You’re assuming this was an attack to overrun and seize the two locations. It looks more like a raid to me. The first thing in either situation is to gain fire superiority and suppress the attackers fire. You can do that from the air. And if the only way to get help there is by roping in from a helicopter, then we’ve sure bought a lot of parachutes for no reason.
I did not assume an attack on two locations. You are correct that it was a raid, but on one location only, the Mission Station.
The media, Fox especially, has continued a confused reporting regarding the “annex” and the “consulate”.
The Benghazi location has never been a consulate, all consular activities are conducted at our embassy in Tripoli.
The Benghazi location is a Mission Station. As such, it is not an expected location for our Ambassador or Marine security.
Also, there are two annexes, not one. The Mission Station has a security annex on the Mission Station grounds.
CIA has a separate Station Annex about a mile away that was not attacked. That is the reported “safe house” that the Mission Station personnel exfiltrated to, and were then evacuated to the airport from.
There were three separate attack/firefights at the Mission Station and one ambush/firefight on the roadway between the Mission Station and CIA Annex.