Many high-value targets did escape, reportedly the primary target of interest Osama bin Laden, due to the many negative circumstances that occurred during the planning and conduct of the mission. The art of command is used to exercise authority, to provide leadership, and to make timely decisions. Mission orders define the desired results but do not mandate how to achieve them. Change). The SEAL fire team, Mako 30, was picked up by an MH-47 Chinook helicopter, at 23:23 on 3 March. Then develop the body of the paper fully document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/reader.action?docID=817138#, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/reader.action?docID=618737&ppg=208, https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/Story/Article/1736210/medal-of-honor-monday-navy-master-chief-britt-slabinski/. The expectation of very limited enemy indirect fire capability meant that only a single 120mm mortar was brought in the first wave. The operation displayed the militarys capability to adapt to unanticipated changes and overcome them. The competence of Americas military forces was tested in the battles of Operation Anaconda (OA). The purpose of this paper is to give a detailed analysis of the six principles of Mission Command and how they apply to Operation Anaconda. The operation began on March, 1, 2002, and lasted for 17 days, taking place in the Shahikot Valley of eastern Afghanistan (Council on Foreign Relations, 2017). Around this time command decided to change the frequencies for satellite radio communications which different units, including the AFO teams in their reconnaissance positions, were relying on to conduct and adapt the mission as the battle unfolded. Mission Command in Operation Anaconda: An Analysis (Essay Sample) Instructions: Analyze and evaluate the major points of your case study for research to write your persuasive essay. use your time to develop a deep . Nevertheless, sometimes war is a necessary evil to fight against an invasive evil or evil ideological will. As TF Hammer continued, it suffered from a lack of unit cohesion because of the transportation difficulties. The intent was to eliminate the presence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda from Shahikot. Since this endeavor is inherent within all human will, it then seems agreeable, that so long as the human will exist then so will the probability of war. Only after the adaptation of mission orders did the acceptable prudent risk factor become acceptable. Others within AFO and the CIA were making the same connection. The mission was aimed at destroying the terrorist forces labeled Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The expectation was that fighters, as in the case of Tora Bora several months earlier, would flee in the face of an assault and that blocker groups would simply be able to round them up.[11]. US Department of Defense. A former KSK commander is quoted in the German magazine Stern to have said: 'The pictures of Abu Ghraib, the torture in Iraqi prison camps, did absolutely not surprise me.'[36]. Several soldiers were injured after their jingle trucks overturned, the commanders ordered the trucks to use their headlights, destroying any element of surprise. After 14 hours of heavy machine-gun fire, thick snow, rough terrain, and calling in close air support, and caring for his wounded teammates they were finally extracted (Lange (2019). (2005). This article examines some medical issues that were experienced by the Raider Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division during Operation Anaconda in . [29] although this has not been confirmed by commanders. Case Study of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/Story/Article/1736210/medal-of-honor-monday-navy-master-chief-britt-slabinski/. Anaconda was a military operation carried out by an international coalition led by the United States of America against the forces of the terrorist organization al Qaeda in Afghanistan in March 2002. Chapman was seen fighting in a bunker against multiple enemies before stepping into the open and braving enemy small arms fire one last time to allow the QRF helicopter a bit of breathing room.[6]. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. This operation was designed to finish off the remaining Taliban and al Qaeda forces that were remaining after several months of intense combat who had gathered in Shahikot Valley. Leaders cannot stress enough the significance of fabricating a command structure for combat operations. Agreeably, competence, and the principle of mutual trust correlate with each other. Examining how the six principles of mission command were applied revealed shortcomings some aspects as well as success others. Operation Anaconda. Bahmanyar, Mir. [10] Increasing signals and human intelligence indicated a strong presence of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in the Shahi-Kot Valley; approximately 150 to 200 fighters were believed to be wintering and possibly preparing for a spring offensive in the valley. The seven principles of mission command are applicable in every combat scenario. [9], In February 2002, a Special Forces intelligence analyst working for Task Force Bowie began to identify patterns