by Don Brown
post-assault fire authorization, 191–94
Powell, Colin, 60
pre-assault fire authorization
pre-shoot-down denial, 36, 41, 43, 114, 127–28, 158, 188–90, 232
for recovery operations, 195–97, 207, 231
pre-landing chronology
burn time and illumination, 134–40, 142–45, 152–53
communication loss and delay, 119–23, 280
explosion theories, 275–76, 280, 281
landing zone confusion, 130–31, 178
mid-air hover, 21, 114, 120–23, 146, 275, 280
pre-assault fire authorization denial, 36, 41, 43, 114, 127–28, 158, 188–90, 232
sparkle request, 124–40
theories, 141–43, 178–81
Puller, Chester, 60
Al Qaeda, 32, 44, 106–7
Qudos (Taliban commander), 31
ramp ceremonies, 241–42
rappelling theory, 21, 123, 275
Ratzlaff, Thomas, vii, 16
Reagan, Candie, 10–11, 150
Reagan, Veronica, 10
recovery operations. See also black box; US Army Pathfinders
chronology, 204–6
first responders, 199, 203–11, 217–21, 230–31
post-assault fire authority, 191–94
Reeves, Robert, vi–vii, 17
Reid, Gary, 226, 228–34, 242
remains
autopsies, 41, 65, 265–78, 280–81, 284
cremation and DNA destruction, 42, 65, 73, 231, 243–47, 284
identifiability of, 25, 41, 42, 245–46, 250, 277–79, 281–83
ramp ceremonies, 241–42
US return of Afghan, 241–42
Rivera, Ray, 77–78
Roat, John Carl, 60
Roggio, Bill, 75, 98–99
Rudy, Al, 43
rules of engagement
definition, 184
post-assault fire authorization, 191–94
pre-assault fire permission denial, 36, 41, 43, 114, 127–28, 158, 188–90, 232
for recovery operation, 195–97, 231
Schwarzkopf, Norman, 60
security protocol violations
Afghan passengers, unidentified, 19, 23–26, 47–53, 54–59, 231
single helicopter transport, 18–19, 20
self-incrimination restrictions, 55, 56, 71
Sherman, Richard, 117
shoot-down
accounts and testimony, 146–54
airspeed during, 146, 160
death statistics, 18, 118
ground illumination, 135–40, 142–45, 152–53, 161
helicopter forensics, 201–2, 280–81
media coverage, 251–53
night conditions and visibility, 172–77
shooter point of origin and distance, 40–41, 158–71, 194, 228–29, 284
Skillman, Deborah, 226
Soviet Union, 4–5, 254
sparkle (ground illumination), 122–40
Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR/Night Stalkers), 85–86, 112–13
squirters, 187–94
Stavridis, James, 31
Stevens, Chris, 46, 287
Strange, Charles, 150, 216, 222–23, 236–37, 243, 245, 287
Strange, Michael, 150, 245, 281–83, 287
Tahir, Qari, 2, 14, 185, 238, 248. See also Operation Lefty Grove
Taliban
Afghan government ties with, 252–55, 256–58, 262
attacks on US helicopters, 35–36, 95–111, 115–17
Bin Laden death and retaliation, 31, 32, 35–36, 115–17
Extortion 17 mission intelligence, vii, 41, 43, 231, 236–38, 248–50, 263, 283, 284
Green-on-Blue violence and infiltration of, 73–81
night vision goggles access, 155–57
set up/inside job theories, 169, 235, 238, 248, 249, 280
Tangi River Valley, 8, 32, 35–36, 84, 115–17
Telegraph (newspaper), 169, 231, 237–38, 248–49, 256, 263
Unified Combatant Commands, 37–38
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 56–65
US Army Pathfinders
black box recovery, 198–203, 213–14, 229–30
crash site recovery operations, 207–8
identifiable remains, 278, 279
launch approval, 206–7, 218
pre-assault fire authorization for, 195–97, 207, 231
US Army Rangers
crash site response, 209–10
mission and transport of, 2, 5–6, 8, 12, 178–83, 185
rescue mission cover story, 14–15, 186
US Central Command (CENTCOM), 37–38. See also Mattis, James
US Navy SEALs. See also specific names
autopsies on, 41, 65, 265–76
Bin Laden mission and identity compromise, 28–32, 31–32, 33–36
commanders and chief officers, 15–18
members, 18
mid-air hover and rappelling theory, 21, 123, 275
mission, 2, 8–9, 185–86
mission cover story, 14–15, 186
shoot-down day chronology, 19–21
single helicopter transport, 19
US Special Forces units, 84–86, 112–14, 252–55, 283–84
Vaughn, Aaron, 13, 32, 250
Vaughn, Billy, 23–24, 32, 51–53, 54, 68–70, 150
Vaughn, Chamberlain, 13, 14, 150
Vaughn, Karen, 23–24, 32, 51–53, 54, 150
Vaughn, Kimberly Lineberger, 13–14, 150
Vaughn, Reagan, 13, 150
Vickers, Craig, vii
war, purpose of, 60
Woods, Charles, 46
Woods, Tyrone, 46
Zero Dark Thirty (movie), 34
Zulu time, 12
About the Author
Don Brown, a former United States Navy JAG officer stationed at the Pentagon and a former Special Assistant United States Attorney, is the author of ten military and legal novels, including the nationally best-selling novels Treason and Malacca Conspiracy. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campbell University School of Law, and holding a certificate of International Law from the US Naval War College, Don served as an administrative law attorney at the Pentagon on the staff of the Navy Judge Advocate General, where he drafted legal memoranda for the Secretary of the Navy and drafted legal opinion papers for the Secretary. Rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Navy JAG Corps, in addition to having authored the popular Navy Justice Series and Pacific Rim Series, Don has also been published in the prestigious Navy Law Review. He lives and practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The author would like to acknowledge his editor, Jack Miller, for his contribution to the text.