Seal Team 6 killed

[Shea]

Tragic, but also points to a rather uncomfortable situation. Looks like the operational security of the teams has been compromised.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-06-06-27-19

[Ghost]

I don't see anything suggesting they were compromised, just sounds like their Chinook is a big slow target that got hit with a rocket. The insurgents probably didn't know who was on it, just attacked it as it presented itself.

Still sucks.

[Sarge]

This has been a bad week for America, RIP.

On the hand though, those Chinooks are suppossedly the fastest helicopters in the world. I've clocked them on some of our equipment at well over 200 km/h. Wikipedia says they'll Do over 196mph, but this sounds a little quick, but who knows.

[CaneZach]

I've jumped and roped out of the Shithooks and done quite a few slingloads with them. They're surprisingly quick, but people think they're slow because they're so large.

RIP SEALs

[Shea]

An MH-47 is faster then an Apache.

The reason I say they were most likely compromised is this:

In order to put all you eggs in one basket (aka a MH-47), intel would have to say that the defenses on target were most likely light. In order to pull off an ambush on a Chinook, your forces are going to have to be pre positioned (most likely) and well armed. The article mentions that the debris is scattered over a large area. This implies that they were either traveling at speed and/or altitude. Either of those suggest that they were en route to target, and thus the insurgents knew the route.

Of course it's all speculation but it's not like we haven't seen Afgani troops selling out Americans before...

[SloBlue]

This just sucks. God Bless our troops and especially our SEALS. I hope there is some retribution with a lot of high explosives.

[TransNone13]

An MH-47 is faster then an Apache.

The reason I say they were most likely compromised is this:

In order to put all you eggs in one basket (aka a MH-47), intel would have to say that the defenses on target were most likely light. In order to pull off an ambush on a Chinook, your forces are going to have to be pre positioned (most likely) and well armed. The article mentions that the debris is scattered over a large area. This implies that they were either traveling at speed and/or altitude. Either of those suggest that they were en route to target, and thus the insurgents knew the route.

Of course it's all speculation but it's not like we haven't seen Afgani troops selling out Americans before...

Sometimes a squirrel finds a nut. Lucky shot with a RPG-7, they're notoriously inaccurate with those thing; lucky shot. Their use of 82mm recoiless rifles did increase as I was leaving; could have been one of those too, but I doubt it.From what I've read, and I don't have access to live intel anymore, it happened during a sustained firefight. Anything is possible, interpreters have been known to tip off and sell intel to insurgent groups. Usually though, the special operators get CAT terps which are American citizens, but again who knows?

[Airreed]

I can't say much at this time, but the Chinook pilot was a member of the Colorado Army National Guard.

[Concabar]

This is almost like when all those Seals got shot down in a chinook and all died but 1 back in 2005 in Iraq

[~Barn~]

A very sad tragedy of warfare. I don't know how many more world "bad guys" we have to knock-off, but it sure would be nice to get things over and done with, and return Americans to America.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

RIP heros. :(

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

This just sucks. God Bless our troops and especially our SEALS. I hope there is some retribution with a lot of nuclear explosives.
Fixored! :)

[konaman]

Seeing how it was members of Team Six conducting a raid, it can be said that the individual would have been a very high value target (HVT). High HVT's will usually have a security force that is there just to protect them. They will have pre-placed fighting positions as well as cache's. SO they more than likely weren't compromised prior but more likely they just took contact on their way out. Either way it's horrible

[TransNone13]

Seeing how it was members of Team Six conducting a raid, it can be said that the individual would have been a very high value target (HVT). High HVT's will usually have a security force that is there just to protect them. They will have pre-placed fighting positions as well as cache's. SO they more than likely weren't compromised prior but more likely they just took contact on their way out. Either way it's horrible

Excellent point. There were "rumors" Omar may be in Afghanistan, initially Herat. Would be a huge victory to get him. But I don't think that was the target given the area, that's not his AO so much.

