Victory Point

by Ed Darack

  14

  VICTORY POINT

  With Shah’s flight to Pakistan and the decimation of most of his small army, the battalion had crushed the extremist’s force by the time Whalers drew to a close. Through detailed, thoughtful planning, well-coordinated integration of all assets availed to them by Task Force Devil—not to mention some classic USMC war-fighting improvisation, perseverance through fire, and some remarkable battlefield valor—⅔ had defeated a determined and vicious enemy intent on destroying a fledgling democratic government and reinstating a draconian tyranny. But while the victory was far from Pyrrhic, bringing Shah’s cell to its knees had come at great cost. With injuries ranging from shrapnel wounds that would heal completely in a matter of weeks, to deep-tissue trauma that would haunt the injured for the rest of their lives, ⅔ proved unfailing in their commitment to mission. Of course, Phillip George, having sacrificed his life as he directed his fire team during the furious, last-ditch attacks of Shah’s men, would never be forgotten by any in the battalion. His death, like that of Joyce just before the kickoff of Red Wings—as well as those of the NAVSOF recon team and the crew of the downed MH-47—illustrates the kind of selfless, indefatigable fidelity that is essential in effecting dramatic, broad-based change. In the case of Afghanistan in the summer of 2005, the magnitude of that change would reveal itself on the eighteenth of September, the day of Afghanistan’s national parliamentary elections. Ahmad Shah had been silenced, but the battalion couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t pounce again.

  With some precincts throughout the Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces reporting an incredible 100 percent voter turnout rate and the average for the region no less than 70 percent—without a single ballot box being compromised—the Second Battalion of the Third Marine Regiment, continuing the work of their sister battalion, 3/3, and those before them, realized a true moment of victory. Shah didn’t strike; he couldn’t strike. The Marines had quashed him and his operation.

  Following the successful elections, ⅔ continued to build the region’s security, maintaining a presence in the Korangal and other hot spots. Subsequent to ⅔’s time in the area of operation, the First Battalion of the Third Marine Regiment would oversee the construction of the first permanent base in the Korangal Valley. The Chowkay, too, where Grissom had wanted to build an outpost, would eventually see the construction of a small base.

  Shortly after the election, General Michael Hagee, the commandant of the Marine Corps, and Marine Corps Sergeant Major John Estrada, paid a visit to ⅔, venturing to the forward operating base at Mehtar Lam, where they pinned on nearly a dozen Purple Heart medals. The Commandant and Sergeant Major then journeyed to Asadabad and to Camp Blessing, where a grinning Joe Roy received his Purple Heart. Numerous members of ⅔ were also nominated for combat awards, including the Bronze and Silver Stars for their incredible bravery.

  Once recovered, Shah again attempted to wield influence over the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, but he was never able to reinvigorate his campaign to the status he achieved after the Red Wings ambush and MH-47 shoot-down. Spending more time in Pakistan than in Afghanistan after his crushing defeat during Whalers, Ahmad Shah died the death not of a vaunted warrior, but of a petty criminal, at the age of thirty-eight, near Peshawar, Pakistan. He had attempted to raise money by kidnapping the son of a wealthy Afghan cement magnate, but the authorities interdicted him, killing him and one of his minions near the Afghan border on April 11, 2008.

  But the real measure of victory for the Marines would be the continuing push for security and stabilization throughout the Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar provinces. While the Korangal would continue to be a vexing pocket of insurgent activity, the region in general saw a steady, rising tide of development. Roads are slowly being paved; even cellular telephone towers have migrated into the depths of the Pech. The Afghan government, with the help of coalition forces, continues to build schools, drill wells, and develop infrastructure throughout the populated sections of the Hindu Kush.

  The first order of business in the process of nation building is the stamping out of violent insurgencies, effectively laying the groundwork for stability; schools and roads can’t be built in an area where 82 mm mortars and 107mm rockets rain down regularly. Ahmad Shah’s group—even at its peak—represented not a broad-based resurgent movement but a sharply focused and ardently fired cancer, a threat not of metastasis but of stunting through localized necrosis. That is to say, Shah never really stood a chance of spreading his ideology throughout Afghanistan, but he could have handicapped the process of nation building through his destabilizing acts in the Kunar. To stop him, the Marines had had to go kinetic.

