ipl-logo

High First Observation

444 Words2 Pages

During 2013 my team participated in a multinational exercise with conventional and special operations forces in the Bavarian region of Germany. Prior to conventional forces reaching the battlefield we were tasked to conduct a High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) insertion and conduct three days of Special Reconnaissance (SR) to ascertain enemy staging bases. Our sister team was tasked similarly, but they were to conduct a static line parachute jump into area of operations. Initially we identified two potential locations on the map to land and sent up a request for information (RFI) to our company to decide which was going to be our primary and alternate sites. The answer came back fairly quickly: we were limited to a single location, the bottom end of a long valley opposite from a potential enemy location. As we continued the planning process, we were told to shift our timeline left; the company had sent a Jumpmaster to the proposed drop zone and he had determined it was too …show more content…

As each man excited, cleared his immediate area and checked-in on the radio, we formed our stack and began the flight to the end of the valley. As predicted, the illumination was below ten percent, but our GPS’s kept us on azimuth. Shortly, our time to turn on final came and we headed towards the bottom of the valley, a couple hundred meters short of our pre-planned impact point. As each man came to his version of a night parachute landing fall, we conducted link-up and started moving across the valley, towards the ridgeline that began our route. It was then we saw how close we’d missed a likely catastrophe: the planned landing area we’d missed turned out to be a mass of large boulders, fenced off squares, rock piles and hills. Even during daylight hours, it would have been a nightmare to have landed there and this spot had been approved by the Jumpmaster as being safe for MFF and not static

Show More
Related
1066 Words | 5 Pages

This practice had disastrous consequences with the II Corp operations order for the defense of Sidi Bou Zid. The order specified the exact locations of Combat Command A’s battalions and some companies (thus, II Corp not only bypassed the division HQ, but also bypassed BG Mcquillen’s Combat Command HQ). To make matters worse, since MG Fredendall rarely left his HQ, this overly directive order was based only on a map

Read More
747 Words | 3 Pages

Starting in mid-January to mid-February, there was interest in assaulting the Shahikot Valley in the Paktia province of Afghanistan by employing U.S. ground combat forces as part as an operation due to intelligence reports suggesting that enemy forces, which included al Qaeda and the Taliban where in the stages of reoccupying the area to regroup its forces after its sustaining defeats during the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. A debate between intelligence agencies on whether the enemy troops would be on the valley floor or on the hills. Well before the battle, early intelligence estimates, which drew on HUMINT and other sources, claimed that nearly 1,000 al Qaeda and Taliban forces might be present in the Shahikot Valley but then were lowered to about 200 to 300 personnel (Baranick, Binnendijk , Kuglar, 2009). They also concluded that they were mostly living in the valley’s villages, rather than deployed in the surrounding mountains and ridgelines as they thought they would be from the more tactical

Read More
974 Words | 4 Pages

Establishing three standing MEB joint task force (JTF) capable command elements (CE) forward deployed units gain the influence of a brigadier general and professional staff officers that can effectively operate in the joint environment while also bringing needed diplomatic ability when dealing with multinational partners. This standing body of

Read More
898 Words | 4 Pages

Due to his ability to quickly adapt to the environment, Sergeant Jasmin was immediately identified by the partnered Target Office of Primary Interest (TOPI) as an extremely capable analyst and was entrusted with mission development that is normally reserved for more seasoned National Security Agency (NSA) analysts. His initial development work in the target area not only supported the TOPI's overall mission, but it also helped carve out the CMT's specific mission. Due to Sergeant Jasmin's efforts, the assigned mission area received due attention, which enabled forward deployed units to prosecute High-Value Individuals

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

Joint Planning for Operation Anaconda SFC Spurlock, Matthew MLC Class 005-18 Joint Planning for Operation Anaconda Since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism, there have been numerous battles. One of the most important battles that shaped future joint planning of operations was Operation Anaconda. The outcome of this operation was ultimately successful, however, the original intent from the commanders were not met due to errors in the joint planning process. Joint planning during Operation Anaconda proved ineffective because of inaccurate intelligence about the terrain and weather, the exemption of Air Force and Navy during the initial planning phase, and false assumptions about the enemy. Intelligence Intelligence Preparation

Read More
1123 Words | 5 Pages

Surrounding them was dense jungle with thick roots running along the ground, there was more than 30 rivers they had to cross. The mud in many areas was knee deep because of the amount of rain they were getting at that time. “At times we’d cover only a few hundred metres in an hour as we clambered down the slippery slopes or trudged, panting, up the sheer mountains. It’s mentally, as well as physically exhausting stuff. Just staying upright can, at times, take the utmost concentration.

