Chris, Turbine 33 has just been shot down, he told Eicher, who earned the nickname Iceman for his always cool demeanor. Brooks said he felt inspired to record his first-hand account of the mission to rescue Luttrell because most war stories are about the fighting and the glorious victory of battle, but I think this kind of tells another side of war that kind of really doesnt get much attention., This was ugly, this was an ugly event, Brooks added. They finalized plans and sent the Night Stalkers on their way. ", "But he wasn't a non-conformist just to be a non-conformist," Ismay explained. Im glad youre here because I am spent, Eicher told him. Many of the men suffered scorched hands from gripping the rope through gloves for such a long descent. In his book, Brooks wrote, I got my first real look at Afghanistan from the side of the mountain after offloading from a helicopter onto the Sawalto Sar, a mountain in Afghanistans Kunar Province. Im glad youre a thinking air mission commander and not simply one that takes a black-and-white view of the situation.. After refueling, he continued on to Jalalabad and off-loaded. Receiving the transmission, Brady couldnt believe it. Increasing the size of the enemy that . Not really sure who they were, but there was more activity than I expected.. Assigned to replace Eicher as senior flight lead, he was trying to learn as much as he could before hopping into an aircraft and joining the mission. The 160th had only lost helicopters during daylight missions at that point theyre called Night Stalkers for a reason. As the Night Stalkers approached Bagram they could see what looked like everyone on base standing outside, showing their respect for the fallen. After several tense moments of struggling to bring in the rope, they decided to cut it loose. Good, Brady recalled Reich saying. At Jalalabad, Brady was approached by SEAL Commander Erik Kristensen in the command operations center. Graham and his co-pilot whipped their Chinook around to look for survivors. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: taurus 1911 45 acp extended magazine CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! Some of the Night Stalkers hanging out in the B huts they slept in, enjoying much needed down time. Turbine 33s nose dipped down, and the aircraft slid to the left, appearing to almost recover. But militants were waiting in ambush and shot down an Army MH-47E Chinook chopper as Kristensen and his men were preparing to fast-rope to the ground, killing all 16 aboard. Physically, emotionally. You are giving solace to someone other than yourself, and yet you are helping yourself," she said. As the task unit commander for SEAL Team 10, in which Murphy served, Kristensen decided to personally lead an assault force by helicopter to his last known location, where the younger officer had been tasked with finding a militia leader named Ahmad Shah. When the crew chief tried to pull the rope up, they found it was entangled below. He told Reich pushing the mission back would allow Shah to continue his terrorist activities, likely leading to the death of locals and U.S. military in the area. In one passage, he wrote, At any moment, I expected the crack of a rifle. Brady knew that surveillance aircraft going off station without backup was supposed to result in aborting the mission. I will never accept defeat. The only SEAL to make it out of the Red Wings incident alive, Navy Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, went on to write the bestseller "Lone Survivor," which became a major motion picture of the same title last year. 1st Class Mike Russell, was sleeping and updated him on what had unfolded. You hope they could. Instance of. He told Reich pushing the mission back would allow Shah to continue his terrorist activities, likely leading to the death of locals and US military in the area. The extreme height of the trees made the full length of rope approximately 90 feet necessary. rested on the cold magazine well of my M4 carbine. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Primary and secondary zones appear to be clear of potential threats.. Flying toward Jalalabad en route to the last known position of the SEALs, they received word from Bagram on the number of men they could have on board each aircraft and still fly at the extreme elevation. Once on the ground, theyd have to pick up the rope, hook it to themselves, and get hoisted back up. military operation. Kristensen once told Roth, "I don't know about this whole SEAL thing. They were exhausted and angry with the mistake the US Air Force had made when they allowed Space-A seating to be filled on this leg of the flight home. My finger . Kristensen and his SEALs were waiting on the ramp, standing in a circle. Operation Red Wings Day 2: June 29. by Pete Nealen Nov 11, 2013. On April 6, 15 U.S. service members and three American civilians were killed when their chopper went down in a sandstorm. He walked back to the operations center to monitor the situation and provide support from Bagram. The task force commander denied the request and ordered Turbine 34 back to Jalalabad. The 2007 book "Lone Survivor" was later adapted into a movie of the same name in 2013. After covering his landing, Brooks book goes through a nearly hour-by-hour recounting of the rescue and recovery mission that lasted almost two full days. They were exhausted and angry with the mistake the U.S. Air Force had made when they allowed Space-A seating to be filled on this leg of the flight home. I will never quit. It was this sort of behaviour from SEALs at the time, which seemed to be rampant across all NATO ops, which caused army SF to constantly hate on them and talk shit. Thats not possible, Brady replied, confused at how quickly the SEALs had become compromised. Feb 24, 2015 - By Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr Amid the 1200-page military investigation into the crash in Wardak province in August are photos of the