  In the long run, though, “the key terrain was people and mind-sets,” according to Rob Scott, not geographic features like valleys and ridgelines. Drawing on lessons hard-learned throughout United States Marine Corps history, not just referencing, but living the timeless Small Wars Manual, the battalion continued the USMC tradition of working and living with the local populace, training local fighters, always improvising, and of course, laying waste with combined-arms tactics and the legendary doggedness of the Marine Corps grunt in a hard kinetic fight. In the end, numbers of enemy killed didn’t matter; stability and nation building did. Shah’s group had stood in the way of ⅔’s work to continue that progress. So they took him out, quickly and furiously—but their accomplishments went overlooked by world media.

  The Marines of ⅔ began heading home from Afghanistan in December of 2005, their area of operation vastly different from when they arrived. Locals, hearing of the grunts’ departure, arrived at the gates of forward operating bases, most notably, Camp Blessing, to wish tearful good-byes, a testament to the unquantifiable successes of the Marines during their tour.

  Not long after their arrival back at K-Bay, ⅔ began preparing for yet another COIN campaign, this time in the Anbar province of Iraq. Although their minds were focused resolutely on the forthcoming, and very different, area of operation, none of the Marines would ever forget their time in the high, wild, austerely beautiful world of the Hindu Kush.

  AFTERWORD

  Inaccurate and incomplete media reports often leave important elements of any story missing in their attempt to influence an audience. The reports regarding Afghanistan in the summer of 2005 were implying weakness and incompetence about us, the troops on the ground. A tidal wave of unfortunate circumstances shook America’s confidence in the mission overseas. The enemy’s propaganda machine saw an opportunity and exploited it. We became portrayed as pathetic and, to a certain degree, doomed. We were said to be victims of policy, climate, heat, and terrain. It was implied that we were at the mercy of a better-prepared, more experienced, and hardened enemy. Some of our own media even seemed to buy into it, forgetting our strength.

  My initial reluctance to cooperate with Ed Darack on this project stemmed from my own preconceptions about journalists. I learned quickly that I was wrong. A gentleman’s agreement to compose a book focused largely on the actions of my Marines (the Marines of Fox Company’s Third Platoon) throughout a daunting combat operation evolved into an intense and thrilling narrative that never deviates from fact or reality.

  No exaggeration is necessary when describing the actions of the Marines of Fox Company throughout Operation Whalers. We were uninterested in policy, we routinely beat the heat, overcame the terrain, and sought out the enemy in a place they never imagined we could, or would, ascend to. Inspired by our company commander, forward air controller, platoon sergeant, and the individual efforts of each of the forty-two Marines with Fox-3 on Operation Whalers, Third Platoon achieved feats that were almost unbelievable, and entirely unreported. The story runs deep, but best illustrates successes resulting from firm doctrinal approaches to basic warfare. From the genius plan developed at the battalion level through the execution at the company and platoon levels, Victory Point tells the tale of Marines performing in exceptional fashion regardless of their given assignment within the battal
ion, or the adversity they faced.

  I’m lucky: the small scars from minor shrapnel wounds to my right hand remind me hourly of the bravery I witnessed from the time the fighting began on August 14, 2005, until it ended in the early morning hours of the nineteenth. I remember all of the selfless contributions my Marines made. I remember the Marines who were hurt, what their faces looked like, and their desire to keep fighting. I remember the immediate and heroic actions of so many even without direction. I remember an entire group of men working together, in the midst of total chaos, to try to save one another’s lives, but to ensure the end to those of our enemy. I was proud beyond words as we confronted and pounded an army of insurgents riding a high that was a U.S. armed forces’ worst nightmare.

  It was refreshing to see the courage and resiliency, determination and initiative, it takes to win such a critical battle in such a major war. You will feel better about the military, about our inevitable victory over terror, and ultimately about America after reading this book. Victory Point is going to remind you that there’s an American man still alive and still strong, preserving the democracy we have enjoyed for the past 233 years. His name is the U.S. Marine . . . just in case you forgot.

  Semper,

  J. J. “Konnie” Konstant

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First off, everyone mentioned in the book—and their families and friends.

