The combined and joint nature of Task Force K-BAR meant that it was imperative to outline Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be used by all task force personnel in order to avoid confusion and to facilitate command and control. Below is the SOP for Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions.
1. General
CSAR missions are designed to recover isolated persons (ISOPERS) by the most effective means possible from an area of operations (AO). A CSAR element has designated aircraft with dedicated ground force elements attached for dismounted recovery by force in a hostile environment.
2. Operation Enduring Freedom
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) CSAR is provided by the Joint Services Operational Air Command (JSOAC). VBJSOAC CSAR forces are currently based out of Jacobabab, Pakistan located approximately 250nm south east of Qandahar airport and comprises the following assets:
A. 2 x CH53's
B. 2 x Para Rescue Teams
C. SEAL PL Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and
D. 1 x Combat Control Team
3. Response Times
JSOAC CSAR assets are maintained on 24 and 7 standby at 30-min notice to move (NTM). Flight time to the K-Bar AO is approximately 2.5 hours.
CSAR Phases CSAR operations are conducted in 5 phases as follows:
A. CSAR Mission Alert Phase:
B. Ingress Phase;
C. Terminal Area Phase;
D. Egress Phase; and
E. Recovery Phase.
(Source: Task Force K-Bar, Standard Operating Procedure Manual, December 2001)
And Turkey.64 He directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country.
TF K-Bar was also supported by other aircraft from a carrier group and included F/A-18 Hornets and F-14 Tomcats for close air support. General James N. Mattis’ Marine Corps Task Force 58 added some conventional infantry punch if and when needed.65
SEAL practicing firing a LAW rocket in Afghanistan. (Authors' collections)
One of the challenges presented to the commander of TF K-Bar was the multi-national component of the coalition special operations forces. In order to effectively execute their missions and in order to be able to work coherently together new standard operating procedures were put in place. The 50-page classified document was created in December 2001 and was distributed to all coalition SOF units.
CAMP RHINO
Tom and his fellow SEALs from ST-8 flew from Virginia through Germany to Bahrain, landing finally on Masirah Island off the coast of Oman. The platoon was in Oman for a week alongside a platoon from ST-3. Unfortunately, the SEALs did not have any vehicles in their Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) and both platoons had to modify four Humvees that were donated by the US Army. Once the vehicles had been overhauled to meet their specific needs, the commandos practiced driving in their new beasts. Night vision goggles were used for nighttime driving and in all mobility training; the SEALs rehearsed contact drills as well. The ST-3 platoon lacked training in vehicle off-road driving so two members from ST-8 were asked to become ST-3’s primary drivers. One of those drivers was Jeff Taylor, who was killed four years later while conducting rescue operations during Operation Redwing, in Afghanistan.
In November 2001, Tom and his SEALs’ first top-secret mission during OEF was to conduct a special reconnaissance of a group of buildings in south central Afghanistan that was intended to become the forward operating base (FOB) of Camp Rhino. The previous month 199 soldiers of 3rd Battalion (-), 75th Ranger Regiment, had conducted a combat parachute assault on the same compound, Objective Rhino, to seize a remote desert landing strip, gather intelligence, establish a forward arming and refueling point for rotary-wing aircraft, and assess the capabilities of the airstrip for future operations.66
ST-3 operators from Delta Platoon inside a CH-47, flown by Army TF-160 Pilots. Photograph taken in 2001. (Authors' collections)
The intelligence gathered from the SEALs’ mission would be critical to the TF K-Bar commander who needed as much information as possible to conduct a risk assessment prior to inserting the Marines, whose primary mission was to secure the buildings and surrounding area. The targeted building was a hunting lodge, and that fact comprised the total information available prior to the mission. The maps of Afghanistan in the military’s possession were old Soviet ones with Cyrillic
Writing and to a scale not suitable for US forces. It was up to the SEALs to bring some light to bear on the situation.
The SEAL insertion via special operations aircraft went fairly smoothly. Tom and his fellow SEALs were in-country alone for four days, because their vehicular reconnaissance missions took a little longer than anticipated. Staying clear of hostilities was, of course, a concern, but executing the mission at hand was of far greater significance. It did not help that Afghanistan was a cold place in October. Nonetheless, the SEALs transmitted the key intelligence back to higher command, where Captain Harward made the decision to proceed with the operation.
