Introduction
The battle I will be discussing is the battle of Tora Bora. The engagement took place in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan from December 12, 2001 to December 17, 2001. The units involved were from the CIA, numerous Special Forces groups, Pakistani soldiers and local anti-Taliban fighters. The mission given to the forces was to kill Osama bin Laden from the caves, leave the body with the Taliban and disrupt the Al Qaeda organization by removing their leader. The intent was to infiltrate the cave system, remove bin Laden and return home.
History
Osama bin Laden was an adversary of the West for years and it was known to the whole world. Unfortunately, he took it a little further by having two planes fly into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and another plane possibly for the White House. As we all know, this is the unforgettable day of September 11, 2001. Thousands of Americans were innocently murdered that day and in our own country by a terrorist organization. The United States of America would not stand for this and rapidly sought out Osama Bin Laden for what he had done to us. This is the day that caused the United States to accelerate the search and destruction efforts of bin Laden. Soon after September 11th, the United States was very involved in Afghanistan in trying to find him.
Planning and Preparation
To capture bin Laden there was a lot of planning that needed to occur. The need for intelligence on where he was and the conditions of his location were pertinent for the operation to be successful. They needed to know who was there with him to help either logistically or in a security sense. Also, there had to be a military presence on the ground to actually conduct the missio...
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...hrough the mountain passages to the south and into Pakistan. By him doing this, we expected his approval rating by the Taliban would diminish quickly. This too was not true; he continued to be the well-respected leader of al-Qaeda and gain numerous followers through his illusiveness.
Summary
The Battle of Tora Bora was a successful operation that taught the United States a lot about operations in Afghanistan, dealing with Osama bin Laden and his followers and how we needed to change the way we fought as an American force. The lessoned that we learned from this operation have taught us to train our troops differently because we are fighting a new asymmetric enemy. As a country and military force, we have transformed to become a better and more complex force and continue to maintain our proficiency in being a powerful nation with the best military in the world.
Knowles, Thomas W. They Rode for the Lone Star:The Saga of the Texas Rangers. Dallas:
...ls were investigating his home, they found that they were planning more attacks against the U.S. Now that Osama Bin laden is dead, they are still much of a threat to the U.S. The planned attacks have influenced the U.S to step up even more on terrorism. While now it’s very tough for another attack as 9/11 happen because more military programs are intact.
The Civil War split our nation, Americans fighting Americans, brother against brother. The war lasted four long years, a key battle fought westward was the turning point in the war: the Battle of Vicksburg.
The Battle of Antietam on September 17th, 1862 was the single, most bloodiest day in American History, where more than 23,000 men became casualties of war. General George Brinton McClellan’s inability to use Mission Command, as a warfighting function was a key reason this battle did not end the American Civil War. An analysis of General McClellan’s Mission Command operational process will show how his personality, bias, and fear were detrimental to the outcome of the Battle of Antietam.
Books, L. (2010). Battles of the War in Afghanistan by Country. Washington: LLC Books. Retrieved November 05, 2010, from books.google.co.ke/books?isbn=1158057407
September 16-18, 1862, outside of the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Potomac River and Antietam Creek, was the location of the bloodiest battle in American history. Confederate Colonel Stephen D. Lee described it as “Artillery Hell” because of the frightful toll on his gunners and horses from Federal counter battery and infantry fire. (AotW, 2014) The battle of Antietam, or the Battle of Sharpsburg, would collect an estimated 23,100 total casualties (Luvaas and Nelson, 1987). The body count far exceeded any of the other three battles waged in the Maryland Campaign (Harpers Ferry, South Mountain, and Shepherdstown). This battle was a contributing factor in the outcome of our country and the rest of the world. The Union Army desperately needed a victory at Antietam; however, a victory for the Confederate rebels may have very well gained them international recognition as a sovereign country in the eyes of the rest of the world. The Federal Army, which belonged to the Union States, consisted of an all-volunteer army and was a larger army than the Confederate States. Even though the Battle of Antietam was inconclusive, President Lincoln went on to read the Emancipation Proclamation to the country, effectively ending slavery, and ensuring that no foreign nation would intervene on the Confederates behave.
