Delta Force in Afghanistan

107 Pages·2016·0.62 MB·English

by  Moore

DELTA FORCE IN AFGHANISTAN

MICHAEL MOORE
Michael Moore has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents
Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. Published by Digital
Dreams Publishing 2016.
Contents
FOREWORD
CHAPTER ONE – TAKEDOWN
CHAPTER TWO – TORA BORA
CHAPTER THREE – AFGHANISTAN
CHAPTER FOUR – EXPLOSIVE SITUATION
CHAPTER FIVE – BIG CITY TAKEDOWN
CHAPTER SIX – HIT AND RUN
CHAPTER SEVEN – OUT OF BUSINESS
CHAPTER EIGHT – PAVE HAWK DOWN
CHAPTER NINE – FIREFIGHT FROM HELL
CHAPTER TEN – SUICIDE BOMBER
CHAPTER ELEVEN – TALIBAN CAMP
CHAPTER TWELVE - RISE OF TERRORISM
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – FIRST FIREFIGHT
CHAPTER FOURTEEN – TEACH TO LEARN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – RANGER RESCUE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – AMBUSH
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - TALIBAN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – HOSTAGE RESCUE
CHAPTER NINETEEN - COPYCAT
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Foreword
Since its first ill-fated Desert Claw mission in 1979. Delta have displayed a
range of skills and levels of personal courage that have not only made them the
envy of the world. But, they have also delivered spectacular results some known
and some unknown. In recent years, Delta has been at the heart of a vast, if
hidden, global war on terror waged by America's special operation forces. In the
midst of a run of almost endless operational achievements. The full story when it
eventually comes to light, may be regarded as unparalleled in modern military
history. For the past decade, Delta Force's activities have mostly been detailed
through more often than not vague or partial stories from a variety of sources.
However, as imperfect as open source information may be. Once pieced together
it gives a good overview of the operations of unprecedented scope and scale.
Delta squadrons were originally deployed to Afghanistan under ‘Operation
Enduring Freedom’ in 2001 to overthrow the Taliban, as part of the global war
on terror or GWOT. They also played a large part in the second Iraq war and the
hunting down of key figures from the Iraqi regime including Saddam Hussein.
The resurgence of the Taliban may lead to further forces needing to be
redeployed in the longer term. They are part of dismantling, in what U.S.
General David Petraeus, the former NATO commander, has described as “an
industrial-strength insurgency”. This book is based on real operations
undertaken by Delta, and some joint operations with the British SAS and U.S.
Navy SEALs.
Post Tora Bora a large contingent of al-Qaeda fighters regrouped in the Shahi-
Kot Valley in early 2002 which would lead to Operation Anaconda a joint
mission with conventional forces, airpower and with SEAL Team Six. Delta
would play a pivotal role in this operation alongside conventional and Special
Forces from multiple nations. Delta’s role was as an AFO (Advanced Forward
Operations) led by Col Pete Blaber a Delta officer. The AFO teams undertook
special reconnaissance ahead of the main assault and called in air strikes as the
battle raged against around 1000 fighters. Delta gained valuable experience
stealthily ascending the frozen mountain ridge lines in thigh deep snow
undetected, high about the Shai-Kot Valley. Delta had two AFO teams operating
in the Shai-Kot Valley Juliet and India. Along with Seal Team Six Mako 30,
these teams were to take up observation posts on the North and South of the
Valley. Mako 31, a SEAL reconnaissance element from SEAL Teams 2 and 3,
was tasked to set up an observation post on the ‘Finger’, allowing
reconnaissance of the Rakkasan landing zones. Two teams consisting of Juliet
(Delta) and Mako 31 (Seal Team Six), went in on foot braving the harsh cold
mountainous environment to complete their mission.
Chapter One – Takedown
Afghanistan 2009
Another night and another typical takedown - we had got ourselves up at 1530
hours to get ourselves prepared for the night’s operation. The plan and the target
changed at least three times before we were due to go. Much to the annoyance of
us and the supporting aircrew tasked with getting us in and out. We set off in the
early evening darkness in a Pave Hawk with two Apaches providing top cover. It
was about 80-mile journey to the target area some 40 miles from Laskar Gah in
Helmand province. It was a very hot location in terms of enemy activity. We all
knew would all need to be on our toes and out the side of the Pave Hawk. As we
got in close and I looked out of the window, I could see tracer fire coming up
from the Taliban fighters below. Our target tonight was another intelligence
officer, which was part of a much larger CIA effort targeting terrorism working
alongside the British Mi6. There are strong links between Al-Qaeda and the
Taliban. Fighters from across the world have joined the Taliban as part of their
Jihad (religious duty) to help drive the allied forces out of Afghanistan. Delta,
along with the rest of the SF (Special Forces) in Afghanistan are prime targets
for the Taliban to kill; their hatred of us was much higher than the average
soldier and a source of propaganda to kill one of us.
The mission was all about trying to find out further information regarding the
pipeline of foreign fighters into Afghanistan. Many fighters came across the
Pakistan border to the front line in Afghanistan. B Squadron who had been in
Afghanistan prior to us and found some of these raids very difficult, on many
occasions as they approached the target locals had spotted them, using anything
they could find to make a noise to alert the Taliban of their presence. This led to
a hard assault, with the Taliban now alerted and firing assault rifles at B
Squadron from only a few feet, in what became very short-range firefight.
Quick thinking was essential - you had to think and fire pretty much at the
same time or be shot. We have tried to blend in often by disguising ourselves as
locals. By blending in and choosing the correct time and day to perform an
assault helped us become much more covert. On a couple of occasions, we did
not even get to fire a single round - getting in making a hard arrest, before
getting out without anyone knowing.