helicopter. A lot of guys really wanted to stay on the mission, recalled Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tim Graham, one of the pilots on Turbine 34. Photo courtesy of Daniel Bell. Smith said he saw a line of armored vehicles full of troops. To me at the moment, it was just another mission, we didnt recognize the importance of it until years later.. Then the realization hit: He was now in charge. The loss weighed heavy on the men. These are the first photos released by the military of the . The Night Stalkers again loaded their Chinooks with Rangers and SEALs and took off toward the mountains. Ammunition magazines for M4 rifles, springs and un-fired cartridges litter the sooted ground. Brooks told American Military News his experience on that mission added to his appreciation for Luttrells survival. At Jalalabad, Brady was approached by SEAL Cmdr. July 1, 2015, 6:11 AM. Photo courtesy of Daniel Bell. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. As the next night approached, the task force went to work, planning another insertion onto the deadly ridgeline. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Photo courtesy of Matt Rogie. We've hated to say no because people are very kind, Sam said. Frustrated and angry, Graham followed the order. Photo by Mark C. Olsen, courtesy of DVIDS. Brady rushed to the operations center where Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Eicher was telling the task force commander that they should wait until dark before sending the QRF because going in during daylight would subject them to more danger. They ascended and flew back to Jalalabad to link up with another group of SEALs and stand by as a quick-reaction force (QRF) in case the SR team was compromised. He was such a total goofball," remembered his friend Ismay, who graduated the academy a few years later and whose older brother served as a SEAL with Kristensen. All the men were anxious, angry, and ready to retrieve their brothers in arms. Shroades (medic R/160), SGT Dan Bell (E Co/160) during during the timeframe of Operation Red Wings. Standing 6' 4", he is remembered as gregarious and embraced a Jesuit ideal by being a "Man For Others," friends and family said. #OperationRedWings pic.twitter.com/FWsObBsX6n Boot Campaign (@BootCampaign) June 28, 2019 The four SEALs on the ground had continued the fight, killing an estimated 35 militants, until Murphy, Axelon and Dietz were killed, leaving Luttrell gravely wounded and laying in a ravine after a grenade blast knocked him unconscious. As the Night Stalkers approached Bagram they could see what looked like everyone on base standing outside, showing their respect for the fallen. They only attended one memorial dinner in San Diego last week to mark the tenth anniversary of the Red Wings tragedy and turned down other invites to ceremonies. Rogie met Eicher on the flight line when he landed after returning from the mission. Grahams aircraft pulled off to the right to circle around and insert their payload of SEALs after Turbine 33 moved off to allow their entrance. Flight line view of U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters. Graham watched from Turbine 34 as Turbine 33s ramp lowered and the crewman walked onto it to observe the landing zone below. After landing, Graham saw the same five Black Hawks that had peeled off earlier parked on the runway. They are famous for the roles they played in both the Battle of Mogadishu and the mission to kill Usama Bin Laden but are revered throughout the special operations community for acts of valor that often never see the light of day due to the classified nature of their work. As the cases were being loaded, a SEAL ran up to the new SEAL commander and placed a written note in his hand. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored. Franais : L'Opration Red Wings est une opration de contre-insurrection mene par l'arme amricaine le 28 juin 2005 contre les talibans de la province de Kounar. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell was the only survivor from the initial four-man SEAL reconnaissance element. Theyve got their own quick reaction force. We would have to drop a man down with a hoist in that hole of an LZ, Brady explained. As with the specifics of the planning of this phase, 2/3 played no direct role in command and control, as this was the "SOF supported" portion of the operation. The task force commander debriefed the men and then focused on planning their next steps. The two Apaches had arrived on station, drawing heavy gunfire, but nonetheless giving Turbine 34s crew back in the operations center a good look at the crash site. It was a gut-wrenching decision for everyone on the mission, as they knew the original SEALs on the SR team were fighting for their lives and one of their own aircraft and crew was burning on the side of a mountain. Hoisting a man at that altitude on that kind of terrain at night is a dangerous operation. The SEALs did their best to hide the rope and keep their presence on the ridgeline hidden from enemy fighters. All the men were anxious, angry, and ready to retrieve their brothers in arms. The Korengal and Shuryak valleysthe geographic region of Operation Red Wingsare sparsely populated and could not support an enemy force of 200 people. Its not glamorous. The weather was turning bad again as they offloaded Marines to assist with security. The plan was for the SEALs to fast-rope onto the ridgeline above the original LZ. During the flight, the Night Stalkers passed two Apache gunships whose pilots asked if they wanted to slow down so they could provide surveillance and support for the operation. A down to earth, happy-go-lucky guy," Roth said. Reich, who had been designated mission commander for phase two of the operation, felt the QRF was his responsibility. They broke off and flew out of reach of the enemy fire. Smith and the others in Turbine 34 watched helplessly as the Chinook full of their fellow aviators their