SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama Bin Laden

by Chuck Pfarrer

  Other friends, in the gray world, also provided vital help. Sincere thanks to my teammate Jon Ciderquist for services rendered. Jon has been on the frontlines in the war on terror for the last fifteen years—and his contributions to the security of this nation could fill another book. Thanks to Steven Kitchen, and every operator from call sign Warlord: the Domingoes, the Eddies, Lance, Ren, Dave, Mike, Cap’n Cook, and los tipos suaves. In Washington, I owe thanks to KE and LE; KE is a friend and teammate of thirty years standing, and LE is one of the most stalwart wives in the history of Naval Special Warfare. It was my privilege to work for KE at SEAL Six, and then at the legendary National Red Team. KE was one of the most outstanding and heroic commanders to ever have served at Six, and is proudly entering his fourth decade of service to his country.

  And now to thank the people who hardly exist; those on the dark side. Behind the scenes, book projects can often turn on the cooperation of a single person. In the Teams we say “One is none; two is one.” That goes for people as well as parachutes and helicopters. It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan—or two of them. There were many points at which this book almost didn’t happen. I regret to say, there were several people who did their best to make sure SEAL Target Geronimo was never written. I consider those who made their feelings known, and spoke to me directly, to be honorable men. We have differed only on whether the valor and achievements of our comrades should be made public. The events that took place in Abbottabad are the embodiment of the fighting spirit and professionalism of the United States Navy, and the facts of that operation are a vital part of our nation’s history. I am honored to tell the story. There were a small number of persons who worked behind the scenes to derail this history, and substitute one of their own making. Those efforts continue to this day. For some, the object of this rewrite was political, for others, the facts of Neptune’s Spear were squabbled over as commercial property to be exploited as rapidly as possible. The light of day shines on fact as well as fiction.

  I have been blessed with friends and teammates who fought for me even as I faltered and it looked like this book would never happen. It is a brave person who risks his own neck to save a guy whose head looks to be already in the noose.

  A special thanks to Ian Conway. Ian is a teammate and comrade in arms who has served with me around the world, and in close-combat in the deadly corridors of Washington. He’s a tougher man than I am.

  Finally, most important, humble thanks to my comrade and friend Bill Kerns, who started his military career, as did I, at the Staunton Military Academy. Bill went on to become a storied officer in the Green Berets, and later, a philanthropist of the first order. His kindness to me during an illness kept a roof over my head. This good deed, done without the slightest desire to be compensated or acknowledged, is one of the hallmarks of the special operations community. The operators of USSOCOM, SPECWARCOM, and JSOC—both active and retired—are the embodiment of the altruism, selflessness, and quiet valor that make America exceptional.

  It is to them that this book is dedicated; they are truly a band of brothers.

  GLOSSARY

  5.56. The caliber of an M-16 rifle, in millimeters. NATO ammunition for the M-16 and M-4 carbine.

  5326. Naval education code (NEC) for a “combat swimmer,” the Naval Personnel Bureau’s designation for an enlisted SEAL operator.

  7.62. The caliber of an M-60 machinegun, in millimeters. NATO ammunition for the M-60, G-3, and M-14 rifles. These weapons fire the NATO standard 7.62 × 51 cartridge. Russian-made weapons, like the AK-47, fire the same caliber bullet, using a shorter cartridge, 7.62 × 39. Russian ammunition is referred to as “7.62 intermediate.”

  AAA. Antiaircraft artillery.

  AO. Area of operations.

  Al Qaeda. Arabic for “the Base.” A global terrorist Sunni Islamist group founded by Osama bin Laden.

  antiterrorism. Defensive measures used to reduce the vulnerability of personnel and facilities to terrorist acts. Such measures include guard patrols, vehicle barricades, and hardening targets, as well as the immediate actions taken by military and security forces following a terrorist attack. Also called “AT.”

  AO. Area of operations. Bailiwick.

  API. Armor piercing, Incendiary. Ammunition designed to pass through armored vehicles and start fires inside.

  assault element. A SEAL unit varying in size from four to twenty-five operators. Elements are tailored to fit specific mission requirements.

