HAMMER DOWN The Battle for the Watapur Valley, 2011 Ryan D. Wadle, Ph. D. Combat Studies Institute Press US Army Combined Arms Center Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Photos in this publication provided by Major Christopher Bluhm, US Army, in February of 2014. Photo permission for use in this study is provided by Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Tuley and Battalion Sergeant Major Jones. Graphics are author and CSI generated. CGSC Copyright Registration #14-0480 C/E, 0481 C/E, 14- 0482 C/E, 14-0483 HAMMER DOWN The Battle for the Watapur Valley, 2011 Ryan D. Wadle, Ph. D. Volume III of the Vanguard of Valor series Combat Studies Institute Press US Army Combined Arms Center Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data HAMMER DOWN: The Battle for the Watapur Valley, 2011 Vanguard of Valor III p. cm. 1. Afghan War, 2001---Campaigns. 2. Counterinsurgency--Afghanistan. 3. United States. Army--History--Afghan War, 2001- 4. Afghanistan-- History, Military--21st century. I. Ryan D. Wadle, Ph.D. DS371.412.V362 2012 958.104’742--dc23 2014 CGSC Copyright Registration #14-0480 C/E, 0481 C/E, 14-0482 C/E, 14-0483 Second printing: Fall 2014 Editing and layout by Carl W. Fischer, 2014 Combat Studies Institute Press publications cover a wide variety of military history topics. The views expressed in this CSI Press publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. A full list of CSI Press publications available for downloading can be found at http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CSI/index.asp. The seal of the Combat Studies Institute authenticates this document as an official publication of the CSI. It is prohibited to use CSI’s official seal on any republication without the express written permission of the Director of CSI. ii Foreword With this third installment of the Vanguard of Valor series, the Combat Studies Institute transitions from the anthology format of the previous two volumes to one that focuses on the actions of a single unit and operation. HAMMER DOWN is the story of a tactical operation conducted by the Soldiers of 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, of the 3d Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division, in partnership with units of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Known as Task Force Cacti, this unit’s experience in the Watapur Valley of Nuristan Province in June 2011 well illustrates the challenges of combat in the mountains of Regional Command-East, where the terrain was a constant and at times a more formidable enemy than the Taliban, HiG, or al Qaeda fighters. Coalition forces executed Operation HAMMER DOWN in an area immediately to the east of the Waygal River valley. Among the enemy fighters who squared off against TF Cacti, some undoubtedly were men who had fought the Coalition in the adjacent Pech and Korengal valleys since 2005, including men who participated in the coordinated attack on Combat Outpost Kahler at Wanat three years earlier. Just as likely, TF Cacti included veterans of previous deployments to Nuristan, who were well acquainted with the unique challenges involved in attempting to pacify this region. It is important for the reader to remember these connections and understand the role that past experience played in determining the actions of both sides during the fighting in and around the village of Gambir. By June 2011, both sides understood the other’s capabilities quite well. Tactical surprise was difficult for either side to achieve, which meant that every engagement was essentially a meeting engagement. In such an environment, logistical preparation, integration of enablers, and above all small-unit leadership must provide the margin for victory. For nearly 35 years, CSI has used historical studies such as this one to help leaders everywhere benefit from the experiences of a very few. Vanguard of Valor III fully delivers on that promise. I am confident readers will find personal inspiration in this story, as well as professional leadership lessons applicable well beyond the scope of operations in Afghanistan. Colonel Thomas E. Hanson Director, Combat Studies Institute iii Author’s Acknowledgements First and foremost, I thank the men and women of Task Force Cacti, 2-35 Infantry for their willingness to cooperate so fully with this study. They proved very forthcoming in their interviews, and always made themselves available for follow-up questions or to provide maps and other information. The history in these pages is theirs. As this study expanded to include a history of previous deployments to the Watapur Valley, I sought out personnel from Marine and Army infantry battalions who served there. Many of those interviewed had to recall places and events about which they had not thought for some time, yet all provided a wealth of detail. Their time and support of this effort greatly enriched this study, and I thank them for their valuable contributions. I also must thank my colleagues on the Afghanistan Study Team at the Combat Studies Institute. We each brought a diverse set of experiences and knowledge to a rapidly-assembled team and learned how to adjust as a group to an ever-changing array of circumstances. I am extremely proud of the professionalism and productivity of our short-lived team. Each member provided insights, edited drafts, or offered support during the writing and assembly of this study, so this project bears their fingerprints too. The rest of the Combat Studies Institute, including former director Colonel Rod Cox, Dr. Donald P. Wright and the rest of the Research and Publications Team, the Contemporary Operations Study Team, and the Staff Ride Team also helped shape this study. Their contributions are certainly recognized and appreciated. I also thank my wife Jenny. She followed me to Missouri and provided invaluable love and support throughout our time there and continues to make everything worthwhile. v To Those Who Served In memory of First Lieutenant Dimitri del Castillo, Sergeant Nigel Kelly, and Specialist Kevin Hilaman. May they rest in peace. vi Contents Foreword ..................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................... v Dedication ................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .................................................................................... vii Figures....................................................................................................viii Symbols.................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................. 1 Chapter 2: US Operations in the Watapur Valley, 2002-2011 ................... 9 Chapter 3: Planning and Opening Moves ............................................... 33 Chapter 4: The Battle for the Strongpoints, 26-30 June ......................... 63 Chapter 5: Conclusion ............................................................................. 97 Glossary ................................................................................................ 105 About the Author ................................................................................... 107 vii List of Figures Figure 1: Kunar Province - Major Rivers and Valleys ............................. 4 Figure 2: The Watapur Valley, 2002-2011 ...............................................11 Figure 3: Coalition Bases in Kunar Province, 2011 ................................ 34 Figure 4: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 24-25 June 2011 .................... 38 Figure 5: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 25 June 2011 ......................... 42 Figure 6: Bravo Company at HLZ Honey Eater preparing to move ....... 43 Figure 7: Bravo Company Soldiers moving toward Gambir, 25 June .... 45 Figure 8: Bravo Company’s view of Gambir from the east .................... 46 Figure 9: Chinook crash site ................................................................... 54 Figure 10: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 1200 to 2400, 25 June 2011 56 Figure 11: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 26 June 2011........................ 64 Figure 12: The Situation Upon Enemy Contact, 26 June 2011 ............... 68 Figure 13: The Retaking of Strongpoint Cat, 1500, 26 June 2011 ......... 69 Figure 14: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 27 June 2011 ....................... 73 Figure 15: Bravo Company defending Strongpoint Bastard ................... 78 Figure 16: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 28 June 2011 ....................... 81 Figure 17: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 29 June 2011 ....................... 85 Figure 18: Operation HAMMER DOWN, 30 June 2011 ....................... 91 viii Symbols for operations recounted in this work. SYMBOLS KEY UNIT TYPE UNIT SIZE American unit company company team Afghan Army (ANA) unit platoon infantry ANA section ANA commando squad GRAPHIC CONTROL MEASURES TERRAIN FEATURES strongpoint AMAZON foliage elevation point helicopter landing zone village objective OBJ ALPHA Coalition base MISCELLANEOUS planned movement enemy contact actual movement operational phase marker 1 ABBREVIATIONS ANA Afghan National Army COP combat outpost FOB forward operating base HLZ helicopter landing zone OBJ objective ODA Operational Detachment A (Special Forces) SCT scout SP strongpoint VPB vehicle patrol base ix Chapter 1 Introduction On the afternoon of 25 June 2011, the Soldiers