Operation Redwing Analyisis
Operation Red Wing
On June 28, 2005 The SEAL team, led by LT Michael P. Murphy and consisting of petty officers Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz and Marcus Luttrell, were on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a Taliban leader who commanded a group of insurgents known as the "Mountain Tigers," west of Asadabad. The initial counter-insurgent mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan seemed to be running accordingly with a successful infiltration into enemy territories until local Goat herders stumbled upon the teams hiding spot. While very concerned with their own well being the Seal team was unable to verify Hostile intent from the herders. LT Murphy put the final decision of the goat herder’s fate up to vote by the team. Axelson voted to kill the Afghans, stating, "The military decision is obvious," in reference to the near-certainty that the herders would alert the Taliban. Dietz on the other hand simply abstained. It was up to Luttrell to make the deciding vote, a vote which would later be found to be the most crucial decision of the entire mission.
In fear of almost indefinite murder charges and the harassment of the US liberal Media Luttrell voted for the release of the herders. Luttrell to this day has been quoted saying "It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lame brained decision I ever made in my life. I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I’d turned into a f--ing liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jackrabbit." This extreme passion and hatred against his decision is justified, for only a short while after the goat herders disappearance the SEAL team was confronted by incredible force of Afghan fighters which has been recorded to be in the numbers of somewhere between 150-200 strong.
One terrible event led to another and before long Luttrell remained the only surviving SEAL lying unconscious behind a ridge. The four members had faced a well
On June 28, 2005 The SEAL team, led by LT Michael P. Murphy and consisting of petty officers Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz and Marcus Luttrell, were on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a Taliban leader who commanded a group of insurgents known as the "Mountain Tigers," west of Asadabad. The initial counter-insurgent mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan seemed to be running accordingly with a successful infiltration into enemy territories until local Goat herders stumbled upon the teams hiding spot. While very concerned with their own well being the Seal team was unable to verify Hostile intent from the herders. LT Murphy put the final decision of the goat herder’s fate up to vote by the team. Axelson voted to kill the Afghans, stating, "The military decision is obvious," in reference to the near-certainty that the herders would alert the Taliban. Dietz on the other hand simply abstained. It was up to Luttrell to make the deciding vote, a vote which would later be found to be the most crucial decision of the entire mission.
In fear of almost indefinite murder charges and the harassment of the US liberal Media Luttrell voted for the release of the herders. Luttrell to this day has been quoted saying "It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lame brained decision I ever made in my life. I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I’d turned into a f--ing liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jackrabbit." This extreme passion and hatred against his decision is justified, for only a short while after the goat herders disappearance the SEAL team was confronted by incredible force of Afghan fighters which has been recorded to be in the numbers of somewhere between 150-200 strong.
One terrible event led to another and before long Luttrell remained the only surviving SEAL lying unconscious behind a ridge. The four members had faced a well