  Justin “JD” Kinser, Stacy, Rick and Christy Crevier and family, the Kinser family, the Konstant family, Kevin Crowe (for the name Victory Point), my mother, Kelly Mackey, Scott Miller and the staff at Trident Media, Michelle Vega and Natalee Rosenstein and everyone at Penguin Group, Ellen Liebowitz, Kain “Chewy” Anderson, Doug “Oedi” Glover, everyone at MAWTS-1, Rob Dolan, Danny Ponzo, Gabe Garcia, Doug “2FS” Pasnik, Scott Pierce, Eric Sheline, Mitch Aschinger, Steve Morris, everyone at Bridgeport (MCMWTC), Bart “Pickle” Betik, Robb “Robb-T” MacDonald, Robb Etnyre, Colonel Durrant, Kelsey Smith, Doug and Kathy Stone, Bits—wherever you may be lounging in the dirt, Mike Martley, Ryan Hough, Matt “Shocker” Vought, Rick Scavetta, Michael Swanson, Kerry Knowles and everyone at the Marine Corps Gazette, Patrick Mooney, Kevin Digman, Jeff Lee, Joel Schwankl, Dave and Barbara Arendts and family, Ryan Powell, Matt Sewell, Jill Henes, John Selengo, Ed Ross, Bill and Dorothy Ross, Karina Vesco, Joe Sullivan, Bill Winternitz, Amos Hollar, Cara Zucarelli, Nigel Allan, Richard Strand, Roger Ressmeyer, Ryan Palmer, Lisa Vasquez-Roper, Skip Jacobs, Shasta Jacobs, Bill Murray and everyone at Murray and Young, Linda Shiner, Mark Vogel, Pete Faeth, Robert Timberg and the staff at Proceedings, Jasmine Khan, Lynn Elsey, Brian Kelly, Jason Schmus, Tony Powers, Joe Miller, Graham Golden, Drew Reeder, Henry Christle, everyone at the 107th Weather Flight, the family of Michael Scholl, the family of Jeremy Sandvick-Monroe, the family of Terry Elliot, Alex VanSteen, Fred Wasser at Adorama, Tim Walker, Jason Walker, Matt Watt, TTECG, Jamie and Elizabeth Damm, Caroline Sheen, Steve Mraz, Christian Beckwith and Katie Ives and everyone at Alpinist, Weatherwise magazine, Ben Early, Jason Tarr, Greg McNamee, Maldo, Scott Kensiger, Tom Doyle, Kathy Joseph, Matt Connors, Steve and Melissa Coumo (and Toby), Tony “Tea” Baggs, Ricco “Guido” Scalise, “Smoke” and all of the Green Knights, the “Gunrunners” of HMLA-269, MAG-11 and Colonel Owens, Dustoffs of 45th Medical Company, VMA-231, VMA-211, HMH- 362, VMGR-252, HMM-262, Mike “Sluggo” Farrell, Brian Bracken, Sergeant Major Cowart, Mike Beltran, Sergeant Major Patrick Wilkinson, the family of Max Galeai, Jason Matthews, everyone at the Printer in Davis, Scott Moss, Jeremy Dohl, Joshua Dart, Darrell Carver, Brett Rankin, Dave Moore, Keith Rollin, Noah Hunsacker, Scott Stephan—and everyone from the 2005 Summer MLC course, Sergeant Major Daniel Fierle, Rita Frangie, and Tiffany Estreicher.

  APPENDIX I

  PRIMARY WEAPON SYSTEMS

  Primary Weapon Systems Relevant to Operation Red Wings and Operation Whalers:

  GROUND WEAPONS

  M16: The hallmark weapon of the US Marine infantryman, the M16 is a tried-and-true rifle that fires 5.56x45 mm magazine-fed ammunition. The iteration currently fielded by the USMC, the M-16A4, can operate either in semiautomatic or in three-shot burst mode. Each Marine of ⅔ typically carried ten to fifteen thirty-round magazines on combat patrols and large-scale operations in the Kunar, with more available through resupply drops. The modular rail system of the M-16A4 allows Marines to mount a variety of optical and aiming accessories, including the ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), combat flashlights, a variety of laser sight aids (both visible wavelength and infrared), and infrared floodlights.

  Marine infantry must be masters of the M16, capable of field-stripping the weapon, cleaning it, repairing it, and most importantly, sending rounds downrange from its muzzle—on target—aiming with either optically enhanced or basic, iron sights. The M16 has a rated maximum effective range of 550 meters for a point target, but in reality, Marines have had confirmed kills (some using just iron sights), at much greater distances, some exceeding 1,000 meters.

