However, Gulab had invoked the assistance of fellow villagers in protecting Luttrell until American forces could be contacted. They were after Ahmad Shah a cruel insurgent in his mid-30s who grew up in the same mountains. I recommend you reconsider it! To rid themselves of Taliban forces in the area, led by a warlord named Ahmed Shah, the Marines put together Operation Red Wings, then called on the Navy SEALs based near Kabul. Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y. During the following weeks of Red Wings II, ground units of 2/3 undertook a number of patrols, as did members of the Afghan National Army, Army Special Operations units, and Navy Special Operations units. And with regards to voting whether or not to execute unarmed civilians, he admitted, "This is the first time I've ever heard of anything put to a vote like that. [citation needed], Luttrell wrote a note and asked that it be taken to the American base at Asadabad. That's not the point. But Luttrell wrote (or approved a ghost writer) this self serving ego-stroke of a book making his Lt look incompetent and himself a hero. This is my opinion. Marcus Luttrell (born November 7, 1975) is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 against Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings in which he was the lone survivor. I couldnt put it down. I have also watched the movie. If Gulab is to be believed then Murphys decision to release the goatherders was irrelevant to the eventual ambush as the Taliban were already well on their way. His book says they fought, what, 100 insugents, killing 35? It is one of the first sculptured memorials to those who served in the War in Afghanistan. It felt so artificial and contrived. After the initial phases were completed, 2/3 could become the lead element. 2nd Lieutenant Turner also gathered a number of photographs of Shah. Lt. Murphy said he does not make war on children. SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. These "presence operations" achieved the goal of disrupting ACM activity but at great cost, and upon the exfiltration of troops, Ahmad Shah and his reinforced cell were able to return to the area weeks later. According to the Navy's summary of action, the four SEALs were "deep behind enemy lines," in difficult and rugged terrain in Afghanistan, on a reconnaissance mission scouting Ahmad Shah a. No doubt he was a helluva runner when he was still in shape. I feel he also was responsible for 20 additional deaths of the men that attempted to rescue him and what was left of his team. Like any competent officer would pick a layup spot 10 feet off a goat trail so they get compromised by shepherds like a bunch of muppets. Also the whole Afgan situation should have been avoided in the first place. That being said, I read the book first, then saw the movie. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. He moves quickly, silently, and effectively I watched him go from stalking and moving mode to proned out and on target before I could blink, and of course he dropped the running antelope with a single, precise shot in the same heartbeat. Same with the villagers who rescued Luttrell and all the videos those insurgents made themselves. Murphy, Axelson, and Dietz had been killed by the end of the two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs. Up to. [1][2] While many of Afghanistan's provinces at this time had stable security environments, one of the most restive continued to be the Kunar Province, which lies in eastern Afghanistan, on the border with Pakistan. Phase 5 - Exfiltration: Depending on enemy activity, the Marines will remain in the area for up to one month, then depart the area. [1], After the broken transmission from the SEAL team, their position and situation were unknown. She is a contributor for an array of major industry publications including USCCA Concealed Carry Magazine, Outdoor Life, and SHOT Business. Pre-mission planning put the hostiles number at 20, tops. You see the 8 Taliban fighters that ambushed him were yelling over gun fire in Pashto and English for Murphy and his team to surrender and drop their guns. [2] Similar operations that followed included Operation Mavericks (named after the Dallas Mavericks basketball team) in April 2005,[29] and Operation Celtics (named after the Boston Celtics basketball team) in May 2005. Shah could not risk a fight at that stage as he was outnumbered. [2][7] 2/3 continued the use of hockey team names for large operations. It was even a movie starring Sean Bean, aka Ned Stark. In actuality, LT Murphy successfully made the call while taking gunfire. 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. There was occasional claims. But he only hesitated one horrifically painful moment before he picked them back up, finished the call, and resumed fighting. I am a non-combat US Army Vet I LOVE our military. Battle of wanat for example was in korengal and the 173rd are without saying some of the best warriors the army produces but they were attacked by a battalion size element in this remote area you claim cant support those numbers. Operation Red Wings was a pyrrhic victory U.S. victory. And I dont have access to the heart and mind of another. [28] Spurs utilized Navy SEALs for the opening two phases of the five-phase operation. That is the literal definition of a liar. 