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Weapon of ChoiceChoiceWeapon of ChoiceChoiceCSIPressCMH Pub 70–100–1Cover created by Earl MonizPIN : 082666–000ARSOFinAfghanistan

ForewordThis extensive account of U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers and their actions in Afghanistan is an important contribution to understanding how these unique individuals removedthe Taliban from power and destroyed al-Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan aspart of the US global war on terrorism. The originating idea, research, and writing that wentinto it are strictly the product of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and its assignedauthors.The Combat Studies Institute (CSI), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is pleased to have been selected to provide the technical editing and production assistance required to produce this novelwork. The editing section of CSI’s Research and Publication Team has faithfully produced thethoughts, ideas, and sentiments of the original authors.Lawyn C. EdwardsColonel, AviationDirector, Combat Studies

Weapon of ChoiceU.S. Army Special Operations Forcesin AfghanistanCharles H. BriscoeRichard L. KiperJames A. SchroderKalev I. SeppCombat Studies Institute PressFort Leavenworth, Kansas

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataWeapon of Choice: U.S. Army Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan / Charles H. Briscoe, RichardL. 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 2003958.104’6—dc222003021246The figures that appear in this book are credited as follows:U.S. government photos: chapter 1, figures 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.CIA photos: chapter 1, figures 1 and 2; chapter 2, figures 4, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 31; chapter 3,figures 2, 19, and 52; and chapter 5, figure 5.Joint Combat Camera Center: chapter 1, figure 6; chapter 2, figures 6, 12, 15, 30, and 36; chapter3, figures 7, 8, 13, 15, 24, 59, 66, and 69.U.S. Army Special Operations Command History Office: chapter 1, figures 4, 5, and 7; chapter 2,figures 1, 3-5, 7-11, 13, 14, 15-22, 26, 29-35, 39-60; chapter 3, figures 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16-18, 20-23, 2558, 60-68, 70, 73-75; chapter 4, figures 1-34; and chapter 5, figures 1-4, 6-31.Combat Studies Institute (CSI) Press publications cover a variety of military history topics. Theviews expressed in this CSI Press publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of theDepartment of the Army or the Department of Defense.A full list of CSI/CGSC Press publications, many of them available for downloading, can be foundat http:www.cgsc.army.mil/csi .

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ContentsChapterPageUSSOCOM Foreword . iUSASOC Foreword .iiiFigures .viiiAcknowledgments .xiiiIntroduction . xv1. Prelude to Terror . 12. Awakening the Giant . 33“Subdue Without Fighting”: JPOTF, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida . 47Developing the SOF Campaign at SOCCENT, Tampa, Florida. 50Top Draft Choices: 10th SFG, Fort Carson, CO, and 7th SFG, Fort Bragg, NC . 515th SFG CJSOTF-North, Fort Campbell, Kentucky . 52Standing Up JSOTFs in Tampa and Fort Campbell . 54Committed to Middle East Exercises . 573rd SFG Prepares for the Horn of Africa at Fort Bragg . 58Thinking Ahead: Senior Liaison Officers for Resistance Leaders . 59Civil Affairs to Islamabad, Pakistan . 60Of Vital Importance: PSYOP . 62Site Coordination With the Uzbeks at Karshi Kanabad . 64Uncorking the Bottled Airlift . 66All Credit Cards Accepted at K2 Gas Station . 68Air Campaign and CSAR Go Hand in Hand . 68Making Camp Freedom a Fully Operational Base: K2, Uzbekistan. 70Northern Air Campaign CSAR MH-47Es . 71Building Camp Freedom at Double Time . 72The Universal Morale Booster at K2—Hot Food . 73Special Forces: CSAR Personnel Recovery and UW Preparation . 74Real Estate and Security at K2 . 74Task Force Dagger JSOTF-North at K2 . 74Hot-Wiring the “Snake”: Rearranging JSOTF-North Communications . 75Building the JOC Inside the “Snake”: TF Dagger’s JOC. 77Staff “Battle Captain”: The Combat Operations “Pulse Monitor” . 78Different Intelligence Concerns for Air Planners . 78JSOTF-North Growing Pains at K2 . 79We Don’t Fail . 80DAPs Set the Stage for UW in Afghanistan . 823. Toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, 19 October-7 December 2001 . 93Jumping Into the Dark: Seizing Rhino, 19 October 2001 . 109Tactical PSYOP for Rhino . 113Showing American Power . 115“Look, We Have to Get the Special Forces Teams Into Afghanistan!” . 117On Horseback With Dostum . 122ODA 595 Begins Bombing Taliban Defenses . 125Aerial Resupply From the Receiver . 127Aerial Resupply by SOCEUR. 129A “Bump” and Missiles in the Abyss . 132v

