Operation Red Wing

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Operation Red Wing
partof=the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)


caption=
date=June 28, 2005
place= Kunar province, Afghanistan
result= Taliban victory; operational failure.
combatant1=flag|United States
combatant2=flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban Taliban insurgents
commander1=Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. KristensenKIA ["Lone Survivor, pp 247-248"]
1 Lt. Michael P. Murphy KIA
commander2=Ahmad Shah
strength1=12 Navy SEALs, 2 MH-47 Chinook, 2 UH-60 Black Hawk and 2 AH-64D Apache helicopters
strength2=150-200
casualties1= 19 killed, 1 wounded,
1 Chinook helicopter shot down [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/03/afghan.casualties/ CNN.com - Helicopter crash victims identified - Jul 3, 2005 ] ]
casualties2=Unknown

Operation Red Wing was a failed counter insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, involving four members of the U.S. Navy SEALs, which took place June 28, 2005. Three of the SEALs were killed during the operation. The fourth was protected by local villagers and later rescued by the U.S. military. The story of the rescued SEAL would later become an a TIME Magazine article, titled "How The Shepherd Saved The SEAL." [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1081394,00.html How The Shepherd Saved The SEAL] ." July 18, 2005. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601050718,00.html] ]

Operation Red Wing

The SEAL team, led by Lt. Michael P. Murphy and consisting of petty officers Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz and Marcus Luttrell, was on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a key Taliban leader, west of Asadabad, [cite web
last = Naylor
first = Sean D.
title = Surviving SEAL tells story of deadly mission
publisher = Army Times
date = 2007-06-18
url = http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_sealbook_070618w/
accessdate = 2008-07-21 ] who ultimately died in a firefight some two years later. [cite web
last = Dupee
first = Matt
title = Bara bin Malek Front commander killed in Pakistani shootout
publisher = The Long War Journal
date = 2007-04-17
url = http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_sealbook_070618w/
accessdate = 2008-07-21 ] After an initially successful infiltration, local goat herders stumbled upon the SEALs' hiding place. The SEALs decided to let them go rather than kill them, and the herders alerted local Taliban forces. They were surrounded by the Taliban and a firefight ensued. [http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irish-voice/news/afghan-war-hero171007.aspx Highest Honor for Afghan War Hero ] ]

Even though they were pinned down, Lt. Murphy broke cover long enough to make a call to his base for back-up. The call was placed on a cell phone, due to the fact that the radio reception was very bad on that part of the mountain, and the base could not receive their radio transmission. In the process of placing this call, he was shot in the stomach and back but he still managed to complete the call. The three remaining SEALs continued to fight off the Taliban, gravely wounded, protecting each other as their position was pushed back to lower ground. After two hours of fighting and killing dozens of Taliban fighters each, only Luttrell remained alive.cite web | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/10/AR2007061001492_pf.html | title=The Sole Survivor - A Navy Seal, Injured and Alone, Was Saved By Afghans' Embrace and Comrades' Valor | publisher=Washington Post | first=Laura | last=Blumenfeld | date=2007-06-11 | page=A01 ]

In response to the call from Murphy to Bagram Air Base, two MH-47 Chinook helicopter's, four UH-60 Blackhawks and two AH-64D Longbows attempted to come to their rescue to provide extraction in the mountains of Kunar province, Afghanistan. Crew from the escort attack helicopters praised the SEALs on the ground as putting up outstanding resistance, calling it "an unbelievable firefight." One of the Chinook helicopter's carrying eight US Navy SEALs and eight Nightstalkers - members of the Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment was shot down by what is believed to have been a rocket propelled grenade shot through the open rear ramp killing all sixteen on board.

Rescue

Now alone and wounded, Luttrell had to fend for himself. He pulled himself away from the fire zone and tried to hide himself as he waited for rescue from the search helicopters flying overhead. During this time, Luttrell was discovered by an Afghan man who was not part of the Taliban. Shortly afterwards, more Afghan men showed up armed with AK-47 rifles. The men took the wounded Luttrell and carried him to the village of Sabray-Minah. The villagers in Sabray-Minah took care of Luttrell, providing food and medical attention, and even protecting him from the Taliban that came to the village demanding that he be turned over to them.

Despite multiple attempts, the search helicopters were unable to locate Luttrell. Finally, the village elder, armed with a note from Luttrell, went down to seek help from a Marine outpost several miles away. With this information, the U.S. forces drew up rescue plans. According to Lt. Col. Steve Butow, the plans were "one of the largest combat search-and-rescue operations since Vietnam". The rescue was a success and they brought Luttrell home.

Casualties

SEAL Team:
*Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, New York
*STG2(SEAL) Matthew Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, CA
*GM2(SEAL) Danny Dietz 26, of Littleton, Colorado

The service members killed-in-action on the crashed helicopter include: [ [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/03/afghan.casualties/ CNN.com - Helicopter crash victims identified - Jul 3, 2005 ] ]

Nightstalkers:
*Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio
*Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minnesota.
*Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Florida
*Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Indiana
*Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tennessee
*Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Connecticut.
*Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Virginia
*Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Florida

SEALs:
*FCC(SEAL/SW) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana
*ITCS(SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, New Hampshire
*Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, California
*ET1(SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Oregon
*Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, New York
*QM2(SEAL) James E. Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Florida
*HM1(SEAL/FMF) Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, West Virginia
*MM2(SEAL) Shane E. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nevada

Awards

On September 14, 2006, Dietz and Axelson were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for "undaunted courage" and heroism. Luttrell was also awarded the Navy Cross in a ceremony at the White House. In 2007, Lieutenant Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.Additionally, June 28, 2008, Luttrell and the family members of those killed were honored at the San Diego Padres game. In addition, the Navy Leapfrogs brought in the American flag, the POW/MIA flag, the San Diego Padres flag. Lutrell and the family members were given a standing ovation by the more than 25,000 there to watch the game.

ee also

*Communications in Afghanistan
*Lokhay Warkawal
*Marawara (village), Marawara district
*Asadabad, Afghanistan
*Bagram
*Bagram Air Base

References

External links

* [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/03/8ad696c0-1b3d-4d52-9c3a-f2a64f21a40b.html Mobile-Phone Towers Are Taliban's New Target] RFE/RL March 3 2008

Notes

*"Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10" Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson (2007) Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0316067591
*http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/06/afghan.ids/index.html
*cite web | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/10/AR2007061001492.html | title=The Sole Survivor - A Navy Seal, Injured and Alone, Was Saved By Afghans' Embrace and Comrades' Valor | publisher=Washington Post | first=Laura | last=Blumenfeld | date=2007-06-11 | page=A01