Units & Ops

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Hostages Freed in Somalia by U.S. Special Operations Forces

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On Tuesday night, as President Barack Obama was making his State of the Union Address, U.S. special operations forces were concluding a joint operation to free two captives held in …

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A soldier from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, rides an all-terrain Vehicle (ATV), into a cave to check for munitions, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, July 19, 2002. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bethann Hunt

Outcomes and Consequences – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 9

With the surrender of the Taliban government at Kandahar in early December 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan (OEF-A), Rotation I began to wind down a bit. There was still the brutal …

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A Marine with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, Calif., leads a column of Marines to a security position after seizing a Taliban forward operating base Nov. 25, 2001. Marines from the 15th and 26th MEU were deployed to the region in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Joseph R Chenelly

MEU(SOC)s in OEF-A – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 8

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, President George W. Bush and his military advisers came to four primary conclusions:…

The hijackers were members of Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda terrorist

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MH-53J Pave Low

AFSOC Begins a Long War – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 7

Editor’s Note: Maj. Gen. Rich Comer, who is well known to our readers, wrote the following piece from memory and personal records, and as such it represents one of the …

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Eastern Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2002, a U.S. Navy SEAL provides cover for his teammates advancing on a suspected location of al Qaeda and Taliban forces. Navy special operations forces were conducting missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo

Task Force K-Bar – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 6

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“They established benchmark standards of professionalism, tenacity, courage, tactical brilliance, and operational excellence.” – Secretary of the Navy Gordon England, Presidential Unit Citation ceremony for Task Force K-Bar, Dec. 7, …

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ODA 574 with Hamid Karzai. U.S. Army photo

Eleven Men at the Gates of Kandahar – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 5

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“[T]he Taliban launched a very large force with a lot of well-trained soldiers … We crushed them and sent them back to Kandahar.” – then-Capt. Jason Amerine, commanding officer of …

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Then-Staff Sgt. Bart Decker, Air Force combat controller, on horseback with Northern Alliance forces. U.S. Army photo

21st Century Horse Soldiers – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 4

At 2:00 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2001, 39 days after al Qaeda terrorists attacked American soil, a special operations MH-47E Chinook helicopter touched down in a remote section of the …

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A 160th SOAR MH-47 during a recent exercise. Just getting ODA 555 in place required piloting skills of the highest quality. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erik Cardenas

“Triple Nickel” at Bagram – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 3

From the moment that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were realized to have originated in Afghanistan, there was a strong desire within the administration of President George W. Bush for …

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American Special Forces and members of the Northern Alliance west of Konduz, Afghanistan, in late 2001. U.S. Army photo

The Campaign Plan – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 2

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“I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” – President George W. Bush, …

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A U.S. Special Forces soldier and Northern Alliance soldier work together during Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Army photo

Origins of a Plan – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 1

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For most Americans of the present generation, the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, represent the benchmarks of time and consequence around which many will summarize their lives. That the …

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