WWeeaappoonn ooff CChhooiiccee WW ee aa pp oo nn oo ff CC hh oo ii cc ee AARRSSOOFF in AAffgghhaanniissttaann CSI Press Cover created by Earl Moniz CMH Pub 70–100–1 PIN : 082666–000 Foreword This extensive account of U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers and their actions in Af- ghanistan is an important contribution to understanding how these unique individuals removed the Taliban from power and destroyed al-Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan as part of the US global war on terrorism. The originating idea, research, and writing that went into it are strictly the product of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and its assigned authors. The Combat Studies Institute (CSI), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is pleased to have been se- lected to provide the technical editing and production assistance required to produce this novel work. The editing section of CSI’s Research and Publication Team has faithfully produced the thoughts, ideas, and sentiments of the original authors. Lawyn C. Edwards Colonel, Aviation Director, Combat Studies Weapon of Choice U.S. Army Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan Charles H. Briscoe Richard L. Kiper James A. Schroder Kalev I. Sepp Combat Studies Institute Press Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Weapon of Choice: U.S. Army Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan / Charles H. Briscoe, Richard L. Kiper, James A. Schroder, and Kalev I. Sepp, authors. p. cm. 1. Afghanistan—History—2001. 2. United States Army Special Forces—History—21st century. I. Briscoe, Charles H. (Charles Harry) DS371.4.W43 2003 958.104’6—dc22 2003021246 The fi gures that appear in this book are credited as follows: U.S. government photos: chapter 1, fi gures 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. CIA photos: chapter 1, fi gures 1 and 2; chapter 2, fi gures 4, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 31; chapter 3, fi gures 2, 19, and 52; and chapter 5, fi gure 5. Joint Combat Camera Center: chapter 1, fi gure 6; chapter 2, fi gures 6, 12, 15, 30, and 36; chapter 3, fi gures 7, 8, 13, 15, 24, 59, 66, and 69. U.S. Army Special Operations Command History Offi ce: chapter 1, fi gures 4, 5, and 7; chapter 2, fi gures 1, 3-5, 7-11, 13, 14, 15-22, 26, 29-35, 39-60; chapter 3, fi gures 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16-18, 20-23, 25- 58, 60-68, 70, 73-75; chapter 4, fi gures 1-34; and chapter 5, fi gures 1-4, 6-31. Combat Studies Institute (CSI) Press publications cover a variety of military history topics. The views expressed in this CSI Press publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. A full list of CSI/CGSC Press publications, many of them available for downloading, can be found at <http:www.cgsc.army.mil/csi>. i iii Contents Chapter Page USSOCOM Foreword ..................................................................................................................i USASOC Foreword ...................................................................................................................iii Figures .....................................................................................................................................viii Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................xiii Introduction ..............................................................................................................................xv 1. Prelude to Terror .........................................................................................................................1 2. Awakening the Giant .................................................................................................................33 “Subdue Without Fighting”: JPOTF, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida ....................................47 Developing the SOF Campaign at SOCCENT, Tampa, Florida................................................50 Top Draft Choices: 10th SFG, Fort Carson, CO, and 7th SFG, Fort Bragg, NC ......................51 5th SFG = CJSOTF-North, Fort Campbell, Kentucky ..............................................................52 Standing Up JSOTFs in Tampa and Fort Campbell ..................................................................54 Committed to Middle East Exercises ........................................................................................57 3rd SFG Prepares for the Horn of Africa at Fort Bragg ............................................................58 Thinking Ahead: Senior Liaison Offi cers for Resistance Leaders ............................................59 Civil Affairs to Islamabad, Pakistan ..........................................................................................60 Of Vital Importance: PSYOP ....................................................................................................62 Site Coordination With the Uzbeks at Karshi Kanabad ............................................................64 Uncorking the Bottled Airlift ....................................................................................................66 All Credit Cards Accepted at K2 Gas Station ...........................................................................68 Air Campaign and CSAR Go Hand in Hand ............................................................................68 Making Camp Freedom a Fully Operational Base: K2, Uzbekistan .........................................70 Northern Air Campaign CSAR = MH-47Es .............................................................................71 Building Camp Freedom at Double Time .................................................................................72 The Universal Morale Booster at K2—Hot Food ......................................................................73 Special Forces: CSAR Personnel Recovery and UW Preparation .............................................74 Real Estate and Security at K2 ..................................................................................................74 Task Force Dagger = JSOTF-North at K2 .................................................................................74 Hot-Wiring the “Snake”: Rearranging JSOTF-North Communications ...................................75 Building the JOC Inside the “Snake”: TF Dagger’s JOC ...........................................................77 Staff “Battle Captain”: The Combat Operations “Pulse Monitor” ............................................78 Different Intelligence Concerns for Air Planners ......................................................................78 JSOTF-North Growing Pains at K2 ...........................................................................................79 We Don’t Fail .............................................................................................................................80 DAPs Set the Stage for UW in Afghanistan ..............................................................................82 3. Toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, 19 October-7 December 2001 .........................................93 