In late 2009, I was part of a Task Force (TF) whose mission was to capture or kill enemy leadership, or High Value Targets (HVTs) In Order To (IOT) facilitate COIN operations in whatever Area of Operations (AO) needed the TF’s capability. Intelligence led us to doing such a mission to Capture/Kill a HVT in Afghanistan in late 2009. The enemy in this AO, at this time, hammered the FOB that we staged out of with indirect fire and rockets multiple times a day. They also inflicted casualties on the unit at this FOB by using ambushes and IEDs when the unit would do their presence patrols, civil engagements or conduct resupply. I think I heard that the brigade Battle Space Owner (BSO) that occupied the AO had taken something like 30 Killed in Action (KIA) in their year-long tour, which was coming to a close.
The enemy in this AO were not very used to being hunted. As a consequence, when they walked around, they did not try to conceal weapons, to include Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and PKM machine guns. Hiding weapons such as RPGs and PKMs was a common enemy practice in other areas of the country, where the Coalition could make their presence felt on a greater scale. The fact that the enemy did not try to hide their weapons also made it very easy to differentiate between an enemy fighter, armed with an RPG or PKM, …show more content…
The enemy commander revealed himself one day, and the AF got a pretty good fix on the location of the HVT. We put an asset above the group of people we believed the HVI to travel with. Intelligence told us he typically traveled with a Personal Security Detail (PSD) of three to five men. The individual we watched that day and night had five to seven men traveling with him. Eventually, they stopped at a remote building. And that, the platoon and company leadership decided, would become the target
The enemy in this AO were not very used to being hunted. As a consequence, when they walked around, they did not try to conceal weapons, to include Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and PKM machine guns. Hiding weapons such as RPGs and PKMs was a common enemy practice in other areas of the country, where the Coalition could make their presence felt on a greater scale. The fact that the enemy did not try to hide their weapons also made it very easy to differentiate between an enemy fighter, armed with an RPG or PKM, …show more content…
The enemy commander revealed himself one day, and the AF got a pretty good fix on the location of the HVT. We put an asset above the group of people we believed the HVI to travel with. Intelligence told us he typically traveled with a Personal Security Detail (PSD) of three to five men. The individual we watched that day and night had five to seven men traveling with him. Eventually, they stopped at a remote building. And that, the platoon and company leadership decided, would become the target