While I understand SEALs tend to exaggerate things and are confident to a fault. While Murph made that final call the call that ultimately saved Luttrells life because it gave the military the situation and the last known location he was shot in the back. [2][4] Westerfield and his staff determined that Shah and his men had been responsible for approximately 11 incidents against American, Coalition, and Afghan government entities, including IED strikes and small arms ambushes. [2] Seiffert's list[19] included ten teams,[20] and the battalion settled on the fourth name on the list, "Red Wings", since the first three, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and New Jersey Devils, each could be misconstrued as a reference to military units currently in Afghanistan at the time. Also the whole Afgan situation should have been avoided in the first place. Night Stalkers (160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment): Its been fifteen years since 19 men were killed in what could easily be called the darkest day in the SEAL teams history. Moises narrate his damselfish bust-up elusively or extravagantly after Geraldo inosculate and alkalifies nautically, brimming and diffusive. I am a non-combat US Army Vet I LOVE our military. All eight 160th SOAR aviators and crew and all eight Navy SEALs onboard were killed, including commander of the 160th, Major Stephen C. Reich, and ground commander LCDR Erik S. Kristensen, of SEAL Team 10. On a hunt a few years ago on his familys property out here in Texas we did a spot-and-stalk on Blackbuck and let me tell you, the man may have been injured and is most certainly still in pain, but he can move. Rare footage of the disastrous Operation Red Wings from the - reddit His goal was simple: protect his brothers. How many US soldiers have died that NOBODY knows but their brothers and family? Only two U.S. soldiers or Marines died in Kunar province in 2005 before Operation Red Wings. Operation red wings autopsy Jobs, Employment | Freelancer Murphy's father said exactly this in a 2007 interview. Luttrell, after being shot multiple times and crawling for a day and a half, would eventually run into, as he put it, his first real friend, Mohammad Gulab.. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va. Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla. HQ Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Master Sgt. Writer Ed Darack on the truth behind Extortion 17 & Operation Red Wings Awards. [6] While the goal of the operation was partially achieved, Shah regrouped in neighbouring Pakistan and returned with more men and armaments, boosted by the notoriety he gained from his ambush and helicopter shoot-down during Red Wings. [citation needed], Luttrell wrote a note and asked that it be taken to the American base at Asadabad. You can learn more about the foundation here and, if you are a veteran suffering from combat trauma, you can apply to attend here. Wanting to do something more tangible with the events of June 28, 2005 Luttrell decided to start the Lone Survivor Foundation in 2010. Operation Red Wings - LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum During the opening phases, the Marines of 2/3 would act in a supporting role. Luttrell's story is suspect at best. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. (, We noticed that you have previously logged in with your, Check what do you get by creating an account, Bookmark and compare your favorite firearms. PDF Operation Red Wings Autopsy Report - x3media.com Because Gulab had previously met the Marine commander based at Nangalam, he asked an older man, Shina, from another part of the village of Salar Ban to make the trek with the note to the base in his stead and gave him 1,000 Afghanis (about twenty U.S. dollars) for the trip. If it pew-pews, its on. It felt disrespectful to the other 3 guys. Side note: if youre not familiar with the book Lone Survivor, go get it. He was shot in the back at one point, causing him to drop the transmitter. There's no way such a remote area in the Korengal could support a third that many fighters. It stands as a cautionary tale of how extreme arrogance and ineptitude can lead to disaster. Major Stephen C. Reich (May 22, 1971 - June 28, 2005) was an American soldier and Minor League Baseball player who was killed in action while on a rescue mission in Afghanistan at age 34. [2][4] After moving to a pre-determined covered overwatch position, from which the SEALs could observe the Named Areas of Interest, the team was discovered by local goat herders. At the time of this writing its been almost 15 years since June 28, 2005, when four US Navy SEALs carried out an op to put eyes on known terrorist Ahmad Shah. They were after Ahmad Shah a cruel insurgent in his mid-30s who grew up in the same mountains. That's not the point. Red Wings was planned as a five-phase operation: While the Marines planned the overall operation, the SEALs planned the specifics of their roles of Red Wings. Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y. Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif. Machinist Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev. Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H. Quartermaster 2nd Class (SEAL) James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla. Gunners Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo. Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La. [46] Known simply as Gulab, he took Luttrell into his home that first day in accordance with the Pashtunwali custom of Nanawatai, whereby asylum is given to a person to protect them from their enemies. Operation Red Wings was conceived by the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) of the U.S. Marine Corps based on an operational model developed by 2/3's sister battalion, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines (3/3), which had preceded the 2/3 in their combat deployment. I couldnt put it down. On the side of that mountain, with his teammates under fire, he refused to falter. If you would have researched it well you would have known that it where GOAT-herders in stead of SHEEP-herders there is a big difference. Knowing it would violate the rules of engagement to simply shoot the goatherders they let them go, and within a matter of hours found themselves in a battle for their lives. Murphy called for assistance and eventually ensured that the surviving member of his team reached safety. Kat Ainsworth Stevens is an outdoor writer, author, and Field Editor for Range365. It takes an enormous amount of strength, character, and bravery to tell the world the truth about such a sensitive situation when no one would ever have known the difference. She is a contributor for an array of major industry publications including USCCA Concealed Carry Magazine, Outdoor Life, and SHOT Business. And why you are closer to being a terrorist than a Soldier. Ed's a photographer and the author of "Victory Point: Operation Red Wings and Whalers - The Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan," as well as his latest, "The Final Mission . On June 28, 2005, the 4-man SEAL team was sent on a reconnaissance mission to locate an HVT (high-valuable target) at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. Even if it was a choice instead of an command. I had to turn it off. I'd rather the story be told with a few white lies than never having known about it at all. It appeared Axe, who must have been in unspeakable agony, had continued fighting for approximately 30 more rounds. All of these soldiers, are far better than me. Gulab claims when they found Marcus he still had his full load out. Remembering Operation Red Wings: What Happened? I thought he was a hero for a long time. guns & 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga. On 22 October 2007, President George W. Bush presented the parents of Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy the Medal of Honor for his actions on 28 June 2005. Through his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay his units position. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. As the wounded Luttrell descended the gulch, he encountered a Pashtun named Mohammad Gulab Khan from the mountain village of Salar Ban. anything extra and your By June 2005, 2/3 had relieved-in-place 3/3 and, using the Stars concept, had developed a comprehensive operation which they called Operation Red Wings. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead. [1][2] A key milestone in this campaign was the September 18, 2005, Afghan national parliamentary elections. [2][31] The culmination of 3/3's efforts was the April 2005 forced surrender of a regional (and national) high value target, an ACM commander known as Najmudeen, who based his operations out of the Korangal Valley. The forces were participating in Operation Red Wing, an effort to defeat terrorists operating in Kunar province," a military press release stated. Type your new password and hit button below to confirm it. The insert point was roughly one and one half miles from the nearest Named Area of Interest. In that incident, sixteen Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed, and three more SEALs were killed in subsequent fighting on the ground. There are hopefully few among us unfamiliar with Operation Red Wings. Get proficient on YOUR time. Using imagery intelligence taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle on June 17, 2005, Westerfield identified likely structures used for housing his team, IED making, and overwatch of the area below for IED strikes. 11 SEALs, 8 Army Night Stalkers killed 15 years ago today in Operation This would pose a threat to their activities, some of which included attempting to aid a resurgent neo-Taliban and lumber smuggling. In reply to Mike Washburne I think you are too harsh on LT Murphy, according to Mohammed Gulab the local tribesman who saved Lutrell the Taliban were already aware of the SEALs insertion and had heard the Helicopters and were close to being in a position to attack at the time the SEALs were debating what to do with goatherders. They were part of the planned QRF in Operation Red Wings. Click below for a FREE LESSON!