Operation Anaconda was a necessary evil. TF Rakkasan and TF Hammer fought all day with the AFO teams calling in continuous airstrikes on al-Qaeda positions while Apaches protected the Rakkasans on the valley floor. [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." This operation was the first large-scale battle in the post-2001 War in Afghanistan . using some of the principles of Competence, mutual trust shared understanding, mission orders, commander's intent, disciplined initiative, and or risk accepted, Analyze and evaluate the major points of the case study for research to write your persuasive essay. 3 references, APA Format and original work. On February 28, on the eve of the operation, three AFO teams were covertly infiltrated into the valley, one codenamed Juliet was made up of 5 Delta operators with a signals intelligence specialist from the ISA, entered the valley on ATVs from the north, driving through the night in adverse weather conditions, eventually reaching a covert hide on the eastern side of the valley. Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. there are various rules and . It is considered as the largest combat operation conducted by the U.S. Army regarding the War on Terrorism which started after the tragedy due to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. 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]. It also demonstrated the fragility of the relationship between those principles when the required attention to those principles was not applied. Osprey Publishing, 2004. Mission orders define the desired results but do not mandate how to achieve them. [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. Several soldiers were injured after their jingle trucks overturned, the commanders ordered the trucks to use their headlights, destroying any element of surprise. Thus, changing the approach to all future engagements and how they would be governed. The six principles of mission command are: build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create shared understanding, provide a clear commander's intent, exercise disciplined initiative, use mission orders, and accept prudent risk. "[6] Predator drone footage also shows the possibility that TSgt. During the SovietAfghan War, Mujahideen leader Malawi Nasrullah Mansoor was in charge of the valley and invited foreign jihadists to base themselves in the Lower Shahikot. When the execution of Operation Anaconda occurred, U.S. military presence in Afghanistan was not yet fully mature. In the seven years of study and debate since 2002, key players from both sides have for the most If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! "[32] Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh refuted the official account, describing it as "in fact a debacle, plagued by squabbling between the services, bad military planning and avoidable deaths of American soldiers, as well as the escape of key al-Qaeda leaders, likely including Osama bin Laden."[33]. When a mortar team from the 1-87 Infantry was hit by enemy mortar fire, Wallace put himself in harm's way, collecting some of the wounded by dragging them into the creek bed, then dressing their wounds along with another SASR liaison officer. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. The art of command is used to exercise authority, to provide leadership, and to make timely decisions. The risk acceptance principle is obvious in Slabinskis circumstance. Operation Anaconda is one of many battles one can study and learn from immeasurable contingencies and circumstances. The operators and an assigned CSAR team boarded 3 MH-47Es while the Rangers climbed aboard a pair of MH-60G Blackhawks, launching from Bagram in the early morning. Task Force Sword/11: Mako 30, 31 and 21, Task Force Blue/DEVGRU. Thus, changing the approach to all future engagements and how they would be governed. Nevertheless, sometimes war is a necessary evil to fight against an invasive evil or evil ideological will. Forces flattening entire villages during Operation Anaconda: 'Let's go, free to pillage' (). In the heavy fire fight that followed two Chinooks were shot down and a number of others were severely damaged. Operation Anaconda was a military operation that took place in early March 2002 as part of the War in Afghanistan. The U.S. forces had a mission to secure the escape routes out of the valley. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Commanders and staffs use the science of control to regulate forces and direct the execution of operations to conform to their commanders intent. However, during Operation Anaconda, the Afghan troops were not from the battle-tested Northern Alliance, but instead from a local, untested Pashtun militia. Significantly, the commanders intent should not be a repetition of why the mission is occurring, but a broader clear, and concise general purpose of the concept of the mission. Hyder saw the need to assist Mako 21 who at that time had two dead and two injured, one of them non-ambulatory. (2005). John Chapman was alive and fighting on the peak after the SEALs left rather than being killed outright as thought by Mako 30. Drone footage of the incident shows the mortally wounded Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman drawing fire away from Razor 01 as it landed. You are required to give an in depth introduction of your topic. The next aircraft in line waited for the B-1B to receive permission to jettison the bomb and go round again. Americans remained in the battle trusting in each others will to fight, morale, confidence, and the warrior ethos among them. Particularly, a mission never goes as planned and Troops are faced with hard decisions. Bahmanyar, Mir. Others within AFO and the CIA were making the same connection. 