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 . The movie is based on Marcus. In my 14 years of Navy experience, I've never seen or heard of anything like that. Thank you Pew Pew for running this, lest we forget. Who invented chill? Determining that they were civilians, not combatants, Lieutenant Murphy released them, according to rules of engagement. 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. More like 8-12 fighters according to multiple sources, including video shot by those Talis during the fight, Gulab and the other villagers who rescued Luttrell, and the Marine rescue team who were there a day later. Search for jobs related to Operation red wings autopsy or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. towards your level. Although she is now a full-time outdoor writer her background is eclectic and includes K9 Search-and-Rescue and emergency veterinary medicine. For him, the horrors were only beginning. Shah, they determined, was responsible for approximately 11 incidents against coalition forces and government of Afghanistan entities, including small arms ambushes and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. 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.. "[44], In the June 12, 2007 article "Survivor's book dishonors son's memory" by Michael Rothfeld in Newsday, Michael P. Murphy's father Dan claims that Lieutenant Murphy would never have considered executing unarmed civilians, let alone putting such a grave decision up for a vote (in reference to the purported vote of execution of unarmed locals). I persevere and thrive on adversity. We reverence the ultimate sacrifice they made while engaged in that fierce firefight on the global wars front lines on terrorism (GWOT). On June 28, 2008, Luttrell and the family members of soldiers killed overseas were honored at a San Diego Padres game. [53] Gulab was aware of these developments and had introduced himself to the Marine commander at Nangalam, Matt Bartels, when he was visiting Matin. I saw the movie first and then read the book after. The insert point was roughly one and one half miles from the nearest Named Area of Interest. Marcus Luttrell writes the book Lone Survivor about Operation Red Wings. 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. Two of the team members killed in action, Gunners Mate Second Class Danny P. Dietz and Sonar Technician Second Class Matthew G. Axelsson, received the Navy Cross posthumously in 2006. I crawled into the side of that mountain and covered myself with rocks, took mud and anything I could find, packed it into the open holes in my legs Then night came around. I have researched this well. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind. 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. According to Luttrell, Axelson had three full magazines left at that moment in time. It was the single largest loss of life for Naval Special Warfare since World War II. It stands as a cautionary tale of how extreme arrogance and ineptitude can lead to disaster. Actual location of Operation Red Wings Axelson was shot not once but twice in the head and kept on fighting. Pat Tillman, on the other hand, was also a safety for the football Cardinals and it was he, not Larry Wilson who was killed in action. By Lt Murphy not eliminating the two young Afghanis by tying them up and gagging them or killing them, I feel that he brought down the hell on his teams head. From running him off the road to planting a grenade outside his daughters bedroom, wounding his daughter, the Taliban didnt quit. In my opinion, calling those who tell the stories 'liars' is worse than making a white lie movie that makes you think about those who die to keep us free. Then I got shot again the next day. This first appeared in The Havok Journal on March 23, 2014. [2][7], The name has been widely mis-stated as "Operation Redwing" and sometimes "Operation Red Wing". 2/3's operations officer, Major Thomas Wood, began planning the five-phase Red Wings operation off the Operation Stars model. [54] Luttrell was subsequently moved to different places until forces could arrive to extract him. For days, Gulab and his village sheltered the wounded Luttrell. If you research operation red wings. The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community will forever remember June 28, 2005, and our special operators heroic efforts and sacrifices. [2][27] Each operation lasted between three and four weeks. Very chilling. They determined that Shah and his men would be occupying the area of Chichal in late June, a time of low lunar illumination. Korengal was and is crawling with hezbi e islami. The recent major motion picture "Lone Survivor" tells the story of Operation Red Wings, an ill-fated 2005 Navy SEAL reconnaissance operation in Afghanistan. Najmudeen's surrender, however, left a power vacuum in the region. And when Luttrell dragged him to what he hoped was a safer spot on the mountainside, Dietz kept his rifle raised and laid down cover fire even as he was dragged backward over the shale and dirt. To claim that they didnt face 100 enemies because of the remote area is spoken like someone whos never been there. 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. The list of those lost that day are as follows: Navy SEALs SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.