Do you remember the Seals on TV after the bin Laden operation begging (literally pleading, imploring) the media and (the national command authority) others to just shut up about the mission?
This shootdown has all the marks of operational methods having been deciphered by bad guys given critical clues by media and politicians.
Someone should be held to account!
The politicians damn insistence on fame and glory for themselves after bin Laden has gotten our guys killed.
Any idea how critical knowing that a helo went down for lack of lift near that bin Laden compound would be to a techie backed up by Russian or Chinese intel. Could they analyze that info to decipher no fly areas, altitudes, etc.?
Could they leak Mullah Omar info and just wait along NOW predictable corridors for the SpecOps guys to take the bait?
I’m sickened by this. Obama’s ego could be the cause of this loss.
I am puzzled as to why so many special forces were concentrated in one helicopter?
If you are doing a general troop movement, I can see it, but this was apparently part of a military operation.
I would think you would send a bunch of smaller helicopters carrying no more than 5 or 6 combat troops each and thereby minimize the risk that something like this could happen.
Quite possibly true.
Very sad we have a narcissist for a CINC that believes he deserves the credit for our brave warriors deeds.
Wardak province is a central, high traffic area for rotor wing aviation, and well as lots of SOF raids. The locals and insurgents watch us non-stop. I was once mortared in Wardak as our Blackhawks landed. They had eyes on the LZ, and timed when we flew past to when they launched. The incoming started right as we were touching down.
Even if this flight was shot down (which seems to be unclear at this point), it was by insurgents who know our tactics. When they hold meetings, there's a chance we'll show up and kick in the door. You don't need CNN to tell you that. I'm not sure what operational methods the CNN could provide to tell a weapons team which hill to set up, when, in ambush for who.
One of the Afghan soldiers tipped off his buddies about the next target? Yeah, happens all the time. You have to watch those guys like hawks to make sure they're not texting as soon as they find what the mission is. That sort of intel is actionable.
Unless MSNBC is publishing Opords, the most likely culprit is either an internal OPSEC violation or a local sentry team that got a lucky hit on a packed bird.
Anyway, it's one thing to be upset, but another to let anger carry us away from reasonable conclusions.