friends crashed into the mountain and erupted in a ball of flames. For the Night Stalkers of the famed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the war on terror continued. The crash was the second of a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan this year. Rogie met Eicher on the flight line when he landed after returning from the mission. However unusual a personality he had, those who knew him agree that he fell in battle personifying the words stamped into that dogtag picked up by the paratrooper in the grime of Turbine 33's wreckage ten years ago. The majority of his book focuses on his first deployment out of Ranger training. They shared a laugh as they loaded up for the flight back to Bagram. Joshua Skovlund has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis that followed the death of George Floyd. Children of varying ages ran around the coffins, playing and yelling, not yet old enough to understand the sacrifices these warriors made. Graham and his co-pilot whipped their Chinook around to look for survivors. And we experienced that on that mountain.. RMW0HEG2 - Air Force flight surgeon Patrick Whitney visits the grave site of SFC Marcus V. Muralles, on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 26, 2014. They ascended back into orbit and remained there for an hour until the task force commander ordered them back to Jalalabad. The fallen Night Stalkers of the 160th SOAR included: Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach. SEALs: Who's Had More Impact in the War on Terror? Our plan of action is for you to get us to the high ground as close to the troops in contact as you can, and were going to fight our way downhill, Brady recalled Kristensen saying. Then the helos blades started hitting each other, and the aircraft rolled to the right before inverting as it descended to the mountainous terrain below. Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and other Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) personnel loaded onto five Chinooks. Brooks also described the difficulty of navigating the mountain terrain and scrambles up hillsides covered in loose rocky scree as well as dramatic weather changes. Many of the men suffered scorched hands from gripping the rope through gloves for such a long descent. As Brady approached the Chinook hed be flying, he noticed the tail number: 1-4-6. Im glad youre a thinking air mission commander and not simply one that takes a black-and-white view of the situation.. Approaching the insertion point, the pilots flared the Chinook and came into a hover. There were 100-foot-tall trees on all sides of the Chinook, and they were so close the pilots had no room to sway as they descended. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Marines in the area knew it was an extremely dangerous place filled with Taliban fighters. Back at Jalalabad, the commanders decided they had no choice but to wait for better weather and try again the next night. From left to right, sonar technician (surface) Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, of Cupertino, California; Senior Chief information systems technician Daniel R. Healy, of Exeter, New Hampshire; quartermaster Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, of Deerfield Beach, Florida; hospital corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell; machinists mate Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, of Boulder City, Nevada; and Lt. Michael P. Murphy, of Patchogue, New York With the exception of Luttrell, all were killed June 28, 2005, by enemy forces while supporting Operation Red Wing. That meant if the SEALs got into trouble, extraction would potentially require the use of a hoist to pull the SEALs out, which was a time-consuming and dangerous option. Each of the five Black Hawks was loaded with Marines and had flown out thinking they were the QRF for the SR team. Kent Paro, who led SEAL Team 10 at the time and was Kristensen and Murphy's commander in Afghanistan, told ABC News last week. Thats not possible, Brady replied, confused at how quickly the SEALs had become compromised. Three war-weary escorts one of them a SEAL and the other two Night Stalkers Daniel Bell and Chris Eicher sat off to the sides, grimly staring off into space. Graham watched from Turbine 34 as Turbine 33s ramp lowered and the crewman walked onto it to observe the landing zone below. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 5 lessons the Army teaches from the movie We Were Soldiers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Operation Red Wings Through the Eyes of the Night Stalkers. The SEALs did their best to hide the rope and keep their presence on the ridgeline hidden from enemy fighters. For the Night Stalkers of the famed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the war on terror continued. And if we just glamorize war all the time, I think thats a problem. "He was just a wonderful person. Kristensen confronted him about the decision to cut the rope at the LZ and asked if the Night Stalkers would go back and retrieve it. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. He walked back to the operations center to monitor the situation and provide support from Bagram. Al and Kip were on the ramp when the RPG impacted, Smith, who witnessed the horrific event, recalled. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The lone C-17 aircraft lumbered through the sky after departing Germany, a necessary stop on the way back to the United States. There was still some smoldering from the crash site, and I could see the glow from the heat through my night vision.. One of Bradys soldiers in the operations center was asking him a question, but Brady was momentarily frozen with shock. Photo courtesy of Matt Rogie. There was still some smoldering from the crash site, and I could see the glow from the heat through my night vision.. Believing the gunship could make it back on station in time for the insertion, Brady made the call to continue the mission. The memorial service display in Bagram, Afghanistan. Wikipedia. [2] [38] Our plan of action is for you to get us to the high ground as close to the troops in contact as you can, and were going to fight our way downhill, Brady recalled Kristensen saying. The flight back was pure silence. As he watched the two Chinooks taxiing onto the runway, he locked eyes with Russell, his platoon sergeant. The members of the task force said their final goodbyes. Their war-weary faces were chiseled stone as they watched the task force solemnly load 16 flag-draped interment cases into the C-17. Photo courtesy of Matt Rogie. Family, friends remember SEAL Erik Kristensen, 10 years after doomed mission. Weve got two military-aged males, possibly armed, on the northernmost LZ, the crew reported. From left, SGT Carlos Pacheco (3/160 medic, former 3/75), SFC Marcus V. Muralles (Legend 3/160 medic), MAJ Sam Sauer (3/160 flight surgeon), SFC L.E. The Taliban had pilfered the site, as well as the remains of Murphy -- they even stole his wristwatch -- and fellow SEAL operators Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz in another location down the mountain in the forest. Kristensen agreed with Bradys evaluation, and after the SR team radioed that they would be laying down for the day in their hide site, Brady and Kristensen called it a night. They engaged in a fierce firefight, and at some point the task force lost contact with them. Follow @CoffeeOrDieMag on Twitter. Brady said he estimated the AC-130 would only be off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the LZ. But Reich cut the debate short. He asked the AC-130 crew for one final report on the four potential landing zones the Night Stalkers had identified for the mission. The Armys elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is known for having some of the most skilled aviators in the world, who fly the most elite special operators into some of the most austere environments on earth using the most advanced aircraft in the U.S. military inventory. He could relate to the most junior guy and to a general or admiral," Paro said. In an interview with American Military News, Brooks said the motto leave no man behind was drilled into our heads as U.S. Army Rangers and his first real mission instilled the importance of that motto as he and his unit risked their own lives trying to find the members of Operation Red Wings. They then used explosives to clear out a large enough area for Chinooks to land when they came back. Running around in the woods is kind of cool once in awhile, camping is kind of cool once in awhile. Thats when Staff Sergeant Steven Smith, the flight engineer in the rear of Turbine 34, saw a smoke trail emerge from the tree line directly toward Turbine 33. As a pilot in the 160th, Brady was the air mission commander for the operation. Since the SEALs werent sure where exactly the compromised team was located, Kristensen believed inserting at a position of tactical advantage was the best option. This was a desolate part of the Hindu Kush, and at night, you wouldnt really expect to see much, Brady told Coffee or Die Magazine. The three-phase plan called for inserting a four-man SR team the first night, then inserting the second element of SEALs the following night to establish an isolation zone around Shah. He would have been on that bird were it not for the last minute change. Photo by Spc. Soldiers and Sailors from the Task Force saying their final goodbyes. SFC Muralles died June 28, 2005, in eastern Afghanistan when his MH-47E Chinook Helicopter was shot down by enemy fire during combat rescue operations, since come to be known by 'Operation Red Wings.' Like any deployed troops, Russian soldiers make calls back home to reconnect with family, friends and other loved ones. Reich, who had been designated mission commander for phase two of the operation, felt the QRF was his responsibility. I dont really care, Matt, he told Brady, just get your stuff and get off the airplane. OPERATION RED WINGS began with an insertion of a four-man NAVSOF reconnaissance and surveillance team near the summit of Sawtalo Sar late in the night of 27 June 2005. Having walked that ground, it blows my mind that he got out of there alive. Hovering for that long over the same spot would burn the LZ and likely alert the enemy to the SR teams presence.. Paratroopers held up a pair of Oakley mirrored sunglasses with one lens missing, a flight crew helmet torn open, a bent and flattened tactical flashlight and the lining of a SEAL's helmet they found on the ground. The 160th SOAR (A) Night stalkers are the only unit in the world to operate this helicopter (Photo: U.S. Army) A source from the Navy's special operations community described the reaction as "Shock and disbelief. I will never leave a fallen comrade. The determination to not leave their fallen comrades was true of all 16 in Turbine 33 -- and was a promise fulfilled by their Jesuit-taught commander, Kristensen. "Because he entered the teams a little later than his peers, he was a strong and humble leader. Brady had no way of knowing at the time, but it would be the last time anyone at Bagram would ever see three of those four Americans alive. Ed Kristensen, quiet and soft-spoken, said he doesn't need to see that mountainside in Afghanistan to ease his grief, because he knows that Erik "was doing what he wanted to do. Brady persisted with the details. Photo courtesy of Matt Rogie. "Erik was funny as hell, always one of the boys," Marcus Luttrell wrote in his book "Lone Survivor.. A Taliban high-value target sat tucked into the corner away from them all, guarded by other soldiers. Photo by Cpl. Before and after his presidency were some of the greatest contributions Jimmy Carter made to the world we know today. As the Night Stalkers flew back to Bagram, the JSOC ground force that had convoyed to the crash radioed to the task force that they had secured the site.