US Navy SEALs pose in front of the site that later became Camp Rhino. The battle damage to the building is probably from the first raid conducted by Army Rangers the month prior. (Authors' collections)
Four days after the SEALs began their reconnaissance, two members of US Air Force special operation combat control teams freefell into the black night near the target location. Their mission was to mark the drop/landing zone for the oncoming aircraft carrying the Marines. Once on the ground the CCT contacted the waiting SEALs, who drove to the air commandos’ location, rendezvoused and enabled the CCT to mark the landing zone for the incoming Marines and to execute their mission successfully. The SEALs from ST-8 and ST-3 provided security as the aircraft and helicopters arrived and performed a smooth insertion. General Mattis and his Marines and SOF personnel cleared the structure and surrounding area. Tom’s ST-8 platoon stayed at Camp Rhino for 45 days. The SEALs from ST-3 departed Camp Rhino for Oman the same day.
During the 45 days they spent at Camp Rhino, ST-8 conducted numerous Rat Patrols (vehicular desert patrols) in their vehicles around Camp Rhino’s area of operation (AO) for General Mattis. The Rat Patrols lasted two to four days and their primary mission was to conduct special reconnaissance. The standing orders
Tail ramp of an Air Force Pave-Low helicopter rigged with a fast rope. Hanging off the end of the weapon can be seen hoses, fitted so that when the weapon is fired the brass and links fall out of the back of the helicopter. The grey matting on the floor is Kevlar lining. (Authors' collections)
(SO) given to Tom and his comrades by Camp Rhino’s commander were simple: kill anyone (hostile). During one of their missions the team was soft compromised by two local Afghans with a single camel.67 The SEALs quickly captured and detained them. Their mission compromised, the SOP called for immediate extraction or exfiltration, but the SEALs had permission to kill any armed combatant and that might have allowed them to continue. The SEALs decided to break down their vehicle hide-site and extract. They did not kill the two men only because they were not armed. Once the SEALs were ready to depart, they cut the restraints off the locals and drove off. Tom’s platoon took pride that this was the only time they were compromised in 45 days of reconnaissance patrolling. Ultimately, other SOF teams were discovered, at times with disastrous results such as Operations Anaconda and Redwing.
In mid-November Delta Platoon from ST-3 relieved ST-8. ST-3’s mission changed from reconnaissance to supporting the push north toward Qandahar Airport. From Camp Rhino ST-8 deployed to Bahrain via Oman, preparatory to deployment elsewhere in the Global War on Terrorism.
In 2007, Navy SEAL Darrick looked comfortable in his flight suit. He looked like a typical California beach boy with blond hair, and a ton of ink. Darrick had tattoos like a number of other new school SEALs. He is happily married and has a pretty exciting civilian job now.
One of the most fascinating stories came from his participation in an alert that actually dealt with the possibility of an attack on the US mainland pre-9/11. Like all SEALs, Darrick and his platoon participated in work-up deployments as well as actual overseas deployments. Rehearsals to take down GOPLATs were practiced at Point Hueneme, off the coast of southern California. The GOPLATs were taken down by inserting via fast-roping off aerial platforms or by swimming to the target once the Zodiacs brought the combat swimmers close enough to the site. The swimmers then used a hook and ladders to storm the gas and oil platforms. They had passed all their requirements with flying colors and had returned to Coronado. One afternoon, word came down that a cargo ship captained by an eastern European man was going to ram the vessel into the submarines at submarine base Point Loma. Once a vessel of that size entered a channel there was no way to stop it. Delta Platoon spun up, put on flight suits and balaclavas, and had weapons at the ready. The SEALs were ready to go. Then they were stood down. The platoon stood by for six hours when another intelligence briefing revealed that the sought-after captain had disembarked from the ship in Mexico. The situation resolved itself and San Diego was left in its slumber.
