Before the day of September 11, 2001 ended, a meeting was taking place in Tampa at the headquarters of Special Operations Command and Central Command. Owing to the depletion of our military arsenals in Bosnia and our military capabilities having been reduced by 40% during the Clinton years, Gen. Franks was faced with a serious problem. He knew the U.S. didn't have enough cruise missiles, smart bombs and ammunition to back a conventional war in Afghanistan. He also knew it would be political suicide to tell the White House and Rumsfeld we weren't ready for war.
Lt. Col. Dave Miller of the U.S. Special Operations Command understood the situation and conceived a plan that would map the future of the Special Forces. First a dialogue and connection had to be established with the Northern Alliance (NA) and other Afghanistan resistance groups. Next, personal relationships between those leaders and Special Forces had to be developed and, third, supplies and money had to be delivered in bulk to conduct the fighting against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Fourth, U.S. air power. The plan also called for teams of usually 12 men each, each man a specialist, to coordinate activities and call in air support.
This type unconventional warfare was precisely the reason for creating Special Forces. But unlike their predecessors, these A-Teams would be high tech, deep targeteers for twenty-first century smart weapons. At the end of Col. Miller's presentation, Gen. Franks was convinced that Special Forces would have to carry the war to the enemy in Afghanistan.
Their story is told in chronological order, following each A-Team as it established contact with local commanders. The pattern was somewhat similar with each team. Night insertion in country, dangerous and difficult travel to the safe place of each general, followed by preparation of a "needs" list. Supplies would be air dropped, local fighters re-supplied and trust would be established slowly. Once the first battle was engaged and the teams called in precision laser guide ordinance on target, time and time again, their value was immediately apparent to all the NA mujahadeen. The results were nothing short of staggering.
Less than 200 men on the ground targeting for air support and lending small arm support to the NA turned the tide of war in Afghanistan. Their skill, daring and courage, even after long years of political neglect, should make us realize that there has always been such men and, hopefully, there always will.
This is a remarkable story of the silent professionals of the Special forces. If Mr. Moore at times becomes somewhat of a cheerleader, it is due in large part to the fact that there is much to cheer about.
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