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1. Narrative Essay On Takur Ghar
"Our Nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We
will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter
and we will not fail" George W. Bush (2001). September 11, 2001 began the Global War on Terror.
Many men and women have lost their lives to preserve our freedom and the values that founded the
great country of the United States. Through their sacrifice, our military has gained knowledge and
valuable assets to help us better prepare for the battles to come. We have endured many casualties
along the way, but not without recognition. The men, who fought on the mountain Takur Ghar in
March of 2002, saved my life. Members of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The mission was supposed to be a routine operation supporting Afghan and American forces
fighting Operation Anaconda in the valley below. A small force, inserted on the mountainside would
climb the mountain until they occupied a concealed location at the summit. Once in place, they
could affect the battle below by making calls for fire to the Close Air Support (CAS) assets above to
kill enemy combatants firing on the forces fighting below. I showed up relatively late to the war, or
so I thought at the time. My first deployment was in the midst of the chaotic surge of 2006. When I
arrived in Iraq, I found faith in my training and hoped that my fellow comrades' experiences would
fine–tune my skills. Since that time, I have learned numerous things about our Tactics, Techniques,
and Procedures (TTP). To my surprise, the poor decisions I learned about while reading the book
Roberts Ridge, have influenced the
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3. What Is Carl Von Clauseewitz's Influence On The Nature Of War
Military theorists Carl von Clausewitz and Baron Antoine Henri de Jomini both fought during the
Napoleonic Era. However, their experiences created completely different theories of the nature of
war. Because Clausewitz understood that war is not static or systematic and that commanders and
soldiers influence the outcome of war, Clausewitz best distinguishes the nature of war, specifically
through his concepts of strategy and morale. This will be illustrated through the events and actions
taken during Operation ANACONDA.
Operation ANACONDA was a fierce and bloody battle between U.S. Special Operation Forces and
al Qaeda insurgents on the Takur Ghar Mountains of Afghanistan. The operational environment,
especially the terrain and lack of intelligence, played a significant role during this military
engagement. According to SOF magazine, "Intelligence ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to Clausewitz, "Strategy is the use of the engagement for the purpose of war. The
strategist must therefore define an aim for the entire operational side of the war that will be in
accordance with its purpose" (177). From the beginning, national level strategy did not support
Clausewitz definition for the purpose of war during Operation ANACONDA. Donald Rumsfeld the
Secretary of Defense at the time, was determined to modernize and transform the Department of
Defense into light, lean, and expeditionary forces. This would prove to have an impact on the
strategy and overall campaign in Afghanistan. To complicate matters even more, the nation had
experienced one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in United States history and the national
level strategy was shifting from the war in Afghanistan to fighting terrorism in Iran. Moreover,
national level strategy hindered the purpose of war such as the use of conventional warfare as
opposed to U.S. Special Force Operations and unity of command during Operation
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5. The Role Of Evolution In A Combat Environment
The need to evolve in a combat environment is not a new concept and seems that as technology
advances, the need to race to the forefront becomes ever more critical. Over the past few decades to
include every day of the United States combat operations in Afghanistan, the 160TH Special
Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)has met the needs of the warfighter and also been brutally
made aware of the need to evolve people, equipment and tactics. Starting Operation Enduring
Freedom with the MH–47E Heavy Assault Helicopter caused the Army to realize first that the
operational environment was complicated enough to need to improve the equipment (highlighted by
the events of Roberts Ridge and other operations). Technology made it possible to adapt a ... Show
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The mission and environment that they were flying in began to take on a completely new set of
problems. Degraded visual environments had been a proficiency of the past that had been mastered
in a myriad of other environments. Keep in mind that a dust landing with flat even terrain in Iraq
with few obstacles does not look the same as Afghanistan. In the new OE you may have to land on a
steep slow with sporadic large boulders requiring the need to maneuver the aircraft a few feet left or
right to fit between obstacles and to do it all quickly and safely. Not only Afghanistan but equipment
technology needs to be able to be leveraged in a global
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7. Operation Anaconda Research Paper
Running head: OPERATION ANACONDA JOINT PLANNING 1 OPERATION ANACONDA
JOINT PLANNING 7 Operation Anaconda Joint Planning SFC Durham, Joshua B. Master Leader
Course Operation Anaconda Joint Planning Enemy combatants, in familiar terrain, chose to stand
and fight from fortified positions; forcing commanders to improvise and adapt quickly to unforeseen
circumstances. Support elements received the operational order within just one week of the expected
execution date. Staff elements created analysis and plans on poor intelligence estimates and recent
experience. Strategic planners also failed to establish command and control of the assault force.
