple levels.
...n from the grave mistakes of the commanders of the past and become prepared to carry out these activities when we are called to do so.
The Battle of Kamdesh was fought in Afghanistan during the Afghan War. It is an occurrence in the ongoing NATO campaign of the Operation Enduring Freedom since the year 2001. It was one of the bloodiest battles the USA forces engaged in during this campaign against the Taliban insurgents. The Taliban insurgents, assisted by local Nuristan militias, attacked Kamdesh, which is an American combat outpost, located deep in the Nuristan tribal Areas. They carried out a well-coordinated attack on the outpost, leading to a breach and an overrun of the post. This paper, seeks to analyze why, when, how, and what were the resulting impact of the battle.
The Taliban or “students” is a political-religious group founded in Kandahar, Afghanistan. They controlled 90% of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The group formed after the ten year war in Afghanistan in anticipation of composing a new society based from Islamic Law. Most of the members in
Within the entire United states navy, the most secretive and threatening group is Seal Team 6. This special operations unit has been faced with many dangerous missions, the most famous of which being the raid on Osama Bin Laden. They spend much of their time in Afghan hunting Al Qaeda leaders and suspected militants. They receive criticism from both the public and united states allies about their missions, and methods of operation. Richard Marcinko was given only six weeks to put the team together, and all the applicants came from an underwater demolition team. Seal Team 6 is the navy’s most reliable group, they are called upon for the most dangerous missions, and they are often the most criticized military group shrouded in mystery.
In the month of April 2004, in the city of Habbaniyah, Iraq, a brutal and terrible act took place which ignited one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Four Black Water security members were killed and publicly maimed. The resulting battle left a high casualty rate as well as hundreds of American service members being wounded. This is the story of the events that took place after the events in the city of Habbaniyah. On the 31st of March, 2004, a convoy was attacked.
The commander’s intent is a critical part of mission command. The commander, through the commander’s intent, must blend the art of command and the science of control that integrates all joint warfighting functions. ADM Wesley McDonald, Commander US Atlantic Command (LANTCOM), failed to convey the commander’s intent to the joint force for Operation Urgent Fury. This failure promoted misunderstanding and mutual trust issues among the joint force that affected the integration of joint functions such as intelligence and sustainment.
...s in the cohesiveness and mutual trust between the military and the people ' ( AH Nasution , 1953 , ... ) .
...l preparation. ST6 has demonstrated their capabilities through missions such as Operation Urgent Fury and Operation Neptune Spear- the team was able to aid in settling foreign affairs which include murdering the most feared terrorist in the history of the United States. Although the team members were successful in international pursuits, SEAL Team 6 also provided proof of the need for improvement upon security within the country. Naval bases provided ineffective guarding strategies that did not prevent invaders. The most essential aircraft in the United States was able to be fake-bombed while stationed at a “secure” base. This team is the sole reason that American security throughout the homeland and the rest of the world has been improved upon; if SEAL Team 6 had not been established, terrorism would be more common and America would be a dangerous place to inhabit.
United States Armed Forces were able to accomplish their mission during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. However, there were quite a few deficiencies in the conduct of the first joint operation since Viet Nam. This paper will evaluate command and control during the operation using the attributes of commander’s intent, mutual trust and understanding. It will also evaluate the joint functions of intelligence, protection and fires.
On June 28, 2005, a 4-man SEAL patrol was on a mission in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan to kill or capture a high ranking Taliban leader, thought to be close to Osama Bin Landen. During this mission sometime after the sun came up the Seals were found by a small group of goat herders who had walked right into the middle of the Operation. They were faced with a dilemma: do they execute the goat herders or let them go? In decision that would haunt the mission's sole survivor, the SEALs decided to let the goat herders go, knowing full well there was a good chance they would alert local Taliban forces to the SEAL's presence on the mountain.In an attempt to stay ahead of the Taliban, the SEALs switched to an alternate OP and resumed their mission.
Afghanistan since its beginning has been a place of conflict, despair, and at times lost hope. It has been taken advantage of and lost its sense of identity, which has had a direct effect on its people, and there own sense of what justice truly is.
McMahon, Robert. "The Purpose of the Afghan War." 21 September 2009. The Council on Foreign Relations. 26 October 2011 .