Navy SEALs Talk About Afghan Mission

December 21, 2001
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-SEALs-Afghanistan.html

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) -- Four days before the U.S. Marines touched down outside the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, the SEALs were on the ground there, miles behind enemy lines.

Their target was a private airstrip built by a wealthy Arab to reach his hunting lodge. Within two weeks, the world would know it as Camp Rhino, and the Marines there would be helping opposition Afghan forces run the Taliban out of town.

The Navy took the unusual step Thursday of having two SEALs who were among the first U.S. troops in Afghanistan speak about the 96 hours they spent outside Kandahar. Their names were withheld, and they declined questions that could compromise security.

``I've been in 16 years and this was like the big game,'' said the platoon's chief enlisted man. ``We're real fortunate to get a chance ... to be tested.''

The airstrip that would become Camp Rhino was believed to be deserted. The SEAL team, one of three based in Coronado, was sent in to make sure.

With each carrying 100 pounds of food, weapons and gear, the SEALs were dropped ``a significant distance'' from the strip. Between them and their target was a silent, uninhabited landscape of sand and dust.

``The only thing you hear is the wind,'' said a 34-year-old lieutenant from Iowa, the platoon's No. 2 in command.

It was an area so isolated they found no land mines even though Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. To remain undetected, they communicated by hand signals and spoke only when necessary and in a close whisper. They left no traces, packing out even their bodily waste.

They moved at night under moonless skies, lit by a dome of stars. The lieutenant brought along a small thermometer that showed the temperature dropping into the 20s. During the day, they slept out of sight. Dirt covered their bodies.

Through night vision goggles they could see animals that resembled coyotes. During the days, U.S. jets streaking overhead.

``It's a cold, desolate place where anything could happen. You have to be prepared for anything,'' said the top enlisted man, a 35-year-old from Ohio.

They found the landing strip unoccupied and passed the word that all was clear. But as the Marines grappled with the logistics for landing, the SEALs' 24-hour mission stretched into 96 hours.

Their silence wasn't broken until Nov. 25 when the thunder of the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters announced the arrival of the Marines. For the SEALs providing security, this was the most dangerous moment, but the landing went off without a hitch.

``I want to thank you guys for freezing for us,'' the Marines' company commander told them.

Hours later, the SEALs were gone, heading back to an unnamed base in the Middle East. Twelve days later, on Dec. 7, the Taliban abandoned Kandahar.

The Navy's elite ``Sea, Air, Land'' force has served as an advance guard for the Marine Corps in nearly every U.S. conflict since its formation in 1962. Its members are trained to handle almost any mission on any terrain, from deserts to frozen tundra to the high seas.

``That's why we exist,'' said Evin Thompson, chief staff officer for the Coronado SEAL teams.