Lack of forethought for an integrated joint operation, although ultimately successful, led to the death
of U.S. service members. Joint planning for Operation Anaconda, with its complex variables
requiring integrated skills, failed to account for enemy variables, withheld information from support
elements, and failed to establish effective command and control. Enemy Initial planning to execute
Operation Anaconda was to employ the ?hammer and anvil? technique. This technique uses a
primary assault force, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Commanders assigned U.S. Special Forces, the 10th Mountain Division, the 101st Airborne
Division, U.S. Air Force aircraft, and Afghan military forces as significant contributors to the overall
mission accomplishment. With the amount of subordinate units, information must be detailed and
specific for those involved. In early February, intelligence identified large concentrations of enemy
forces in the target area. However, preparation for the mission did not include allied forces
personnel. Planning for Operation Anaconda finalized 13 February without the Combined Forces
Air Component Commander, LTG Mosley. LTG Mosley finally learned of plans on 23 February,
five days before the intended start date of 28
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9. Operation Anaconda Research Paper
OPERATION ANACONDAAND THE ARMY PROFESSION
USAACE
NCOA
SSG Casey J. Vauthier
15PSLC
15–00
SFC ANDERSON
Operation Anaconda was a major U.S. and Afghan combined offensive that took place in March of
2002. Named after the snake that would coil around its victim and squeeze the life out of them
before devouring them, this was the intent of the offensive. This offensive would lead us into further
development as a fighting force that would need to adjust, so that our decisions bring our Soldiers
home. The Army Profession adamantly displayed itself throughout the battle and this paper will
explain a few of these instances. Major combat operations began for Operation Enduring Freedom
on October 7, 2001. After initial combat and air strikes, the CIA began to learn that the Taliban and
al Qaeda forces were beginning to regroup in the White Mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. Large
numbers had been assembling in the Tora Bora region and the CIA ... Show more content on
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The battle plan consisted of many moving parts and based itself on the "Hammer and Anvil"
approach, and the CIA estimated the enemy to be about 200 strong. On March 2, they executed the
plan. The friendly Afghans, led by US SOF and known as TF Hammer, moved into place by a
mixture of light trucks and vehicles that were not a formidable adversary for the Taliban. CH–47
helicopters were the mode of transportation for the 10th Mountain Division soldiers along with help
from the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne Division. The CH–47s would drop the troops and make
multiple turns for resupply. Six US AH–64 Apaches were to begin patrols into the valley at around
0530 that morning and once troops were on the ground, provide air support. Finally, the Air Force
was to support with bombings prior to the offensive and air support with AC–130 gunships. The
plan seemed well thought out and was ready to
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11. Essay on The Battle of Takur Ghar
Introduction The Battle of Takur Ghar, or Roberts Ridge, as it's more affectionately called by
members of the US military, occurred on March 3–4th 2002. Takur Ghar translates from Pashto as
"Tall Mountain". The battle became the most memorable part of a much larger operation called
Anaconda. The battle started when Navy SEAL, Petty Officer First Class Neil Roberts fell from a
MH–47E Chinook, on an attempted landing to an unknowingly hot LZ, when he lost his footing due
to a combination of RPG blast and spilled hydraulic fluid of the mangled aircraft. Razor 03, the call
sign of the Chinook was eventually forced to land putting a gap of 4 miles and several thousand feet
between Roberts and the rest of his team. With knowing little ... Show more content on
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Enemy and organizations involved Many elite forces from around the world came together for
operation Anaconda. The focal point of the operation was the Lower Shahikot Valley, which housed
and protected a large number of foreign fighters – "Afghan Arabs" from al–Qaeda, Uzbeks, Tajiks,
and Chechens from the Islamic Movements of Uzbekistan (IMU) 5. Takur Ghar was the highest
point overlooking the Shahikot Valley and was a key terrain to capture for the mission. A noted
Afghanistan specialist, Lester Grau, believes there were initially 600 estimated enemy fighters in the
valley, which tallied with other credible sources6. The valley was protected by multilayered
defenses. At the entrances to the valley, the insurgents maintained checkpoints, which allowed an
early warning system of attempted ground attack7. The valley was "classic guerilla terrain – easily
defendable, controlled access, numerous routes of escape, and near a sympathetic border"8. SOF