that led him to believe that surviving al-Qaeda forces were massing in the Lower Shahikot Valley, some 60 miles south of Gardez. As a result, they did not fire and the CH-47 made an entry similar to the first, this time successfully landing the team on the ground amidst heavy machine gun and rocket fire while taking some casualties. CTF 82's headquarters was at Bagram Airfield, and Vines based TF Panther, his primary maneuver element, at the Kandahar Airfield. A total of 8 U.S. soldiers, sailors, and airmen 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. Keywords: Operation Anaconda, mission command, unified land operations. departed Afghanistan; the CTF Mountain headquarters staff followed in early September. An Anaconda is a snake that squeezes and suffocates it's victim. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. TF Panther was under the command of Colonel James L. Huggins and had two infantry battalions from the 3d Brigade of the 82d Airborne Division and one attached infantry battalion from the division's 1st Brigade. LCDR Hyder requested authorization to shift the insertion 24 hours to the next evening but was directed that insertion was critical to SOF providing support to the Operation. Command and control have evolved into a well thought out structured philosophy now acknowledged as mission command. It was a joint mission between U.S. military branches, six other nations, and Afghans led by Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck. The army's accomplishments and faults that were experienced in terms of the preparation and execution were fully counted by the US army. Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan: A Case Study of Adaption in, Battle. (LogOut/ The exercise of mission command assimilates mission command philosophy with mission command warfighting functions. "F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom", 2013, Neville, Leigh, Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015. From this concept, the philosophy of the seven principles of mission command has become discovered. Task Force K-Bar: ODAs from the 3rd SFG. The TF 11 element assigned to the mission included SEAL operators from DEVGRU (commanded by the SEAL who led the Mako 30 mission on Takur Ghar) and attached British SBS operators, with a mixed force of Rangers as back up. Operation Anaconda suffered many obstacles, making the mission multiheaded without a clear shared understanding, which affected its outcome (ADP, 2019). The Pashtun militia obviously failed to exercise disciplined initiative by failing to take action when unforeseen threats arose. Hyder saw the need to assist Mako 21 who at that time had two dead and two injured, one of them non-ambulatory. Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Mountain, was put in command of the operation. Operation Anaconda serves as a powerful model for commanders and army leaders to apply the principles of Mission Command to overcome unpredictable challenges and eventually achieve their potential. (2019). Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in the Shahikot Valley and the Armagh Mountains, Afghanistan. Grim 31 engaged the column, resulting in the death of Harriman and wounding several Afghan militia and U.S. special forces.[21]. We are left learning the following about Operation Anaconda. One team would move to the peak of Takur Ghar, which commanded the southern approach to the Shahi-Kot valley. Operation Anaconda is viewed as a success due to coalition forces being able to kill and root out several hundred Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, which left U. S. and coalition forces in control of the Shah-i-Khot Valley. Because of the poor initial intelligence assessment, the troops on the ground were initially exposed to a much higher prudent risk factor than what was originally anticipated. The goal of shared understanding is that commanders, staffs, and unified action partners will possess a shared understanding of their operational environment, the operations purpose, problems, and approaches to solving them. The Ranger quick-reaction force located at Bagram Air Base and led by Captain Nate Self, was called in to search for the SEAL who fell out of the helicopter, now alone on top of the mountain. The success of the operation was mainly due to the commanders recognizing and acting on the information received (Fleri, Howard, Hukill, & Searle, 2003). Facing decisive action is a common theme of military service and it leads into the next two and final principles of mission command; discipline initiative and risk acceptance. [12] In keeping with established strategy in Afghanistan, fire support was to be provided by United States Air Force units, rather than artillery. There are countless examples available from various American battles but one, in particular, is notable in OA. As Air Force rules prohibited AC-130 aircraft from remaining in hostile airspace in daylight after the crash of an AC-130 in Khafji in the Gulf War, the AC-130 support protecting Mako 30 was forced to leave before Razor 01 reached the LZ, although the leadership was aware that Razor 01 was incoming. 