Read More
1836 Words | 8 Pages

The operation was to be conducted in two phases. Phase one was to drop the 133 ground forces, secure the landing strip and refuel the helicopters and EC-130’s at Desert One. The helicopters, carrying Delta force soldiers, would then fly to Desert Two where they would conceal themselves during the day. Phase two was to begin the next night CIA was to arrive with trucks to load up the Delta force soldiers and drive 52 miles from Desert Two to Tehran. While Delta force was heading to the hostage location, RH-53 helicopters would be flying to the Amjadieh stadium across the hostage location.

Read More
1893 Words | 8 Pages

Seth and Twist trotted behind me. We drifted up the trail past mountain laurel, sagebrush, and small pines for almost half an hour then finally made it to the top of the ridge. I could see into the wide rift below. It was craggy, thick, and wild. The ground was littered with fallen twigs, decaying maple leaves, and brambly, green shrubs.

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

“The evolving war in Afghanistan compelled CENTCOM to run a complex and growing operation from a long distance” (Kugler, Baranick, & Binnendijk, 2009, p. 8). The CFACC and CAOC headquarters operated from Saudi Arabia, not Afghanistan (Kugler et al, 2009, p. 8). GEN Franks utilized video conferencing to synchronize information flow between the Afghanistan, Gulf, and Florida regions. This led many in the AOR to believe that the Gulf located commands and Florida headquarters did not fully understand the situation on the

Read More
662 Words | 3 Pages

We sat down on the trunks’ roots and threw rocks at the base of an oak right in the middle of the large path. We then sat for a while, then walked up the at least seventy degree path, using all our energy to push ourselves up the path. Halfway the ground leveled up for a small sitting space. I looked across the miniature valley where the camp was located.

Read More
817 Words | 4 Pages

This move was recommended in order to create the Maneuver Center of Excellence and further consolidate TRADOC commands. Once these recommendations were accepted and the Modern Brigade Combat Team concept was adopted by the Army the personnel assigned to these affected units were coded by the Army to participate in the BRAC moves. These codes were placed on assigned personnel in order to retain training continuity throughout the time of these moves. This complete revamping of the Department of Defense is not a common occurrence and took years to be accepted and implemented. Because of the BRAC move and my assignment as an ARC Instructor/Writer I was relocated to Fort Benning, GA along with the entire 316th Cavalry Brigade.

Read More
1567 Words | 7 Pages

Although the trip was life changing, it did not come without a price. “Ohh no way, no, there were so many complications,” Anna repeated. To begin her broad journey across the Atlantic ocean to America, it seemed there was something wrong with the wing of their aircraft that she was eventually supposed to board in Prague. “ I 'm like, we are going to crash!

Read More
439 Words | 2 Pages

As the days sunlight started to come over the valley of the Little Big Horn not a breeze stirred anywhere. The weather in the area had been dry, and the trails were dusty. The terrain which included a valley ridges, trees and tall grass had a major impact on the outcome of this

Read More
152 Words | 1 Pages

y at the very existence of the Atonists plays into Reed’s satire of white European civilization. Reed practices, over and over, the act of well aimed ridicule. The novel’s most fundamental parodies lie in the novel’s mixing of verbal styles—both in the narrative modes, and in “high” and “low” forms of speech. Reed uses humorous verbal code switching and code mixing to deliberately change the nature of the interaction of this work. In describing an ancient Egyptian ruler as a “…man who can’t shake it ‘til he breaks it…” Reed is relying upon the comic effects of code switching to dismantle the barriers of communication (Reed 162).

Read More
486 Words | 2 Pages

In addition military bases are restricted areas which means not just anyone is allowed there. “ quote “. This indicates that the mission is so secret that they made the location a 9ok,,,lo0 classified area. To clarify the location of the mission being so off limits make it more classified makes the mission more secretive. Additionally, the mission is confidential because pucas lost her baby.

Read More

More about High First Observation

Related Topics

Open Document