Jumping Into the Dark: Seizing Rhino, 19 October 2001 ........................................................109 Tactical PSYOP for Rhino .......................................................................................................113 Showing American Power ........................................................................................................115 “Look, We Have to Get the Special Forces Teams Into Afghanistan!” ....................................117 On Horseback With Dostum ....................................................................................................122 ODA 595 Begins Bombing Taliban Defenses .........................................................................125 Aerial Resupply From the Receiver .........................................................................................127 Aerial Resupply by SOCEUR ..................................................................................................129 A “Bump” and Missiles in the Abyss ......................................................................................132 v Chapter Page 500 Afghans Can Die, But Not One American Can Be Injured ..............................................134 AAA = A Bad Night in the Hindu Kush ..................................................................................134 Getting a Handle on the Air Threat ..........................................................................................138 Fostering Faith and Providing Solace .......................................................................................138 AAA Payback Time .................................................................................................................139 Bastogne in Afghanistan ..........................................................................................................140 “Little Birds” of Prey ...............................................................................................................141 High Desert Rat Patrol .............................................................................................................143 The Great Communications Terminus .....................................................................................145 Resupply From 10,000 Feet .....................................................................................................146 PSYOP = Hard, Steady Work ...................................................................................................147 A Supportive Populace ............................................................................................................150 Getting PSYOP on the Ground in Afghanistan ........................................................................151 Have Tools Will Travel .............................................................................................................151 Mr. President ............................................................................................................................153 A Signifi cant Meeting With an Unusual Man ..........................................................................154 The Battle of Tarin Kowt .........................................................................................................155 SOCCENT to Mazar-e-Sharif ..................................................................................................158 Al-Qaeda Uprising—Qala-i-Jangi—24-29 November ............................................................158 ODA 583 Meets Gul Agha Sherzai ..........................................................................................165 The Fight at Tahk-te-pol ..........................................................................................................167 Fighting at Arghastan Bridge ...................................................................................................169 Plans Versus Reality .................................................................................................................171 The Karzai Way to Kandahar ...................................................................................................172 Charge to the Airport and Back Again .....................................................................................174 Attacking the Arghendab Bridge With Karzai .........................................................................175 Who Dares, Wins .....................................................................................................................178 Death From Above ...................................................................................................................179 Another Reaction to Kandahar’s Fall .......................................................................................182 CA and Humanitarian Relief ...................................................................................................183 CA Teams on the Ground .........................................................................................................184 Tactical PSYOP to Mazar-e-Sharif ..........................................................................................185 Emergency Casualty Evacuation at K2 ....................................................................................187 4. The Campaign in Transition, 8 December 2001-28 February 2002 .........................................203 Old Glory Flies Again in Kabul ...............................................................................................211 Tora Bora ..................................................................................................................................213 One Army .................................................................................................................................216 The Answer is Out There ..........................................................................................................219 A New Twist on an Old Idea ....................................................................................................220 Chokepoint ...............................................................................................................................225 “60 Minutes II” ........................................................................................................................227 High-Altitude Rescue of a Marine CH-53 ...............................................................................229 Taking Down al-Qaeda at the Mir Wais Hospital ....................................................................232 The Raid at Hazer Qadam ........................................................................................................235 SR Eyes on Target ....................................................................................................................241 From EMT to Special Forces Force Multiplier ........................................................................244 Politics, War, and Rapport ........................................................................................................248 vi