were organized into five individual task forces with specific roles and responsibilities: Joint Special
Operations Task Force–North (JSOTF–N), know as Task Force Dagger; Joint Special Operations
Task Force–South (JSOTF–S), known as Task Force K–Bar; Task Force Sword; The Joint Inter
Agency Task Force – Counter Terrorism (JIATF–CT), known as Task Force Bowie; and
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13. Operation Cyclone Essay
This paper discusses the United States of America Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) counter to
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. Operation Cyclone
was a multinational plan to defeat the Soviet aggression in Afghanistan and halt the advancement of
communism. Through the covert assistance of Operation Cyclone, the Mujahideen fighters managed
over the ten year war to defeat the massive Soviet Army and re–establish their sovereignty. The
lessons learned by the Mujahideen guerillas would later be taken to task following the al Qaeda
attack on America on 11 September 2001. The subsequent decade plus war would eerily resemble
the Russia–Afghanistan conflict but with different results. This research ... Show more content on
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The Mujahideen warlords proved to admirable warriors but ineffective governmental leaders and
massive infighting ensued. A group of Pashtun fundamentalists under the title of the Taliban saw an
opportunity to unite Afghanistan and in 1994 seized Kandahar as a foothold into the country. The
civil war culminated in 1998 with the fall of the United Front in the battle of Mazar–i Sharif. The
Taliban was now the primary ruling party in Afghanistan, supported by the known terrorist group al
Qaeda. This relationship would prove deadly for 3,000 Americans on 11 September 2001, when al
Qaeda conducted terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Unfortunately, the CIA
did not have an effective plan on how to retrieve the unused Stingers from the Mujahideen. Bruce's
(2001) report found the following:
When the Russian forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the CIA offered a $35,000 bounty for
every unused Stinger returned. But by that time, the weapons were selling for up to twice that
amount on the international black market and few found their way back to the U.S. (p.1)
These black market stingers have reportedly been used in conflicts in Chechnya, Lebanon, and as
close to the U.S. as Columbia. Fortunately, there is no historical evidence that any of these missiles
have ever been used against U.S. forces; however, the loss of accountability must be looked on as a
failure for the
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15. Key Communication Failures That Were Exposed During...
Freeman Teague Jr. effectively expresses the importance and complexity of communication. At one
time the U.S. Army defined communication as the exchange and flow of information and ideas from
one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver
(Clark, 2015). Throughout this paper we will expound on key communication failures that were
exposed during Operation Anaconda. The overall verdict is that Anaconda's outcome was a success,
but its original plan was a resounding failure. Many things contributed to the failure, but this paper
will focus on the communication aspect.
"Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that
the sender intended to transmit. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are: the direct
result of people failing to communicate and processes that leads to confusion and can cause good
plans to fail" (Clark, 2015). To understand how some of the soon to be discussed failures arose, all
of the key commanders need to be identified. When Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) began
General Tommy Franks was the CENTCOM Combatant Commander in Tampa, Florida. Events on
9/11 lead to us having forces in Afghanistan soon after. From the beginning of the war Special
Forces (SOF) were the primary assets utilized. As time went on conventional units were joining the
forces in theatre. This caused the need for the Command and Control (C2) structure to adapt to the
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17. Operation Anaconda
Not a Good Day to Die The book Not a Good Day to Die by Sean Naylor chronicles one of the
largest battles fought by American conventional forces in Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda. Naylor
details the failings of American commanders in both planning and execution. Operation Anaconda
serves as a cautionary tale, primarily for the consequences of not having a clear chain of command,
micromanagement by upper echelon commanders, and poor intelligence consolidation and
distribution. First, Naylor details the failings of leadership at the highest levels of command, namely
at U.S Army Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Department of Defence. Decisions made at
the highest levels, by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and General Tommy Franks ...