  AWACS (E-3 Sentry). The AWACS E-3 is an airborne warning and control aircraft that provides all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications. The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial air frame with a rotating radar dome.

  Black Hawk. The MH-60 helicopter, the workhorse of special operations. Its Navy equivalent is the SH-60, called the Seahawk.

  boat crew. A variably sized SEAL element, literally the number of SEAL inserted by one boat or helicopter. Usually no smaller than four operators, a boat crew can be as large as twenty operators.

  booger eater. Generic term for bad guys.

  BUD/S. Basic Underwater Demolition, SEAL training. SEAL basic training. A twenty-six-week-long ordeal conducted at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California. All SEAL operators attend this course. BUD/S is the only school in the U.S. military where officers and enlisted men attend the same school and take the same course work.

  Budweiser. The badge awarded to qualified Naval Special Warfare Operators. Called a “trident” by the Navy, it is the emblem and insignia of the SEAL Teams. The device features a pistol, anchor, trident, as well as a screaming eagle that is vaguely reminiscent of the logo on a can of Budweiser beer. In the Naval service, enlisted warfare badges are silver and the officers’ gold. The Budweiser is the only gold Navy warfare device worn by both officers and enlisted alike.

  C4. Composition 4. Plastic explosive.

  cadre. The hard-core operational and training elements of a terrorist organization. Also, the training cell within a SEAL Team.

  cake eater. A Naval officer. Any commissioned officer.

  CCT. Combat control teams. Air Force Special Operations Forces specializing in air traffic control and communications.

  Chinook. MH-47. Twin-rotor, long-range, heavy lift special operations helicopter. Capable of high-altitude operations, the MH-47 is the workhorse of special operations forces in Afghanistan.

  cleared hot. Granted permission to open fire. Cleared for action.

  click. Kilometer. One click equals one kilometer in range or distance.

  counterterrorism. Offensive measures taken to deter, prevent, and respond to terrorism. These active measures include assaulting hostage barricade sites, retaking of hijacked vehicles, vessels, or aircraft, and direct action against terrorist personnel, support, and infrastructure. Also called “CT.”

  CQC. Close quarters combat. The precision shooting used by SEALs to clear ship spaces and rooms. CQC is the epitome of surgical shooting. SEALs frequently practice dynamic target shooting where terrorist targets are mixed with real hostages.

  CRRC. Combat rubber raiding craft.

  CTF. Commander, task force.

  Delta. Special Forces Operational Detachment, Delta, aka Delta Force. It is frequently joked by SEALs that the high-profile Delta Force is SEAL Team’s best cover. See also Hardee Boys.

  ding. To hit with a bullet. To kill.

  direct action. Combat actions undertaken against enemy targets.

  fast rope. A spongy, hawserlike rope used to deploy troops rapidly from helicopters. Also called a “zip line,” fast ropes are manufactured in thirty-, sixty-, and one-hundred-and-twenty-foot lengths.

  FARP. Forward air refueling position.

  FLIR. Forward-looking infrared.

  FOB. Forward operating base.

  frog hog. A female SEAL groupie.

  full mission profile. A SEAL mission cycle, complete from planning, rehearsal, deployment, insertion, infiltration, actions at the objective,
exfiltration, extraction, recovery, and debriefing.

  Goon Squad. The slow and the stupid. In BUD/S, the slowest 20 percent of any run or evolution. Instructors single out these class members for extra physical instruction.

  GPS. Global positioning system. Navigational aide utilizing a series of military satellites to exactly pinpoint any location on earth.

  Green Bean. Green Beret.

  Grey Fox. Unofficial name of JSOC’s intelligence-gathering units.

  green room. The compartment on an aircraft carrier where personnel are held before being released onto the flight deck.