  An M16 configured with an attached M203 40 mm Grenade Launcher represents one of the deadliest weapons in the Marine Corps infantryman’s arsenal. Mounted below the frame rail, forward of the magazine well, the launcher adds just three pounds, but can lob a 40 mm grenade as far as four hundred meters during a firefight. Not only can an M203 launch high-explosive rounds, it can send smoke grenades downrange, to “mark” a target for a close air support attack or an artillery or mortar-fire package.

  M4 Carbine: “An M16 with a collapsible buttstock and a short barrel” probably best describes the M4. While over 80 percent of the M4’s components can be interchanged with the M16, the weapon strongly distinguishes itself as a stand-alone platform because of its size and collapsible buttstock—allowing Marines to “dismount” from a Humvee (jump out of the vehicle) and engage the enemy in one fluid movement, whereas the larger M16 has proven to be cumbersome. Firing a 5.56 × 45 mm round (like the M16), some versions of the M4 can be operated in either semiautomatic single shot or fully automatic, or semi and three-shot burst, like the M16A4. Like the M16, the M4 can be fitted with a number of accessories, including the M203 40mm grenade launcher, infrared floodlights, the ACOG, and others. ⅔ brought just a few M4s with them to Afghanistan, where they were issued to unit commanders and the sniper team. The SDVT team also used a version of the M4 known as the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar Modification), which allows a highly customized upfitting of the weapon. Each SDVT member had his SOPMOD fitted with the M203 40 mm grenade launcher, a muzzle suppressor, an ACOG, and a suite of visualization/aiming aids.

  M249 Light Machine Gun/Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW): A lightweight machine gun capable of firing up to 725 rounds of 5.56 × 45 mm belt-fed ammo per minute out to a maximum range of two and a quarter miles (accurately out to one thousand meters, or .6 miles), Marines use the SAW to lay down suppressive fire—keeping the enemies’ heads low while other Marines lock their weapons’ crosshairs onto specific targets. Marine SAW gunners typically carry one-hundred- or two-hundred-round belt-fed magazines, and can fire the M249 while moving, standing, knee-bracing, or from the prone position.

  M240G Medium Machine Gun: Firing up to nine hundred rounds of heavy 7.62x51 mm belt-fed ammunition, the 240 is one of the Marine infantryman’s most lethal tools. During ⅔’s deployment to the Kunar province, Marine machine gunners used the G, or Golf model almost exclusively; later in the deployment, the battalion issued some gunners the B, or Bravo. Requiring brute force to haul up the side of a steep mountain, and then delicate finesse to fire accurately, once it is emplaced in a covered position, the 240 can lay waste to both enemy as well as many hardened structures behind which they hide. The Marines of ⅔ used the 240 both on foot mobile operations and mounted on the turrets of Humvees and 7-Tons.

  M2 Machine Gun: Known as the “Ma Deuce,” the M2 is a beast of a weapon, capable of sending up to 550 rounds of heavy .50-caliber (half-inch diameter, or 12.7 mm) rounds into the enemy per minute. The Marines in Afghanistan used the M2 as a fixed-peri
meter defense weapon, as well as mounted on the turret of Humvees. With a maximum effective range of 1,830 meters (1.1 miles) and a maximum total range of 6,800 meters (4.2 miles), the M2 is both powerful and capable of accurately knocking out distant targets.

  MK19 Grenade Launcher: Arguably the most destructive ground-based automatic-weapon system in the Marine Corps arsenal, the MK19 chews up targets at the rate of 350 per minute—not with standard rounds, but with 40 mm high-explosive grenades. With a maximum effective point-target range of 1,500 meters (nine-tenths of a mile), the weapon can reach out to just over 2,200 meters (1.3 miles). Since the rounds don’t just penetrate, but explode, gunners don’t have to hit the target directly, just be close—as with horseshoes and hand-lobbed grenades. While the casualty radius of each exploding round is classified, one can easily imagine what a burst of Mark-19 can do to a group of attackers. While effective, the M19 must be diligently maintained, more than any other automatic weapon, as the large linked rounds easily jam the MK19’s inner workings. The MK19 is heavy and bulky, like the rounds it fires, restricting it to fixed positions or mounted to turrets of vehicles.