ChapterPage500 Afghans Can Die, But Not One American Can Be Injured . 134AAA A Bad Night in the Hindu Kush . 134Getting a Handle on the Air Threat . 138Fostering Faith and Providing Solace . 138AAA Payback Time . 139Bastogne in Afghanistan . 140“Little Birds” of Prey . 141High Desert Rat Patrol . 143The Great Communications Terminus . 145Resupply From 10,000 Feet . 146PSYOP Hard, Steady Work . 147A Supportive Populace . 150Getting PSYOP on the Ground in Afghanistan . 151Have Tools Will Travel . 151Mr. President . 153A Significant Meeting With an Unusual Man. 154The Battle of Tarin Kowt . 155SOCCENT to Mazar-e-Sharif. 158Al-Qaeda Uprising—Qala-i-Jangi—24-29 November . 158ODA 583 Meets Gul Agha Sherzai. 165The Fight at Tahk-te-pol . 167Fighting at Arghastan Bridge . 169Plans Versus Reality. 171The Karzai Way to Kandahar . 172Charge to the Airport and Back Again. 174Attacking the Arghendab Bridge With Karzai . 175Who Dares, Wins . 178Death From Above . 179Another Reaction to Kandahar’s Fall . 182CA and Humanitarian Relief . 183CA Teams on the Ground. 184Tactical PSYOP to Mazar-e-Sharif . 185Emergency Casualty Evacuation at K2. 1874. The Campaign in Transition, 8 December 2001-28 February 2002 . 203Old Glory Flies Again in Kabul . 211Tora Bora . 213One Army . 216The Answer is Out There . 219A New Twist on an Old Idea . 220Chokepoint . 225“60 Minutes II” . 227High-Altitude Rescue of a Marine CH-53 . 229Taking Down al-Qaeda at the Mir Wais Hospital . 232The Raid at Hazer Qadam . 235SR Eyes on Target . 241From EMT to Special Forces Force Multiplier . 244Politics, War, and Rapport . 248vi

ChapterPageGTMO Bound . 250CA Liaison Work. 251CJSOTF-West . 253End of Mission—Aerial Resupply in Afghanistan . 253“We’re Going for Sure This Time” . 255Be Prepared for SSE . 256Native Pashto and Dari Speaker Seeking PSYOP Assignment . 257Keep on Trucking . 260Rescue at 10,000 Feet . 261Date Drop at Khowst . 263ODA 394: The Next Mission . 2655. The New War . 275Entering the Valley . 282Field Expedient Triage . 285Disaster and Frustration. 285Combat Multipliers . 287D-Day ANACONDA From the Viewpoint of Force Multipliers . 288ARSOF in Direct Support . 292On Again-Off Again . 293With the Aussies . 295Forty-Five Seconds Too Long . 296Never Leave a Fallen Comrade. 299Against All Odds . 302Joining the Fight on Takur Ghar . 309ODA 394 Climbs the “Whale” . 319Integrating Civil Affairs . 328Ambush at 80 Knots . 330Trail of Caches . 332Establishing CJSOTF-Afghanistan. 335Communications at Bagram . 337High Desert Automation Management. 338“Good Morrrrning, Afghannnnistan” . 340A Disaster Provides a Catalyst . 342The Communications Handoff . 344Better Communications . 344CJSOTF-Afghanistan and the Joint Air Component . 345CJSOTF-Afghanistan and “Zulu Time” . 345Command Guidance and VTCs . 346Rebuilding the Kabul Military Academy . 347Another View of the Kabul Military Academy Task . 349“Chiclets” and PSYOP Teams in Kandahar . 350Their Lucky Day. 353Dealing With Cryptographic Compromise . 355Caves and Graves . 356Vietnam-Style A Camp at Orgun-e . 358A National Army for Afghanistan . 358Observations and Reflections . 369vii