The siege, fall and ensuing massacre of nearly two hundred Alamo defenders at the hands of Mexican General, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna y Perez de Lebron’s army of over five thousand was a defining moment in both Texan, and American history. For 13 days against insurmountable odds, a small, but very determined Texan garrison force fended off an equally determined Mexican Army ordered to capture it. I’ll discuss the events and political climate leading up to the siege, key historic figures involved on both sides, the siege itself, along with events immediately following the battle. The iconic phrase, “Remember the Alamo!” would later go on to become a rallying cry at the Battle of San Jacinto.
On December 7th 1941, Japanese Planes and submarines attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor. This event singlehandedly brought the U.S from its then neutral stance in World War Two to a fighting member of the “Allied Powers.” Pearl Harbor was the first of a long series of confrontations between the U.S and the Japanese in an effort to gain control of the Pacific. Unlike the “War in Europe” the Pacific strategy was dominated by naval and aerial battles, with the occasional land-based “Island Hopping” Campaign. As such, one of the most important factors in the war in the pacific was Fleet Size, the more ships a country could send to war, the better. Pearl Harbor was the Japanese’s way of trying to deal with the massive U.S Pacific fleet. However, Pearl Harbor was not the turning point of the war. After December 7th the United States began work on numerous technological developments which would ultimately help them in one of the most important battles of WWII, the largest naval confrontation of the war, The Battle of Midway. The battle, which took place from June 4th to June 7th , 1942 is widely considered the turning point of the Pacific Theater (James & Wells). Through the Post-Pearl Harbor desire for “Revenge” and various technological advantages including code breaking and radar, the U.S were able to outsmart the Japanese at Midway and ultimately win the battle, eventually leading to a victory in the Pacific.
Throughout the Ancient Greek world, there have been many wars and standoffs. However, there has been only one which changed the course of Greek history forever; the Peloponnesian War. Caused by the growing tension between Athens and Sparta, it came and left, leaving only destruction in its wake. The defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War caused the downfall of Greece, and the end of the Classical Age.
War has always been a negative social issue among the citizens of America. Some believe we should be involved in everything so we can to show our dominance around the world and others see it as a big problem. War World Two is a different story. After we realized that Hitler was close to succeeding in his plan of imperialism most people were on board to going to war.
This was not the first time, but it was the worst. Americans stood dumbfounded as the beautiful towers fell to the ground. New York City’s famous Twin Towers crumbled, engulfed in a cloud of smoke due to the work of the Islamist terrorist group, al Qaida. Many innocent people were murdered on September 11, 2001. Al Qaida’s victory was short lived and their leader, Osama bin Laden, knew he had to hide after he attacked the world’s most powerful country. Bin Laden knew the United States would find him, maybe not today, or next month, or not even next year but some day. Although we could have captured him the United States was right to kill Osama bin Laden because it was the only way to be sure he paid for his crimes.
The battle of San Pasqual was one of the many battles fought against Americans to protect their land. The greedy American government was determined to conquer California from Mexico and make it part of the union. The mass migration of immigrants caused the widespread of people to flee south.
The Battle of Iwo Jima In the early morning of 19 February 1945, United States Marines assigned to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Division led the initial assault on the Japanese controlled island of Iwo Jima, with the objective of capturing and securing the island. This was the beginning of one of the fiercest and bloodiest and, more decisively, the most strategically important battles fought during World War II. After the dust had settled, and the smoke had cleared, the casualties and losses were astounding. 6,821 U.S. Marines along with 18,844 members of the Imperial Japanese Army had paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Its black sand beaches are known worldwide by courageous fighting men and is home to one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Today it is still an icon of courage and sacrifice, a source of national pride. It is Iwo Jima.
America has been on a mission to destroy terrorist threats with the War on Terror ever since the brink of disaster of 9/11. Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11th, 2001. This has disrupted the balance of once the strongest nation in the world. Many believe this terrorist insurgence was bound to happen due to the past history. According to Ph.D. Zalman 9/11 dated all the way back to 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and set up a procommunist leader. The United States in return funded soldiers and forces to go against the invasion. As a result to the invasions, Saudi established Osama Bin Laden as the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization. With Osama as the commander, Al Qaeda launched a terrorist attack against America in retaliation. As a result, Americans were distraught and sought revenge, creating the War on Terror. The War on Terror is a costly project, but is the only way to keep peace in the United States.