3. The road was in poor condition and difficulties ensued. AMF (Afghan Militia Forces): Commander Zia (Task Force Hammer), Kamil Khan and Zakim Khan (Task Force Anvil). Because of this, the Razor 01 flew into the same enemy trap that the SEALs had flown into, with no one able to communicate the reality of the situation. In Operation Anaconda, the Joint Commander (JC) failed to utilize the Air Force capabilities available to him in an effective manner, which significantly extended the duration of the mission and the amount of casualties his forces incurred. [16], SOF teams from Task Force K-Bar and Task Force 64, which included: Navy SEALs from SEAL Teams 2, 3 and 8, Green Berets from 3rd SFG, The Canadian Army's Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), The German Army's Kommando Spezialkrfte (KSK), the Norwegian special forces units Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK) and Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK), elements of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and the New Zealand Special Air Service and the Danish special forces from Jgerkorpset. It was decided to use U.S. conventional infantry. Operation Anaconda, a subordinate operation to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002, was notable for difficulties in integrating US air and ground forces in order to bring combat power to bear on a stronger than originally anticipated foe. [citation needed] Though the change may have been meant to enhance direct control of the rescue of the downed SEAL atop Takur Ghar, it had the critical effect of severely limiting communications between the different teams participating in the battle. The Afghans suffered forty or more deaths and injuries. The Taliban subsequently portrayed the operation as a "historical battle" and a "beginning of the sacred jihad against the occupation of Afghanistan", praising Saifur Rehman Mansoor's leadership. The commanders intent for OA was clear and concise. According to an interview[36] of some soldiers of the German Special Forces KSK, the post-operation briefing was broken down by an argument between the KSK soldiers and U.S. soldiers. Americans remained in the battle trusting in each others will to fight, morale, confidence, and the warrior ethos among them. Macpherson, Malcolm. All three teams were tasked with confirming enemy strengths and dispositions including antiaircraft emplacements, ensuring the designated Rakkasan HLZs were clear of obstructions and providing terminal guidance for air support both prior to and during the insertion of conventional forces. Unfortunately, the Razor Chinooks had not been equipped with functioning satellite radios to maintain communication with the HQ in Bagram or, even more critically, the AFO Teams lead. The hot reception resulted in only two of the planned eight CH-47's landing in the LZ. Effective mission command can generally be analyzed according to the six principles outlined in ADRP 6-0. [26], It is not certain whether the sailor died immediately or was 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). "Not a Good Day to Die" Penguin Group (New York), 2014: Holmes, Tony. Operation Anaconda not have had an ideal start, but after a few days and some recalibration, the tide turned for the better. It was obvious from this viewpoint that the proximity of friendly forces to the enemy positions was preventing sufficient suppressive firepower from being used due to danger close distance to both Mako 30 and QRF chalk 1. The firefight was over in minutes; of the 18 al-Qaeda fighters, 16 were killed and two were wounded. At 03:45, the Ranger quick reaction force was alerted by the DCG to the area. In the Lower Shahikot several imposing mountains dominate the landscape; chief among them is Takur Ghar at the southeastern end of the valley; to the northeast is Tsapare Ghar, dominating the northern entrance to the valley. Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat, Afghanistan .This operation was the first large-scale battle in the United. Nail 22, an AC-130H Spectre, reconnoitered the peak, and, seeing no enemy activity, declared the mountain top secure. At that point TF Devil, a unit formed around the 1st Brigade, 82d Airborne Division arrived to take the lead in tactical-level security operations. The final team was known as Mako 31 and was composed of three SEALs from DEVGRUs Recce Squadron, a USAF Combat Controller and a US Navy EOD operator. Operation Anaconda was a necessary evil. Because of this adaptation, the necessary adjustments were made and the tide of the battle would soon turn in favor of the Americans. US and Afghan sources believe at least 200 Taliban and Al Qaida fighters were killed during the initial assault and subsequent rescue mission. Kuglar, Richard. A Predator UAV had the convoy under surveillance, showing 3 SUVs, a pickup truck and a large security element of gunman. 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. [11] In this engagement, Staff Sergeant Andrzej Ropel, and Specialist William Geraci, recently transferred in from the Division's Long Range Surveillance Detachment, led the squad under fire to a ridgeline above the "Halfpipe." Soldiers also recovered two AK-47 assault rifles, one magazine and 707,000 Iraqi dinar, equal to about $600. 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