  Green Team. Training and selection program for SEAL Team Six operators. This grueling one-year selection course is known to be even tougher than the Navy’s notorious BUD/S program.

  green tip. Also called Predator rounds. Special antipersonnel bullets designed for the M-4 assault rifle these bullets are particularly effective in close combat operations. Made from special composite materials, the bullet is designed to do maximum damage to soft or hard tissue but remain in the original victim.

  group. A variously sized SEAL unit consisting of multiple SEAL Teams, troops, or platoons. See also platoon, troop, and assault element.

  haj. An enemy combatant. Short for “haji,” the honorific for a Muslim who has performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. Also a contraction of Mujahideen, a holy warrior.

  Hardee Boys. Delta Force.

  helmet fire. To panic. Also, to be absentminded or to make a mistake.

  HUMINT. Human intelligence. The time-honored skills of “people-oriented” intelligence gathering. Also refers to all manners of intelligence tradecraft to include agent handling, asset recruitment, and placement and the running of information-gathering networks.

  HVT. High-value target.

  HVI. High-value individual. Used to designate persons in terrorist or insurgent leadership.

  indige. Indigenous. Of or belonging to a certain locale. A local indigenous personnel, or local vessel (indigenous craft). See also haj.

  ISI. Inter Services Intelligence. Pakistan’s intelligence service.

  IR. Infrared. Invisible light frequencies below red, used as passive night vision, in night vision goggles and active, as an infrared spotlight.

  IR strobe. A blinking signal light using infrared light.

  IRGC. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

  ITAG. Intelligence and Terrorism Analysis Group. Parent unit of the National Red Team, a group of former SEAL Team Six operators and intelligence professionals who tested security procedures by staging simulated terrorist attacks against targets within the United States.

  JP-5. Jet Propulsion (Grade) 5. Jet fuel.

  Jedi. A member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group or the Army’s Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta.

  JOC. Joint Operations Center.

  JSOC. Joint Special Operations Command.

  JTF. Joint Task Force.

  Kalashnikov. Any of a variety of Russian-made assault rifles designed by Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. Kalashnikov weapons include the AK-47, AK-74, AKSU, and RPD machine guns, as well as the Druganov sniper’s rifle.

  K-Bar. SEAL Team fighting knife.

  Kaffiyeh. An Arab headdress.

  Little Creek. Naval Amphibious Base located in Norfolk, Virginia. Home of the East Coast SEAL Teams.

  M-4. Carbine version of the M-16.

  MANPADS. Man-portable antiaircraft defense system. Man-portable antiaircraft weapons. Refers to both Strela and Stinger heat-seeking missiles and rocket-propelled grenades fired at aircraft.

  MNF. Multinational force.

  Mustang. A commissioned officer with prior enlisted service.

  Naval Special Warfare. Navy SEAL Teams, SEAL Delivery Teams, and Special Boat Units.

  Naval Special Warfare Development Group. In 1990 SEAL Team Six was redesignated as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

  no joy. Radio speak for “I do not see the target.”

  NOD. Night observation device. When worn by an operator, they are referred to as “nods.”

  non qual. A nonoperator. A person outside the SEAL community.

  NRO. National Reconnaissance Office.

  NSA. National Security Agency.

  Operator number. Alpha-numeric given to SEAL operators to identify them within an operational unit.

  organic. In military argot, equipment or personnel assigned and controlled by a specific unit. The fast-attack vehicles were organic to SEAL Team Eight.

  personnel interdiction. An operation designed to neutralize or capture an individual.

  Phalange. A Lebanese Christian militia. Originally formed in 1936 as a Maronite paramilitary youth organization by Pierre Jumayyil. Militant and violent, the Phalange bears responsibility for the 1983 massacres at Sabra and Shatila.

  platoon. Traditional SEAL operational unit, comprised of two officers and twelve enlisted men.

  PLO. Palestinian Liberation Organization.

  pocket litter. The content of the target’s pockets to include a wallet, money, and scraps of paper.

  poodle shooter. M-4 rifle. So called because it is small and light.

  Qur’an. Koran. Literally “The recitation.” The Muslim holy book, revelations made to Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel.

  R and S. Reconnaissance and surveillance mission.

