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Mission 2 - Force Background & Histories
Operation Anaconda

US Army 10th Mountain Division
Trained and equipped for rapid deployment by airlift for a wide variety of missions, the 10th Mountain has been involved in more campaigns than any other division in the Army.

The 10th Mountain Division has a history dating back to World War II. After dFinnish ski troops decimated two Soviet tank divisions in November, 1939, The Army began to arm and train units for mountain fighting. The 10th was put into action and spearheaded the Fifth Army's drive toward the Po Valley in the opening phase of the Italian invasion in August, 1945. Fighting was fierce, with 553 killed, lost or wounded the first day.

Since then, the Division has shown a rare talent for the kind of complex missions of relief and nation-building the American military has had to perform in recent years. In the sweltering hornet's nest of Mogadishu, part of the division, the 2-14, fought a three-hour firefight to help rescue American forces shot down by Mohammed Aidid's gunmen (reportedly aided by al Qaeda trainers). They formed the core of the multinational force that stabilized Haiti in Operation Uphold Democracy. And in 1998, the Division was called on for peacekeeping duty in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the campaign in Afghanistan began, they've seen combat in operations Anaconda and Mountain Lion, killing or capturing hundreds of Al-Qaeda and destroying at least 4.5 million pounds of ammunition. Before Enduring Freedom, critics said that US forces would be unprepared for the harsh conditions of the Afghan mountain country. The 10th proved those critics wrong.

SEALs
Tracing their history to the legendary frogmen of World War II, SEALs are specially trained to strike from and return to the sea - - to clandestinely approach a target larger forces could never get near, gather intelligence, and if necessary, destroy it. Armed with a variety of small arms, including 9mm MP5-series submachine guns and Mossberg shotguns, the SEAL's deployed four teams into the Afghan theater right after 9/11. They did recon for a possible amphibious landing in Pakistan, helped to seal off the Taliban from weapons shipments by sea, and marked and guarded the airfield that would become Camp Rhino so that the Marines could land.

They also worked with members of the Amry's Delta Force as part of "Task Force 11," responsible for hunting down members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership." Two months before Anaconda began, they located a massive Al Qaeda cave complex in eastern Afghanistan. They found almost one million pounds of ammunition and equipment, which they destroyed (though some of the enemy vehicles discovered were so large they had to be bombed by Navy aircraft.) It was also an important intelligence victory, as they found office space brimming with invaluable documents. One month later, the SEALs captured Taliban Mullah Khairullah Kahirkhawa in February, working with Danish Special Forces and using intel from a Predator.

The full extent of their involvement might not be known for many years, but already the SEALs have a clear place in the history of Enduring Freedom.

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Called the "Night Stalkers," because of their prep work for high-intensity night missions, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is trained to drop Special Forces into the hot zone. Working with modified OH-6 light observation helicopters, MH-60's, and MH-47 medium-lift helos, they have about 1,400 troops. The Army formed this unit after the disastrous Iranian hostage rescue mission, which failed in part because the military had no helo pilots prepared for special operations insertions.

The Night Stalkers were formed from the best aviators in the service, and they first saw intense action just over the treeline in Grenada, combatting heavily armed Cuban and Grenadan forces. Since then, the 160 has performed many of the toughest jobs in the military, flying low and at night by using night vision goggles and infrared equipment. They were some of the first to see action in Panama during Operation Just Cause, helped drop Special Forces into Iraq during Desert Storm, and fought in an intense 18-hour battle against Aidid in Somalia. Formed as a task force, they now have three battalions, a separate detachment, and one National Guard battalion.

Third Special Forces Group
Active since 1990, the 3rd Special Forces Group is responsible for operations in the Caribbean and western Africa. They've trained military forces in up to a dozen countries in Africa to respond to humanitarian disasters, and conduct peacekeeping and anti-terrorist missions. And they've also taught Nigerian troops to use mortars, light anti-tank weapons and M-60 machine guns to fight rebels in Sierra Leone.

Members of the 3rd Special Forces Group saw action in Afghanistan during Anaconda, and in May 2002, they began to train several battalions of the New Afghan National Army in Kabul. Afghan officers are now taking responsibility for training future members of the Afghan military, one of the unpublicized victories that will make a vital difference in bringing stability to the region.

Fifth Special Forces Group
Active since 1990, the 3rd Special Forces Group is responsible for operations in the Caribbean and western Africa. They've trained military forces in up to a dozen countries in Africa to respond to humanitarian disasters, and conduct peacekeeping and anti-terrorist missions. And they've also taught Nigerian troops to use mortars, light anti-tank weapons and M-60 machine guns in their fight with rebels in Sierra Leone.

Members of the 3rd Special Forces Group saw action in Afghanistan during Anaconda, and in May 2002, they began to train several battalions of the New Afghan National Army in Kabul. Afghan officers are now taking responsibility for training future members of the Afghan military, one of the unpublicized victories that will make a vital and lasting difference, and help bring stability to this war-torn nation.

Rangers
The Rangers trace their history to an elite force that fought in the French and Indian war, known as Rogers' Rangers. Major Robert Rogers', their original leader, wrote a list of 19 "standing orders" that still appears in the Ranger Handbook today: "Don't sleep beyond dawn;" and "When you're on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer;" and "Don't never take a chance you don't have to". This simple list of timeless maxims, are as true in guerilla warfare today as they were in 1759 when they were first issued.