ChapterPagePreparation for War . 370Driving the Taliban From Power: ARSOF in the Supported Role . 376Transition and Combat Operations . 383The CJSOTF-Afghanistan Era Begins . 389Glossary . 393About the Contributors . 399Index . 401FiguresChapter 11.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.Regional Map and Selected Cities in the Country . 1Regional Location Map and Neighboring Countries . 3Jimmy Carter . 11Soviet Tank Carcass. 12Abandoned MiG at Mazar. 15Hamad Karzai. 18Afghan Children . 20Madeleine Albright. 22Bill Richardson. 22William Cohen . 24GEN Henry Shelton . 24George Tenet. 26Chapter 0.21.22.23.Extensive Mountainous Terrain . 34Pakistan Government Building . 35Tribal Factions, Regions, and Leaders . 36Map Depicting the Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity of Afghanistan . 37BG McClure, COL Volckmann, and COL Bank . 39Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Names the Operational Efforts . 40LTG Bryan D. Brown Encourages Soldiers . 42Helicopter View of Karshi Kanabad (K2) Air Base, Uzbekistan . 45The 528th Support Battalion Kept the Water Flowing . 45The 112th Signal Battalion Established the JSOTF-North Communications Links . 45The 528th Support Battalion Soldiers Prepared for Base Camp Construction . 45C-17 Globemaster III Taking Off From K2 to Make Humanitarian Food Drops. 46Commando Solo Airborne Broadcasting Platform . 46“Drive Out the Foreign Terrorists” Leaflet Dropped During the Air Campaign . 4675th Rangers Night Parachute Assault on Objective Rhino . 47MH-47E Helicopters Taxi for Preflight Checks Before Night Missions. 47160th SOAR—Loaded and Ready for Night Operations . 47Resistance is Futile; Assistance Works Better . 48“Reassurance” Leaflets in Multiple Languages . 48Leaflet Messages Directed at the Civilian Population. 49Leaflet Appealing to Afghan Nationalism . 504th POG Printing Presses Regularly Operated Overtime. 50SOCCENT Map Dividing Afghanistan Geographically . 54viii

56.57.58.Afghanistan . 55LAN Connectivity to the K2 “Snake” . 56Amman, Jordan . 58The Central Command’s Horn of Africa Region. 59TF Dagger Commander COL Mulholland Gives GEN Myers (CJCS) an Update at K2 . 59U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command Shoulder Patch . 60Islamabad in Relation to Afghanistan . 61PSYOP Themes Centered on Accepting Coalition Assistance . 63Karshi Kanabad (K2), Uzbekistan. 64K2, Uzbekistan . 65Uzbek Guards—The Bottom of the Bureaucratic Ladder . 66K2 Buildup With Backlog of Accumulating Supplies and Equipment . 67160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). 67Refueling a Soviet Mi-17 at K2. 68Night Stalker View of the C-130P Trailing Refuel Lines and Probe Basket . 69Trail Aircraft View of MH-47E Refueling . 69MH-47E Hooked Up for Aerial Refueling . 69112th Signal Battalion Satellite Antennas . 70K2 Buildup . 70MH-47E Landing at K2. 70MH-60L DAPs . 71Aircraft Maintenance Was a Crucial Factor for Success . 71528th SOSB Initial Logistics Chaos . 72K2 Cantonment Area . 72COL Frank Kisner and COL John Mulholland . 75TF Dagger Logo . 75The Support Battalion Needs Communications to Provide Support . 76112th Signal Battalion Unit Insignia and Beret Flash . 76Dry for the Moment. 77JSOTF-North Commander COL Mulholland With Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld . 80Antennas, Power, and Cabling Installed First . 81Initial Signal Links to K2 . 81MH-60L DAP. Winter Operations in High Mountainous Terrain Posed Major Challenges . 82Identifying the Good Guys From the Bad Guys. 84Preflight Check Included Attaching Glint Tape to Identify “Friendlies” .

ARSOF Afghanistan in Cover created by Earl Moniz CSI Press CMH Pub 70-100-1 PIN : 082666-000 Weapon of Choice Weapon of Ch oice