A decorated retired Air Force officer who witnessed one of the most deadly attacks on Navy SEALs in U.S. history is breaking her silence, saying the government covered up evidence detailing that the 2011 downing of a Chinook helicopter gunship that killed 38 fighters in Afghanistan could have been prevented had it not been for restrictions to the military's rules of engagement that were changed under the Obama administration. 

August 6, 2011: Retired Air Force Capt. Joni Marquez and her crew were working the dark morning hours aboard an AC-130 gunship after being summoned to a mission she describes “as almost like a 9-1-1 type of a situation.”

The gunship was ordered to fly close-in air support above Afghanistan’s dangerous Tangi Valley, in Wardak Province, assisting troops with the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment who were being fired on by eight heavily armed Taliban insurgents.

Read the full story at Circa→

http://nation.foxnews.com/2017...deadly-chopper-crash


http://circa.com/politics/reti...-have-been-prevented

I was in Afghanistan when this happened, in Wardak province for that matter.

That day was hell for everyone as our Battalion sent two Platoons to support the exterior security around the crash site. What was supposed to be a two day mission turned into a five day gun battle with hardened insurgents.

Typically you kill a few guys and the others run but it was different there. There were a lot of bad guys killed in the days following that but not enough.

I don't remember if Chinooks were in the air or not or if there was close air support near by. Had a ground commander (CPT) in the COP tell the pilot of the fast mover to just do a show of force. BN XO interrupted and said no show of force, kill them. And those guys got killified.

Had someone from BN try to tell an Apache to not engage. Apache saw insurgents maneuvering on our guys who stuck in an open field. Chief doesn't answer to a BN so he engaged and sent some guys to collect their virgins.

Some ground commanders are more cautious with their indirect fires than others. Some are very eager to use mortars and artillery while others simply refuse to.

Just don't make anybody mad!

Whatever Obama's motives were, it is clear that the safety and well-being of the American Soldier was not amongst them.

I didn't know him well enough to call him a friend or even an acquaintance , but Someone I Knew from when I was a cadet at West Point died on that helicopter

Major Stephen Reich, USMA '93, was in my battalion when I was a plebe and a yearling. We all knew who he was because he was one hell of a baseball player. And when you're a plebe and you can't leave the academy and you love baseball you watch Army baseball. He wouldn't have known me from any other plebe from I-4, but I knew who he was. He almost went into the majors during the big RIFs in the mid 90s during the Clinton era. He played for USA baseball


Well done, be thou at peace

Thankfully this idiot is gone - hopefully to never be back in charge of anything military.

quote:

The battlefield rules of engagement were tightened by Gen. Stanley McChrystal under President Obama in 2009, citing an "overreliance on firepower and force protection.”

Here’s some of the unclassified rules of engagement for Afghanistan
•No night or surprise searches
•Villagers warned prior to searches
•U.S. units on searches
•U.S. soldiers may not fire at the enemy unless the enemy is preparing to fire first
•Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police must accompany
•U.S. forces cannot engage the enemy if civilians are present
•Troops can fire at an insurgent if they catch them placing an IED, but not if they’re walking away from placing an IED.
•Only engage an enemy fighter if you see a weapon, and they’ve fired first

quote:

Originally posted by 2012BOSS302:
Thankfully this idiot is gone - hopefully to never be back in charge of anything military.

quote:

The battlefield rules of engagement were tightened by Gen. Stanley McChrystal under President Obama in 2009, citing an "overreliance on firepower and force protection.”

Here’s some of the unclassified rules of engagement for Afghanistan
•No night or surprise searches
•Villagers warned prior to searches
•U.S. units on searches
•U.S. soldiers may not fire at the enemy unless the enemy is preparing to fire first
•Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police must accompany
•U.S. forces cannot engage the enemy if civilians are present
•Troops can fire at an insurgent if they catch them placing an IED, but not if they’re walking away from placing an IED.
•Only engage an enemy fighter if you see a weapon, and they’ve fired first

Unfuckingbelievable.

I'm so happy I did my time back in the 80s. I have a feeling that I'd get drummed out for speaking my mind nowadays.

Yes roe is a major issue ( was for me when in Iraq in 04-05 and when in Afghanistan in 08 was even worse) I hope with the new admin the gloves can come off and we accept that the lives of our troops are more valuable than those of foreign nations, collateral civilians, public opinion,or political motives.
If we have to become involved on the ground in Korea or other areas accepting collateral damage and protecting our forces must be essential

Viet Nam under Westmorland was bad. These are beyond belief.

McWhisle is BF through and through.