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. The Pashtun militia obviously failed to exercise disciplined initiative by failing to take action when unforeseen threats arose. The Anaconda Plan was designed to do the same thing, it was a great snake that . Naturally, an individual or group disagrees with the ideology of the invasive force and now the prospect of war is introduced into the equation. Overall, my stance is that the operation was a success. These assets were tasked instead to the TF Anvil troops. We are left learning the following about Operation Anaconda. The army's accomplishments and faults that were experienced in terms of the preparation and execution were fully counted by the US army. . It was a complex operation set in a place and against an enemy that Americans have struggled . Blaber was notified that the SEALs were forced to insert on the peak in order to fulfill the order to infil Mako 30 that night. 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. 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. Operation Anaconda was a complex battle that took place in the Shahikot Valley of Afghanistan between the U.S. Army and terrorists. Razor 02, which had been diverted to Gardez as Razor 01 was landing on Takur Ghar, returned with the rest of the quick-reaction force and Lieutenant Commander Hyder at 06:25. One of the most significant and famous operations of the global war on terrorism. It is evident through the course of human events that war is an inherent endeavor revealed within our will to survive. Staff tasks conduct the operations process, knowledge/information management, synchronize information-related capabilities, and conduct electromagnetic activities. At the end of the first day of battle when the Troops returned to base for inspections; they realized that all of them had been hit by multiple enemy bullets (p. 15). This, plus the actions of the two SASR officers working with the 10th Mountain Division, earned the commander of the Australian SASR force in Afghanistan the US Bronze Star for his unit's outstanding contribution to the war on terrorism. It provided an example of the ability of the American military to accomplish the mission in the face of adversity and to succeed regardless of the chances for success. This was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U.S. forces participating in direct combat activities. Mission orders define the desired results but do not mandate how to achieve them. The original plan did not survive first contact with the enemy, but coalition force's ability to adapt under fire was able to secure victory. The idea is to plan sufficiently enough to reduce the chaos and uncertainty and destroy the enemies will to fight encouraged by the commanders ability to organize mission command through its seven principles. The operation displayed the militarys capability to adapt to unanticipated changes and overcome them. The SEAL team Mako 30, regrouped and was ferried by nearby units to a CH-47 to go back to Takur Ghar and search for Roberts. Trust comes from successful shared experiences and training, usually gained incidental to operations but also deliberately developed by the commander. As they discussed a possible mission abort, the helicopter was met with effective RPG fire. Operation Anaconda. Further air support was provided by U.S. Navy units and French Air Force Mirage 2000Ds. During shared experiences, the two-way communication and interaction between the commander, subordinates, and Soldiers reinforces trust. While air force jets provided suppressive fire on the mountain top with individual gun runs since Mako 30 was less than 100 metres (110yd) north of the peak and Chalk 1 with its downed MH-47 was less than 100 m south of the peak. foreign exchange transaction comprises both international trade & remittance. Competence is critical not only for the commander but for the Soldiers subordinate to the commander. 3 references, APA Format and original work It is the example demonstrated by Medal of Honor Recipient Master Chief Britt Slabinski. Not a Good Day to Die, Berkley Reprint, This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 01:20. At 06:30 the first wave of Rakkasans and Mountain troops landed via Chinook helicopter along the eastern and northern edges of the valley to await the fleeing fighters at their assigned blocking positions. This operation included joint efforts by Special Operations and multinational partners who worked together in the Shahi Kot Valley in Afghanistan in March 2002 (Isherwood, 2007). This operation provided many examples of how the principles of mission command are interwoven into the capability to conduct unified land operations. Using a McMillan TAC-50 .50-calibre rifle, Furlong killed a Taliban fighter armed with an RPK machine gun at a confirmed distance of 2,430 metres (1.51 miles). The multiple commanders had no control over the other forces, and allied Afghan forces had equipment support to complete the mission. The philosophy of mission command is supported by seven fundamental principles established in ADP 6-0 competence, mutual trust, shared understanding, commanders intent, mission orders, disciplined initiative, risk acceptance (p. 19). The militia was even told to conduct their operations according to the way they wanted. Grim 31 engaged the column, resulting in the death of Harriman and wounding several Afghan militia and U.S. special forces.[21]. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. While attempting to land at the top of Taku Ghar, their helicopter was hit with an RPG. Operation Anaconda suffered many obstacles, making the mission multiheaded without a clear shared understanding, which affected its outcome (ADP, 2019). Two Rocket Propelled Grenades slammed into the helicopter, shutting down one of its engines, the electric system, and the hydraulic systems and causing Petty Officer First Class Neil C. Roberts to fall out of the open ramp. The earlier phase of the war had been conducted without a joint commander. Operation Lightning Hammer II. The two Apaches were damaged early on in the day, one Apache was forced to return to base when an RPG destroyed its left-side Hellfire mount sending shrapnel through the airframe; as well as being peppered by small arms, further RPG rounds and DShK rounds (one DShK round penetrated the cockpit narrowly missing the pilots). Sadly, the Pashtun militia demonstrated they were profoundly out-skilled in comparison to their Northern Alliance counterparts. The terrain is rugged, and the peaks have many spurs and ridges. 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. Operation Anaconda was a necessary evil. No plagiarism, guaranteed! The level or prudent risk instantly increased to an unacceptable level as soon as the battle began. 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]. Orbiting Apache helicopters attempted to suppress enemy mortar teams, but ran into a wall of RPG and 12.7mm fire, with one Apache losing all of its electronics to an RPG hit. By July the tactical-level units from the 10th Mountain Division and the 101st Airborne Division, including TF Rakkasan, had all [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. American Forces mistakenly landed in the middle of the valley, instead of the outside and were immediately caught in the Taliban's kill zone. There are countless examples available from various American battles but one, in particular, is notable in OA. The U.S. forces, however, exercised disciplined initiative by adapting to the situation and taking action when the unforeseen threats presented themselves. Task Force K-Bar: ODAs from the 3rd SFG. Introduction Operation Anaconda was a subordinate joint combat operation, during Operation Enduring Freedom, (Lyle 2012) to be carried out in the Shahi Kot Valley located in southeastern Afghanistan. At this point it became clear that Al Qaeda fighters had been expecting an attack. Don't waste time Get a verified expert to help you with Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis Hire verified writer Previously stated; the commanders intent does not emphasize the why of the mission, but the mission order does. Command and control have evolved into a well thought out structured philosophy now acknowledged as mission command. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Stephen Biddle has characterized Operation Anaconda as a "series of surprisingly orthodox ground battles. Provide transitional sentences from one topic to the next. The operation took place in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. One of the generals in overall charge of the events at Takur Ghar ordered the radio frequencies switched to prevent the plan being modified. 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. What we can take from Operation Anaconda is the importance of implementing all six principles of mission command, which are: Build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create shared understanding, Provide a clear commander's intent, Exercise disciplined initiative, Use mission orders, Accept prudent risk. TF Panther deployed to Afghanistan in late June 2002 and would serve under CTF 82 until 5 December 2002. "The Mission the Men and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander" US Army Colonel, Retired 2006. 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. phone: 02 58812298, 02 222283966. fax : 02 222264303. email. The record for the longest combat kill by a sniper was set during Operation Anaconda by Canadian Army sniper Corporal Rob Furlong of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and held for seven years until surpassed in 2009. Due to time constraints, a helicopter insertion would be needed for the teams to reach the peak before dawn. Intelligence assessments for Operation Anaconda presented the scenario that the coming battle would be fought with light arms and would last no more than three days, instead, it lasted seven days with intense combat and terminated after seventeen days. Executive Director Global Commercial Operations Amgen. Another feed from the same Predator showed a puff of heat [from a rifle] and the indistinct figure in front of it fall. However, the Chinook experienced engine difficulties, and new MH-47s were dispatched to replace the original helicopters. 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. The operators recovered a lot of US military equipment: a US-made suppressor, a number of US fragmentation grenades issued to TF 11 and a Garmin handheld GPS, later traced to the crew of Razor 01. [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. Shadow Warriors: A History of the US Army Rangers. [35] The previous record of 2,310 metres (7,580ft) was set a few days before by his teammate Arron Perry, also of the 3rd Battalion PPCLI. At the end of Operation Anaconda, the US and Afghan forces had succeeded at removing the majority of the Al-Qaeda and Taliban presence from the Shahi-Kot Valley. Then analyze the Operation using the 7 Principles of Mission Command: competence, mutual trust, shared understanding, commander's intent, mission orders, discipline initiative, and risk acceptance. These tasks are mutually supporting in that the commander tasks drives the operations process, develops teams, and informs and influences audiences inside and outside their organizations. 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