Operation Enduring Freedom
was the official name used by the U.S. government
for the Global War on Terrorism.
On 7 October 2001,
in response to the September 11 attacks,
President George W. Bush announced
that airstrikes targeting Al-Qaeda
and the Taliban had begun in Afghanistan.
To support Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan,
U.S. government also deployed its Special Forces Tier 1.
These are the US Special Forces Tier 1 who fought
during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC),
formerly known as
the Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment (RRD) until 2007,
is part of the 75th Ranger Regiment's Special Troops Battalion.
They are a unit within the US special operations forces
that is part of JSOC's special mission unit.
RRD has been constantly deployed to Afghanistan
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
as many of their skillsets have proven
to be invaluable to the warfighting effort.
The RRD was placed under JSOC command
to conduct Special Reconnaissance for all JSOC units.
In 2006,
a six-man of Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment team
attached to the JSOC Task Force
inserted into the Hindu Kush mountain range
after intelligence indicated an insurgent chief,
Haqqani,
would be entering Afghanistan from Pakistan.
After establishing an observation post
at a position almost 4,000m above sea level,
the RRD team waited and watched for their target.
As insurgents arrived into the area,
the Ranger team was spotted and fired upon.
In response,
the RRD's attached Joint Terminal Attack Controller called
in an orbiting B-1B strategic bomber to 'pummel' the insurgents,
an estimated 100 were killed in the airstrikes
but Haqqani was not among them.
The 24th Special Tactics Squadron,
is one of the Special Tactics units
of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
It is the U.S. Air Force component to Joint Special Operations Command.
24th Special Tactics Squadron operators are trained
in conducting classified and clandestine operations,
such as direct action,
counter-terrorism,
counter-insurgency,
hostage rescue,
and special reconnaissance.
The unit has some of the best trained,
most experienced personnel that can direct close air support
and administer combat medicine in the field.
In recent years,
the squadron has been heavily involved
in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,
where the unit was part of the JSOC groupings Task Force.
PJ Ramon Colon-Lopez,
the current Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
was a member of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron twice.
He was awarded the AFCAM for a 2004 operation in Afghanistan
during which he led an Advance Force Operations Team.
During the coalition invasion of Afghanistan,
a squadron from DEVGRU were part of Task Force Sword
(later renamed Task Force 11 in January 2002),
which was established in early October 2001.
it was a black Special Operations Forces unit
under direct command of JSOC.
This was a so-called hunter-killer force,
whose primary objective was of capturing or killing
senior leadership and High Value Target,
within both al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
It was summer 2010.
The DEVGRU SEALs were adjusting to better improve
their methods to perform their missions in Afghanistan.
Later on,
the DEVGRU SEALs got another target to snatch and grab.
The target was a Taliban commander or facilitator.
The DEVGRU SEALs tracked the target
to a bed-down location in a village near the Pakistani border.
After the DEVGRU SEALs raided the compound and captured him,
the DEVGRU SEALs exfiltrated out of the area with their prisoner.
Delta Force was involved in operations
against the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2001.
In early October 2001,
Delta Force were part of the newly established Task Force Sword,
it was a black Special Operations Forces
unit under direct command of JSOC,
whose primary objective was of capturing or killing senior leadership
and High Value Target within
both al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Delta Force was also part of Task Force Bowie,
an intelligence integration and fusion activity
manned by personnel from all Operation
Enduring Freedom Afghanistan participating units,
both US,
coalition and a number of civilian intelligence
and law enforcement agencies.
On the night of October 19, 2001,
during the coalition invasion of Afghanistan,
a squadron of Delta Force operatives
supported by Rangers from Task Force Sword
conducted an operation in the hills above Kandahar
at a location known as Objective Gecko,
its target was Mullah Omar,
who was suspected to be at his summer retreat.
The Delta Force operators and Rangers engaged
the insurgents and heavy firefight developed.
Some 30 Taliban fighters were killed in the firefight,
there were no US servicemen killed
but 12 Delta operators were wounded.