[konaman]

Pakistans ex # intelligence man just stepped down due to the fact that he did not believe the Pakistani GOV was doing what was necessary to take down Taliban Leaders within their country. The Officer said that they have had more than conclusive evidence stating to the possible where-abouts of not only "Oman" but also other very high Taliban leaders who were moving throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan. So there is really no telling who the Seals were going after. We the American public may never know what the Target was as that could affect future/ follow on missions.

[BlueRanger]

I don't know too much about US Military strategies, but I know a lot of you guys do, so I'll ask here. Is it common to have so much spec op soldiers on board one aircraft? I thought it would make more sense to have multiple aircraft for that exact reason, especially during a day mission.

Also, I just heard it was a rescue mission. Very unfortunate.

I just clicked the link of the initial post, so everyone was already aware it was a rescue mission? Was that announced in the initial statement? The articles I've been following haven't been mentioning that.

[Ninja2]

^^ Hi, I have a lot of friends in SF and other special ops units from over the years. I think they and their families would appreciate it if information about how they travel and operate does not get disclosed publicly on a (motorcycle) forum. Thank you.

[BlueRanger]

I apologize. Didn't think it was a problem, since I was grabbing facts mentioned in articles and other media platforms. I was curious if it was common. Please Discard my question. Sorry again, if I've offended or hurt anyone.

[Ninja2]

No worries. You didn't hurt or offend anyone. That's my opinion. Was married to an SF guy for 12 years. I didn't even know this stuff when he deployed. Unfortunately, there are too many folks that do compromise info like this without realizing that it can really do harm.

[BlueRanger]

That makes sense, thanks for letting me know.

[Airreed]

The transport of troops is open source (not even FOUO def not classified)...

Update to the COARNG pilot. CW4 Carter was the pilot. His unit has only been in Afganistan for a few weeks and the units were conducting a transfer of authority between the incoming and outgoing units. The death of any Soldier sucks, but it could have been alot worse for Colorado (it was worse for the outgoing unit).

I spoke with a "tabbed" Soldier about special operators flying with conventianal units (non 160th SOAR) and he said it's very common as spec ops units use aviation assist to transport from "A" to "B".

RIP fellow Soldiers.

[puckstr]

My heart is heavy.

RIP Shipmates

[pauliep]

RIP Warriors

[rforsythe]

^^ Hi, I have a lot of friends in SF and other special ops units from over the years. I think they and their families would appreciate it if information about how they travel and operate does not get disclosed publicly on a (motorcycle) forum. Thank you.


I apologize. Didn't think it was a problem, since I was grabbing facts mentioned in articles and other media platforms. I was curious if it was common. Please Discard my question. Sorry again, if I've offended or hurt anyone.


No worries. You didn't hurt or offend anyone. That's my opinion. Was married to an SF guy for 12 years. I didn't even know this stuff when he deployed. Unfortunately, there are too many folks that do compromise info like this without realizing that it can really do harm.

FYI none of what was posted is anything that hasn't been in the media. There is no risk of sensitive information getting troops killed in this thread.

[RajunCajun]

I doubt it was the way they would have wanted to go out but a very honorable death for warriors, none the less! R.I.P.

[Think]

This has been a bad week for America, RIP.

On the hand though, those Chinooks are suppossedly the fastest helicopters in the world. I've clocked them on some of our equipment at well over 200 km/h. Wikipedia says they'll Do over 196mph, but this sounds a little quick, but who knows.
CH-47's are the fastest helicopters we've got. I've been hearing they got hit when they were taking off which is when a helicopter is most vulnerable, but of course nothing is confirmed yet and it's all just speculation at this point.

My condolences go out to those families, shit really sucks. I didn't personally know him, but CW4 Carter was from my unit at Buckley.

[cptschlongenheimer]

MSNBC is reporting that the fuckers who shot it down are now dead:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44088691/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/