During Kit Up!'s continued exploitation of the WikiLeaks data dump, we found two interesting reports dealing with SEAL units operating in Afghanistan.
Searching through for callsign TRIDENT, we ran across this matter-of-fact after action of the infamous OP Red Wings compromise of Mike Murphy's SEAL team. It's a terrible reminder of the danger US special operators assume as they move in small teams through areas rife with Taliban insurgents...
(3493)6/28/2005 CJSOTF reported TIC 13km S of FB Blessing (42S XD 79613 60831) at 0918Z. NAVSOF element conducting SR Operations for OP Red Wings in contact. Requesting CAS. 0943 Havoc 22 (1x B-52) on station. CJTF76 authorized 4xUH from Jalalabad PRT with elements of KOA to depart for CJSOTF TIC, and 2xAH64s from BAF QRF authorized for CJSOTF TIC. BAF QRF is W/U at 1035Z. 1152Z: 1x MH-47 from the QRF was shot down by ground fire while moving to last known location of NAVSOF. Continue to SIGACT 11421. Remains of 2x personnel recovered. 1x person rescued and extracted to BAF, and 1x soldier missing, search in progress.
And when some media (the Guardian in particular) are reporting how the docs show evidence of a failing strategy, war crimes and a faltering Afghan security force, we find this amazing story of bravery buried in record #725. From the account below, we see a harrowing story of a SEAL team in contact for nearly four hours in mid-June 2004 with their spec ops partners from Lithuania. They fought off enemy snipers and insurgents, requesting an emergency resupply of ammo an hout after their first contact. A Special Forces detachment located nearby spooled up with 50 Afghan militia, seven operators and three Marines in a convoy of Hilux trucks and Humvees to help.
With A-10s buzzing overhead, the SEALs and Lithuanian commandos continue for two more hours to chase and engage the bad guys before they give up. Only one enemy KIA is reported.
6/15/2004(S//REL GCTF) CJSOTF REPORTS NAVSOF TIC 57K NORTH OF QALAT. AT 0455Z CJSOTF REPORTED TIC AT GRID 42S UB 1937 0974, 10K SW OF EARLIER CJSOTF TIC. AT 0502Z GRIP 21 AND BOAR 01 ON STATION WITH BOTH CJSOTF TIC SITES. 0522Z NAVSOF (C/S TRIDENT AT POSITION 42S UB 19436 09968) THEIR POSITION BEING OBSERVED BY 3 ACM LOCATIONS; AIR SUPPORT IS OVERHEAD. 0528Z CJSOTF IS STANDING UP ODA 324 (18NM SOUTH OF TRIDENT) NOT MOVING ODA 324 YET. WILL DECONFLICT ODA 324 MOVEMENT W/ NAVSOF/LITHSOF ELEMENTS. CJSOTF HAS COMMS WITH GRND FORCE CDR (AT NAVSOF). TRYING TO WORK THRU THE DUST HAZE LOW VISIBILITY PROBLEM. 0531Z BOAR 01 (2XA-10) EXPENDING IN SUPPORT OF CJSOTF TIC. 0544Z NAVSOF IS REQUESTING EMERGENCY RESUPPLY OF AMMO. REPORTING INDICATE ACM ARE REINFORCING THEIR POSITIONS. 0620Z GRIP21 HAS EXPENDED 3X ROCKETS ISO NAVSOF TIC. 0639Z ODA 324 IS ENROUTE TO TIC LOCATION TIME NOW. ODA 324 COMPRISED OF 7X USSF, 2X PMV''S, 3X USMC, 1X UPARMORED HMMWX, 50X ANA & 5X HILUX''S. AT APPROX. 0710Z NAV SOF TIC HAS SUBSIDED, LITH SOF HAS REIGNITED AT GRID 42S UB 30429 16411. 4X 10S ARE OVERHEAD BOTH TICS. AT 0733Z LITHSOF TIC AT GRID 42S UB 19435 09971 HAS FLARED BACK UP. AT 0820Z CJSOTF REPORTS NO CONTACT FOR LAST 20 MINS. AT 0912Z SITREP FOR TIC: BDA ASSESSMENT 1 X EKIA.
The 91,000 pages of documents are littered with reports like this that show how our troops, our partners and our Afghan allies are fighting in Afghanistan. As more of these stories come out, the WikiLeaks dump could have the opposite effect of what it's founder intended...