By the time the second tower collapsed in New York City on 9/11, Darrick and his teammates had gone into lock-down aboard a US Navy vessel. Once the
USO Show with Drew Carey, Wayne Newton, Neal McCoy, and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in Qandahar Airport, Christmas 2001. The United Service Organizations is a congressionally chartered, private, nonprofit organization which has been supporting the US military since before World War II, through morale-boosting programs and recreational services at 130 locations around the world including centers in Kuwait,
Qatar and Afghanistan. The USO organizes celebrity entertainment tours which bring volunteer celebrities to entertain, lift morale, and express the gratitude and support of the American people. (Authors' collections)
A group of SEALs was soft compromised by local Afghans after the seizure of Camp Rhino. The Afghani men were captured and held until the SEALs broke up their hide-site. They were then released without incident. (Authors' collections)
Second plane hit the sky-scrapers, they all knew it was indeed an attack and not just a tragic accident. Their chief told them that they would be going to war and the SEALs watched the first salvo of Tomahawk missiles launched from the USS Peleliu with grim determination. CNN covered the opening shots. The SEALs were going to stage out of Pakistan along with some Marines.
Jacobobad Airbase in Pakistan was the base for SOF personnel to stage CSAR missions for special operations forces in Afghanistan. Seventeen SEALs with a mobile communications team (MCT) stayed inside a hangar but did not deploy during the opening phases. Special forces operational detachments (Green Berets) fought alongside anti-Taleban forces, sometimes on horseback.
Darrick and his platoon executed several missions in support in CSAR. On one flight their helicopters were shot at. Darrick could feel the rounds ripping into the helicopter. Kevlar blankets covered the floors of the aircraft, but one tactical officer was hit. Tracers dotted the dark night as American.50 cal. armorpiercing rounds struck back at the Taleban/al-Qaeda fighters (TAQ).
The SEALs, however, also pulled personal security detachment duty for General Tommy Franks, Commander in Chief, Central Command. They flew into Uzbekistan and Bagram Airport in a C-130 and bumped into a SEAL from ST-2 who had, along with six British Special Boat Service commandos, taken the prison where Mike Spann of the CIA was killed and John Walker Lindh, the American Taleban, was captured. Darrick recalled that the SEAL looked like a native Pashtun instead of a clean-shaven American sailor. ST-3 also provided SR intelligence for the Camp Rhino invasion in November 2001.
On one particular mission during ST-8’s later deployment to Afghanistan, a Marine helicopter gunner incurred the SEALs’ wrath as he lit up their Rat Patrol while they were traveling at night in the desert. Golf Platoon was in four Humvees tricked out with IR strobe lights and Glint tape to help identify them as a friendly force. Yet somehow the Marine gunner mistook them for the enemy and started spraying them with his machine gun. Frantically the SEALs’ accompanying CCT contacted the helicopters and the Marine sergeant ceased firing. Once back at Camp Rhino the SEALs updated their list of the Most Wanted; 1) bin Laden,
2) the Marine Corps sergeant. The sergeant left Camp Rhino shortly thereafter.
The early nights at Camp Rhino were tense. Marines were told to shoot at anything on two feet and weapons were constantly discharged at both real and imaginary enemies, including, one night, an innocent camel. Other nights, American 81mm mortars and air assets were all over the place.
One day a particularly grizly scenario developed at Camp Rhino. The Chief told his SEALs that a B-52 bomber had dropped a JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) on an ODA team (a US special forces operational detachment Alpha team). A 12ft bomb had landed within 100ft of the special forces Green Berets who also operated out of Jacobobad. The rescue helicopters returned to camp and both SEAL platoons were needed to unload the mangled bodies of their comrades. Some of the wounded were missing parts of their skulls, arms, and other body parts. It was an ugly mess. Air Force para-rescue jumpers trained as medics attached to the SEALs were the first ones to help the wounded. Darrick and his fellow commandos carried them away from the helicopters’ rotor wash. Four
A minigun on the starboard side of a TF-160 helicopter. (Authors' collections)
Left:
The hangar where the SEAL platoon staged as a quick reaction force for any helicopters shot down. The hangar is in Jacobobad, nicknamed "Jbad." Photograph taken in 2001. (Authors' collections)
Right:
The SEAL platoon staged inside the hangar in Jbad as a quick reaction force. Photograph taken in 2001. (Authors' collections)
Helicopters carried about 21 wounded men. Some were placed into body bags. One soldier’s arm was only attached by his skin. The scene was so horrible that the “head medical officer had a one-thousand-yard-stare and became more or less useless.”68 The SEALs helped him sit down as the other medical personnel continued to assist the wounded ODA personnel. Camp Rhino had a resident news team who wanted to videotape the scene but they were told to stay indoors or they would be arrested.
World History
