This is the fifteenth anniversary of Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan. The mission led to the deaths of 11 Navy SEALS and 8 US Army Night Stalkers (the Army’s special ops aviation unit).
God Bless 'Em
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Posts: 13683 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008
An awful day and a prime example of the importance of good communications in combat operations. How one clear communication frequency would have changed that whole event.
Thanks for the reminder - Mike McGreevy was a friend of mine growing up. I visited his grave in Arlington back in 2016 - he left behind a wife and daughter that I believe just graduated high school.
Originally posted by 280nosler: Thanks for the reminder - Mike McGreevy was a friend of mine growing up. I visited his grave in Arlington back in 2016 - he left behind a wife and daughter that I believe just graduated high school.
If you look in the lower right corner of the picture I posted, you’ll find the seal of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charitable organization that I’ve supported for many years. They have an excellent rating and a very low ratio of administrative costs to dollars reaching the those the organization is helping. Graduation season just ended and they’ve been posting pictures of the sons and daughters of SpecOps soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who graduated college in 2020 with the assistance of SOWF; I imagine your friend’s wife and daughter have already heard from them. God Bless the two of them and the best for mom and daughter.
_______________________________________________________ despite them
Posts: 13683 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008
Originally posted by sourdough44: I remember, tragic no doubt. As I recall, lucky shot with a rocket??
Yes, RPG-7 up the tail of MH-47 #1 while they were getting ready to rope in to the initial infiltration site of the recce team (several miles away from the running gun battle and after it was almost over - unlike the movie Luttrell didn't see it's shoot down).
Unfortunately the MH-47s had left the AH-64s behind (they were flying escort but were slower, also unlike the dramatization), so there was no one to clear the HLZ.
RIP to a bunch of true heroes. I grew up with Erik Kristensen. We went to school together, we played on the lacrosse team, in the school band, and many other activities together. I knew his family well. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him as a great childhood friend. I did not follow his footsteps in my career, but I would follow him into battle anywhere.
Posts: 482 | Location: Out West | Registered: January 14, 2014
Can't believe its been 15 years already. Mike Murphy is buried directly across the road from my father at Calverton National Cemetary. He still gets many visitors.