  Red Team. A group or unit assembled to test counterterrorist and antiterrorist measures or procedures. The use of enemy tactics techniques and procedures. The National Red Team was a group of former SEAL Team Six Operators and intelligence professionals who tested security procedures by staging simulated terrorist attacks against targets within the United States.

  ring out. To quit. From the three-rings-and-you’re-out quitting method at BUD/S.

  ROE. Rules of engagement. Orders dictating the circumstances and limitations under which U.S. forces may initiate combat.

  RPG. Rocket-propelled grenade. Russian-made recoilless antiarmor weapon. RPGs have a variety of warheads to include antiarmor, antipersonnel, antiaircraft, and thermobaric warheads.

  SA-7 (NATO code-named Strela). A shoulder-fired, heat-seeking guided missile used as an antiaircraft weapon.

  SBU. Special boat unit.

  SDV. SEAL delivery vehicle. A wet minisub used to deliver SEALs into target areas and also to attack enemy ships and facilities.

  SDV Team. SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team. SEAL unit specializing in maritime sabotage and operation of SEAL submersibles.

  SEAL Team. SEAL Teams are comprised of a number of platoons or detachments, as well as support personnel. Usually captained by a commander (O-5), platoons and detachments are mostly commanded by lieutenants or lieutenant commanders. Although SEAL Teams are geographically specialized, all Teams are trained to operate in all environments. Geographical areas of focus are as follows: SEAL Team One, Southeast Asia; SEAL Team Two, Northern Europe; SEAL Team Three, Middle East; SEAL Team Four, South America; SEAL Team Five, Korea; SEAL Team Six, worldwide; SEAL Team Seven, worldwide; and SEAL Team Eight, Africa.

  SF. Special Forces. Refers to the Army’s Green Berets.

  shift fire. Coordinated movement of SEAL Team fire. Instantaneous engagement of a second target. Also used to indicate a shift in focus or a change of tasking.

  Shiite. Also known as Shias. Shiites comprise the second largest Islamic sect in Lebanon. The word “Shia” comes from Shiat Ali, or “party of Ali.” Shiite Muslims believe that Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, should have succeeded the Prophet.

  SIGINT. Signals intelligence. The gathering and analysis of an enemy’s communications, written, as well as electronically transmitted.

  sleeve. A slick sleeve, i.e., a person without a Navy rating. A useless idiot. A non-SEAL Team member, regardless of rank.

  snake eater. Any member of the special operations community.

  sneak attack. Underwater maritime sabotage operation, usually conducted at night with rebreathing Scuba.

  SOF. Spec
ial Operations Forces, to include Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Units.

  soft duck. Insertion of a CRRC by helicopter.

  SOP. Standard operating procedure.

  squadron. A combat unit consisting of an assembly of SEAL troops.

  SQT. SEAL Qualification Training. Post-BUD/S training to prepare candidate SEAL Team members for deployments.

  SR. Special reconnaissance. Deep-penetration reconnaissance operations, carried out by both clandestine and covert means.

  Stinger. U.S.-made man-portable antiaircraft missile.

  Strela. An SA-7 surface-to-air missile.

  Suchka. Russian name for machine pistol version of the AK-74. Also called the AKSU, it was used by Spetsnaz forces in Afghanistan.

  Sunni. The largest Muslim sect. Those who believe that Muhammad’s successor should have been chosen by the community came to be known as Sunnis.

  tadpole. BUD/S student. An inexperienced operator.

  tango. Terrorist. A bad guy.

  Taliban. Meaning “students” in Arabic, a violent fundamental Islamist militia that has ruled parts of Afghanistan since 1996.

  target lock. Loss of situational awareness resulting from overconcentration on the target. The state of being too goal-oriented.

  TF-10. Task Force 10. Special Forces including JSOC elements in Afghanistan.

  TF-20. Task Force 20. Special Forces including JSOC elements in Iraq.

  TF-160. Task Force 160. The Army’s elite special operations helicopter squadron. Also known as the Night Stalkers, this unit specializes in deep insertion and extraction of special operations forces in both land and maritime operations.