This is a new book about Operation Anaconda and the Battle of Takur Ghar / Roberts Ridge, just released a couple of weeks ago. It centers on John Chapman, who was killed in the battle - after recent & extensive analysis of multiple videos of the events from airborne platforms, his Air Force Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

From the beginning there have been questions about if Chapman was really dead when the SEAL team with him retreated from the mountain top, or whether he was alive and continued to fight on after being wounded. Several books mention it as a possibility or a red on red event, where Taliban / AQ fighters may have started shooting at each other after the first battle with the SEAL unit.

Now with the new analysis, they can conclusively say it was Chapman, alone and fighting for his life on the mountain.

The book also covers the creation of the CCT specialty and the STS units within the USAF

I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in current military history.

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Book Summary from Amazon:

"The astonishing true account of John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient and Special Ops Combat Controller, and his heroic one-man stand during the Afghan War, as he sacrificed his life to save the lives of 23 comrades-in-arms.

In the predawn hours of March 4, 2002, just below the 10,469-foot peak of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan, a fierce battle raged. Outnumbered by Al Qaeda fighters, Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman and a handful of Navy SEALs struggled to take the summit in a desperate bid to find a lost teammate.

Chapman, leading the charge, was gravely wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness alone, with the enemy closing in on three sides.

John Chapman's subsequent display of incredible valor -- first saving the lives of his SEAL teammates and then, knowing he was mortally wounded, single-handedly engaging two dozen hardened fighters to save the lives of an incoming rescue squad -- posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor. Chapman is the first airman in nearly fifty years to be given the distinction reserved for America's greatest heroes.

Alone at Dawn is also a behind-the-scenes look at the Air Force Combat Controllers: the world's deadliest and most versatile special operations force, whose members must not only exceed the qualifications of Navy SEAL and Army Delta Force teams but also act with sharp decisiveness and deft precision -- even in the face of life-threatening danger.

Drawing from firsthand accounts, classified documents, dramatic video footage, and extensive interviews with leaders and survivors of the operation, Alone at Dawn is the story of an extraordinary man's brave last stand and the brotherhood that forged him."

RHINOWSO, thanks for posting this.


For others here are other threads on this incident:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/7580045544

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/9340025144

MSgt. Chapman, RIP. "First There" (USAF Combat Controller Motto)