Tonight was similar fair, although Rangers and a SEAL team were on hand to
support us. Resistance was expected to be high on this assault. The Taliban here
had a mixture of light and heavy weapons along with RPGs. This particular
target had been tracked by the CIA for some months know including various
moves around the globe to Pakistan and other Arab countries.
In total, there was eight Delta operators involved in this assault along with a
SEAL team and American fire support in the form of several Bradley tanks and
an AC-130 Spooky on station to both observe and offer fire support if required.
There was a mutual respect between the SF forces, if a little rivalry when it came
down to individual missions. The American planners do hold Delta Force in high
esteem, we have proven time and time again to get the job done and are every bit
as good as SEAL Team Six. They know we are a highly skilled and capable
force. Although, politics do enter into who gets what missions, with SEAL Team
Six and not Delta getting to capture Osman bin Laden in Pakistan.
The assault tonight was made slightly more complex due to a minefield in
some open ground just to the left of the compound. This meant that the assault
options were narrowed and would need to almost zigzag up to the objective.
The Pave Hawk came down steeply before settling on the deck before we all
ran down the ramp into the helicopters downwash. The first priority was to find
some cover before the Pave Hawk took off again and silence descended on our
LZ. Via the net the SEAL team was already in their FUP (Forming Up Point)
and the C-130 Spooky on station gathering intelligence and acting as an
‘overwatch’ for all the ground forces.
We made our way to our own FUP, from where we would launch the attack.
The SEAL team was acting as spotters and would also capture anyone trying to
flee the compound. As we got to about 200 metres from the objective, we held
firm for a short period of time - to get eyes on the target and formulate a final
plan. We would then break up into two patrols of four and move on the
compound from two different angles.
The patrol I was with, would go from the right and the other team circled round
to the left, circumventing the minefield before moving onto the compound. It
was a dark starless night, which helped with us being covert, at the same time,
made it harder for us to see even with the help of night vision goggles. Night
vision goggles are great, but they do rob some of your peripheral vision.
As we moved in an explosion and hysterical screams suddenly interrupted the
silence. One Delta Operator in another patrol had walked into a small group of
trees and stepped on an IED. It had blown one of his lower limb clean off and
alerted the Taliban to our presence. We now had a man down - lying critically
injured with the potential for other IEDs planted as secondary devices to further
maim or kill rescuers.
The SEAL team sprang into action and made their way to where the injured
Delta operative was. We started to return fire at the Taliban firing from the roof,
the AC-130 Spooky then opened up its GAU-12/U Equalizer which is a is a five-
barrel 25 mm Gatling-type rotary cannon. These cannons can also be found
mounted on fighter jets, such as the AV-8B Harrier II and other land-based
fighting vehicles.
It made light work of the Taliban on the roof and suppressed the fire enough
for us to get closer. Regardless of having, a man down we had a mission and an
objective to complete. Chris could still be heard groaning, but to get to him out
the area would need to be searched for any more mines or IEDs - before any
rescue could be undertaken.
Now only a few metres from the compound, the Spooky above was still giving
bursts from its GAU-12, causing small dust clouds as the bullets hit the
compound roof and walls. We ordered it to stand down to ensure there was no
blue on blue. Which meant it would now be down to us, to do a room-by-room
clearance.
Initially there was no resistance and no one to be found - we cleared each room
and found nothing. Room by room clearance is a highly specialist skills and each
special force has its own method. Our method was to breach the door, first man
throws in a flash bang, turns left and follows the wall shooting targets, next man
enters and shoots at the targets turns left following the first man, then the third
man enters and does the same. The idea is that as the first man enters and moves
the hostage takers will have eyes on them, and possibly the second person into
the room. The third and fourth man will enter unnoticed with arcs of fire that
cover all areas, we will then dominate the room. Each shot is a shoot to kill head
shot. Everyone should then end up in the far corner of the room with all bad
guys neutralized All of this had to be a highly co-ordinated and rapid firing
manoeuvre, all over in a few seconds. This is where the ability to shoot quickly
and accurately came into play. All the rooms were empty any resistance had
been neutralized on the roof by the Spooky. Finally, we made it to the compound
roof. It was littered with several blood stained bodies. Large calibre rounds had
blown holes in torsos and ripped heads apart. One fighter had the rear half of his
head and most of his skull missing and is face looked like a high quality latex
mask covered in blood. Our intended target must have fled prior to our arrival.
All that had been left was a small group of dead fighters with no real intelligence
value. Any intelligence they may of had had been taken with them to the grave.
We found a few IEDs and some RPGs, but nothing of any great intelligence
use. With the compound secure, a rescue could start for Chris - getting him out
of his current location before he bled to death. The strange part about blown off
limbs is that they do not always bleed as expected, and they tended to just ooze
blood more often than not. The oozing is enough if not given medical attention
to lead to shock and possibly death. Shock is the biggest killer after any major
trauma; this is why the ‘golden hour’ is so important. The Golden hour is a
reference to the time period lasting from a few minutes to several hours
following traumatic injury being sustained by a casualty, during which there is
the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death. The