Posted on 06/10/2006 8:51:55 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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June 9, 2006 They're relentless manhunters, often referred to ambiguously as the "coalition forces" in mission briefings and reports. Yet this shadowy group, Task Force 145, is a veritable all-star team of Special Forces. The Task Force has now been thrust into the spotlight after leading the way to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Reportedly, Task Force 145 was a Pentagon post-9/11 creation formed in the summer of 2003 when the military merged two existing special operations units assigned to locate Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein and his sons in Iraq. TF 145 is composed of elite personnel from American Delta Force, Navy SEAL Team 6, Army Rangers and British Special Forces, as well as members of the FBI and CIA. According to a recent article in the Army Times, TF 145 is divided into four subordinate task forces in Iraq: Task Force West, Task Force Central, Task Force North, and Task Force Black, which is made up of the British Special Air Service "saber squadron" and the British Special Forces Support Group.
"Task Force 145 uses a process that they call the unblinking eye, which is essentially a very tight linkage between intelligence and operations, meaning that as soon as they have intelligence they want to act on it, rather than sit and dwell on it for days at a time," said Sean Naylor, who reported a piece on TF 145 for the Army Times.
The group is currently based out of a secret base in Balad, Iraq. After the capture of Saddam Hussein, TF 145 was assigned one main task: Capture or kill terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and dismantle his al Qaeda network.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Well, to give them a measure of credit, the information they gave appears to be well sanitized. "Yes, there is a group; yes, it tries to operate based on the fast collection, analysis and use of intelligence; and yes, it has achieved successes".
"The group is currently based out of a secret base in Balad, Iraq." I guess it's not secret anymore.
The press ''supports our troops'' by slandering our troops.
The press ''supports our troops'' by slandering our troops.
Not to worry.
The source is some guy at the local VFW who may or may not be a vet, but they did buy him a few rounds.
"If I were younger, I think I'd pack up and leave to join The Task Force 145 Groupies."
Ya know bannie, I'd be right there with you. There is something about a REAL man......well, I'm sure that you know what I mean ;>).
pattyjo
If I could buy these guys a cold bear or a fine cigar I would.
Hard to keep anything this big a secret. Found this easily on Google. The reporter is just doing what journalists do....trying to sound more knowledgable and special than he really is. The airbase isn't a secret - the Task Force 145 HQ on the base isn't a secret......its what goes on in the CJSOTF building thats secret!!
As of Febuary 2006, Balad AB was home to about 25,000 U.S. troops.
The base is so large it has its own 'neighborhoods'. These include: 'KBR-land' (a Halliburton subsidiary company); 'CJSOTF' which is home to a special operations unit,' the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force and is surrounded by especially high walls that is, according to The Washington Post, so secretive that even the base Army public affairs chief has never been inside. There is a Subway sandwich shop, a Pizza Hut, a Popeye's, a 24-hour Burger King, two post exchanges which sell an impressive array of goods, four mess halls, a minature golf course and a hospital. The base has a strictly enforced on-base speed limit of 10 MPH.
This is a book about that subject, I read it and enjoyed it. (I've always been interested in what makes women tick)
The book is "Sleeping with Soldiers"
http://www.myzonarosa.com/soldiers.htm
HAHAHA! I slept with one soldier.
I was married to him, and I was a soldierette at the same time. We joined on the new "married buddy plan" after we'd been married several years.
Re: "secret base"
Public info:
There's only one base at Balad. It's the largest base in Iraq, about 3x5 miles, two huge airstrips, and the emergency evac hospital to Germany (has been on TV specials a couple times lately). 1/2 is Army Logistics Support Area Anaconda, something less than that is Balad Air Base. Big KBR operation.
Enough said. You do not want to mess with Special Ops. Zip lips.
Out.
"You know, ABC, I don't really want to know this."
_______________________________
Boy am I with you. Let these guys, who are the best of the best, go about their business of killing these vermin and winning this war.
And FReepers have mocked about 198 of them.
Having been there for many months, I can attest to the semi-accuracy of that report. Emphasize "semi".
I knew they were there. So did everyone else at Balad. They occasionally would eat in DFAC 4. Drove past their facility regularly. So do local national truck drivers. It wasn't hidden.
They aren't there to play checkers.
They're there to do the things you won't read about, anywhere, ever.
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