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There was TF 11, TF Dagger, TAF K–bar, TF Blue, TF Red and TF Rakkasan, just to name a few;
these were units headquartered in different geographic areas, answering to different commanders
and overall commands, made up of conventional infantry forces, aviation forces, allied foreign
forces, indigenous forces, white special operations forces and black special operations forces.
Though many of the officers had served with each other in various capacities (especially within the
75th Ranger Regiment) there was still friction between many of the Task Forces. With this many
variabilities in commands and organization important resources and pieces of intelligence were
bound to slip through the cracks; and they did. One important instance being the failure of
communication between CFLCC and CAOC regarding what Army forces were expecting in terms
of close air support (CAS). In the words of one pilot "Those guys are having rock drills at Bagram,
we, the guys who are going to fly the missions in support of it, aren't part of it. What the fuck?
Over."3 Additionally no one from the SOF units attended final rehearsals by the conventional
rehearsals or visa versa. This lack of communication led to a lack of unity of effort between the two
groups; neither group fully understood what the other expected from them. Later in the battle,
during the handoff between TF–11 forces and TF Blue forces, there was a severe lapse in
communication. TF Blue forces were communicating almost solely on their own communication
net, leaving out nearly all other forces from their planning and execution process. This resulted in
the plan to helicopter a team to establish an OP directly on the summit of Takur Ghar, a plan
unbeknownst to the TF–11 headquarters, who knew of enemy
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19. Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis
John Doe
Colonel Mustard
MIL Battle Analysis
March 2010
Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis In the mountainous Shah–i–Khot region south of the city of
Gardez in Eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda took place early March 2002. Operation
Anaconda, to this day, stands as the largest reported ground action in the Afghan war. This 17–day
battle led to eight U.S. casualties and over 50 wounded. Operation Anaconda is viewed as a success
due to coalition forces being able to kill and root out several hundred Taliban and al Qaeda fighters,
which left U.S. and coalition forces in control of the Shah–i–Khot Valley. Originally intended to be a
three–day battle with light resistance, a seven–day battle ensued with intense fighting and was
finally ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Air support had planned to bombard enemy positions for 55 minutes; however, miscommunication
between Texas 14 and higher led to a short bombardment and a total of six bombs being dropped.
TF HAMMER was unsuccessful in entering the valley due to a heavy amount of small arms fire and
mortar attacks. The lack of air support triggered by bad communication frustrated Afghan and
Special Forces alike and led to Afghan trucks being hit heavily by pre–registered mortar fire on
known choke points by Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. Unity of command is crucial in conducting a
successful military operation: communication flows smoothly through a unified command, but
unfortunately for a non–unified command, the reverse effect holds true. Another principle of war
that was violated several times was the element of surprise. This had to do, however, with a direct
correlation to communication and unity of command. In the late hours of 3 March 2002, the SEAL
team, MAKO 30 was picked up by a MH–47 heading east of the peak of Takur Ghar, which is the
tallest point in the Shah–i–Khot region. A problem was encountered with the MH–47 and the team
had to change aircraft. This placed them off of their suspected timeline and did not allow MAKO 30
with enough time to reach the
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21. Operation Anaconda Analysis
Battle Analysis of Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda was a key decisive battle that took place in Afghanistan during the early parts
of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). It was also one of the military's biggest Air Assault
Missions to ever be conducted. During this battle there were many moving pieces as well as
personnel that shaped the conflict which ultimately lead to the capture of key terrain during the
operation some of which were Joint Special Operations Command, 5th Special Forces Group
(Airborne), Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Special Activities Division (SAD),160th (SOAR)
Special Operations Aviation Regiment, 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and many other
units throughout the U.S. Military as well as Coalition forces. With this there also many elements of