Today, the 75th Ranger Regiment is the elite light-infantry unit in the Army. They train constantly, with exercises in arctic, jungle, and desert terrain, as well as in amphibious operations. Flexible, and able to deploy rapidly, the Rangers can conduct raids, rescues, and other operations all over the world with 18 hours notice. During the second World War, the Rangers acted as a commano force, harassing the Axis, and raiding the Japanese in the Philippines and northern Burma. During the D-Day invasion, some scaled the sheer cliffs of the Normandy coast, while other teams struck deep behind German lines. In the 1980's, they deployed for a variety of missions and exercises to countries around the world, including England, Thailand, Central and South America and Africa.

101st Airborne
The men of the 101st are known as the Screaming Eagles, because they drop on the enemy from the sky with a sudden, lethal blow: the 101st is capable of inserting a 4,000 soldier force 150-kilometers into enemy terrain in one airdrop, using 281 helicopters, including three battalions of Apaches. It led the way in WWII with a night drop just before the D-Day invasion - with paratroopers jumping at a mere 300 feet and a brutal speed of 200 mph, only to be scattered all over the Normandy countryside, cut off and alone among hostile forces. By the time a month had passed, one in four men of the 101st was dead or wounded. But battling its way into the heart of the Axis command - with legendary missions like the siege at Bastonge and Operation Market Garden - the survivors captured Hitler's "Eagle's Nest," winning four campaign streamers and two Presidential Unit Citations.

During Vietnam, the 101st fought in both the Tet Offensive and counter offensive, taking part in the vicious combat at "Hamburger Hill." And in 1991, they fired the first shots of "Desert Storm," taking out Iraqi radar sites, before making the most massive air assault in military history - dropping more than 2,000 men, 50 transport vehicles, artillery, and tons of fuel and ammunition into Iraq. Since then, the Eagles have deployed to Rwanda, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia. Their reputation precedes them wherever they go.

38th Rescue Squadron
In 2001, the 38th became the first pararescue squadron in the Air Force -pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, and support staff that all work as one unit. Experts in survival, evasion, and resistance behind enemy lines, the squadron is building up a force of 136 personnel. But its history stretches back to the Korean War. Pararescueman Bill Pitsenbarger was in this squadron when he was awarded the Medal of Honor for operations in Vietnam.

24th Special Tactics Squadron
Combat Controllers, Pararescuemen, and other specialists make up one of the most expert and flexible forces in the military. They're trained to drop into hostile areas with 100 lbs. of equipment - - including HALO oxygen tanks, weapons, night-vision goggles, and communications gear - - to act as aircraft controllers in hostile areas, provide satellite link ups and intelligence, destroy obstacles like unexploded ordnance, and whatever else is needed.

With a challenging two-year long training program, the troops in the 24th STS attend Air Traffic Control school, Army Airborne school, Survival school, Combat Control school, Scuba school, and High Altitude Low Opening jump school. Men who meet the qualifications for the toughest job in the Air Force - Combat Controllers - make a small force of less than 400 men. Having served with distinction in Grenada, Panama, and Iraq, the Combat Controllers work with joint air and ground forces in counterterrorism, recon, and combat search and rescue missions.

Taliban
Afghanistan has never had much of a national army - lack of resources and tribal society never allowed it. But individual factions could operate extremely well, and with a good knowledge of the lay of the land, these mountain fighters have repeatedly outmaneuvered invading forces. In the late 19th century against the British, and in the late 20th century against the Soviets, the Afghans fought off these dominant empires by retreating before their invading armies, and then launching protracted, highly effective and eventually successful guerilla wars. The Taliban's army is a coalition of militias with varying degrees of skill and loyalty to their cause. Many have a history of switching sides before coming under the command of the Taliban. They have good mobility, but can't penetrate defenses or hold positions. In major battles they have a tendency to rush into the front lines, and leave their rear weakly defended, and vulnerable to counterattack.

The Taliban are variously led by tribesmen, seasonal conscripts, and foreign volunteers - - many from Pakistan, America's nominal ally in the war on terro. Some elite units exist, with troops recruited from religious madrassas, and led by the mujahideen of earlier wars. The number changes, but there's a core of about 25,000 troops. Their cavalry units, if they can be called that, use pickup trucks for combat and support missions. Some units have armored vehicles and artillery, and even a few tanks, but the Kalashnikov assault rifle is their mainstay.

Al-Qaeda
Formed around 1988 by Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda helped finance, recruit, transport and train thousands of fighters from dozens of countries as part of the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union. The resulting group turned into an international terrorist network after the war, and in February, 1998, it issued a statement declaring war on all US citizens and allies, everywhere they could be found. It's strength further increased in June, 2001, when it merged with an Egyptian terrorist group headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al Qaeda has sophisticated tactics for assassination, bombing, hijacking, and kidnapping, with good operational security, and long-range planning. Many reports and statements from bin Laden himself indicate that the group is determined to build or steal biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. Their targets tend to be prominent symbols and public buildings, high-profile buildings. According to CIA head George Tenet, the organization has increasingly focused on developing puppet groups to carry out attacks in which bin Ladin's fingerprints are not detected.

With a global financial network, dozens of affiliated groups, and several thousand recruits, the organization has provided training and support for terrorists fighting in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia, Chechnya, Eritrea, Kosovo, the Philippines, Somalia, Tajikistan, Yemen, Kosovo, as well as North and South America.