this operation that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Forces in the valley had priority of air assets should they take contact however. There were coalition
forces that were required to directly secure the peak of the mountain who weren't priority should
they come into contact, which they did, with possible enemies. Having so many forces moving in
one area, there weren't enough people to properly control who had priority for what and how to give
any of them the proper reinforcements/ resupply should they need them. With the air assets that the
coalition forces did have there wasn't de–confliction as to who had priority over them and where
exactly they would operate. From this operation command and control became much more
important on the battlefield, it also created a better understanding of the battlespace in which units
operate in. Although lives were lost and many lessons were learned Operation Anaconda was a
success. The peak of Takur Ghar was secured and gave coalition forces the key terrain they needed
in order more effectively control the area in which units would later operate
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23. Operation Anaconda By Reviewing The Setting
Important battles in a war are the ones that not only define the campaign but also the men who take
part in them. An important battle often shapes the conditions for the rest of the war and enables
future success. The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough battle analysis of Operation
Anaconda by reviewing the setting, describing the actions of friendly and enemy forces, and then
assessing the significance of those actions. Additionally, this paper will identify an alternate ending
based on the use of available intelligence assets. Had military intelligence effectively employed
measures and signatures intelligence assets and correctly analyzed the information those assets
provided before the start of Operation Anaconda, estimates of enemy composition, disposition,
capabilities, and intentions would have been known and could have drastically reduced the amount
of casualties Coalition Forces incurred. Second and third order effects of realizing this intelligence
would have shattered the enemy's ability to conduct major combat operations and set the conditions
for stability operations to take place.
Operation Anaconda was a joint effort between elements of the 10th Mountain Division, 101st
Airborne Division, Special Operations Forces from multiple nations, and local Afghan fighters to
drive out al–Qaeda and Taliban fighters from the Shahikot Valley in order to set the conditions for
successful stability operations in Afghanistan. The battle took place in late February
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25. Battle Analysis Paper Takur Ghar
Mission Command Analysis
The Battle of Takur Ghar
"Roberts Ridge"
Operation Anaconda, 03 – 04 March 2002
CPT Michael A. Broussard PA–C
SG 11, CCC
30 October 2014
1
Abstract
In the late evening of March 3rd 2002, through to the evening of March 4th 2002, Special
Operation Forces were engaged in an intense fire fight with al Qaeda forces on a mountain top
known as Takur Ghar. This battle was the product of a botched reconnaissance insertion and
ultimately resulted in a 24 hour fire fight and the deaths of 7 U.S. service members and over 200 al
Qaeda fighters. Navy SEAL, Neil C. Roberts is believed to be the first U.S. casualty of this battle
and thus, the battle also became unofficially known as "Roberts Ridge" (1).
This paper will give ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The ramp gunner was tethered to the aircraft and was retrieved back inside by the remaining
passengers. Roberts fell from the aircraft and was believed to still be alive as the aircraft was only
10 feet off of the ground at the time it came under fire.
The helicopter was forced to crash land in the valley and now was 7 kilometers away from the
mountain top. Roberts was now completely alone amongst an overwhelming enemy force and it is
believed that he fought in place until he was eventually over run by the enemy (3).
The downed SEALs were picked up by RAZOR 04 and at 0500, again attempted to reinsert at
Roberts' last known position. Now they were only a team of 5 with the addition of Air
Force CCT Chapman. The aircraft was able to insert the team but again came under heavy fire and
was also rendered mission incapable and had to fly back to its origin due to the damage that it
sustained. The team moved to the high ground of the mountain engaging and killing 2 combatants,
they then realized that they were standing in the middle of multiple bunkers as they came under
heavy cross fire from only 20 meters away. Acoording to the official report,
Chapman was fatally wounded almost immediately and 2 others would also become wounded as

26. they attempted to break contact. An AC–130 was able to provide covering fire and enabled the
SEALS to disengage. Wounded and
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