Beyond Neptune Spear: The (Open) Secret History of SEAL Team Six, Post-9/11

By Chris Martin

The modern history of SEAL Team Six did not begin with the killing of Osama bin Laden, nor did it end there. Once mired in controversy and doubt, ST6 has blossomed into one of the most accomplished fighting units the world has ever known.

Having taken down the highest of high-value targets, rescued American hostages in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Indian Ocean, and served as the silent guardian of the Coalition's conventional forces, SEAL Team Six has defined the post-9/11 world as much as it has been defined by it.

The follow-up to SHAPING THE WORLD FROM THE SHADOWS -- the definitive open-source guide to Delta Force -- BEYOND NEPTUNE SPEAR is a contextual examination of DEVGRU's post-9/11 existence, from the most high-profile operations to the little-known missions that are still barely more than whispers.

"Once again, Chris Martin has proven himself to be one of journalism's sharpest observers of U.S. special operations forces. BEYOND NEPTUNE SPEAR is a remarkable synthesis of the history, operations, and organization of SEAL Team Six. It is the most comprehensive guide to the unit ever published." - D.B. Grady, co-author of THE COMMAND: DEEP INSIDE THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET ARMY.

"BEYOND NEPTUNE SPEAR tells much of what you wanted to know about SEAL Team Six post-9/11 but didn’t ask for fear of getting shot. Chris Martin begins with Team Six’s “rogue” beginnings then quickly springs into its operations post-9/11 until present. Although a short book, you’ll get bang for your buck here. For newcomers to the topic, BEYOND NEPTUNE SPEAR provides an exhaustive overview of Team Six’s current happenings. For experts on Team Six, Chris’s work provides an excellent summary of the post-9/11 Team with occasional information you probably missed. The reference page alone is a treasure for studying/reviewing the unit that whacked bin Laden. Also, because Chris used open sources to write this book, you don’t have to fear stealing government secrets and taking a bullet to the head." -Stephen Templin, New York Times bestselling co-author of SEAL TEAM SIX.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Martin
• Release date: Oct 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301744879

Chris Martin

Chris Martin is a screenwriter specializing in historical fiction, action, and romance. He graduated from Full Sail University with a BS in Film and is currently pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing. He has published works on Potato Soup Journal and Webtoon. He is a member of Full Sail's Creative Writing Club and also served as a member of the U.S. Army.

Book preview

Beyond Neptune Spear

The (Open) Secret History of SEAL Team Six, Post-9/11

Chris Martin

Copyright 2012 Chris Martin

Smashwords Edition

Also by Chris Martin

Shaping the World from the Shadows: The (Open) Secret History of Delta Force, Post-9/11

Contents

It Is What We Do

From Outlaw(s)…

…To Professional(s)

Use the Force

Into the Fire

Get Connected

Land Sharks

Impossible

Blacker Than Black

More Than Just 'One Perfect Op'

No Go

Any Publicity is Bad Publicity

Taking the Show on the Road

Connect

Notes

It Is What We Do

Operation Neptune Spear was merely the conclusion of a vast and overarching mission that stood out as exceptional in a multitude of ways.

A nation's desperate call for justice was answered in the early hours of May 2, 2011; Osama bin Laden met his end inside his Abbottabad, Pakistan, hideout in the form of two lethal rounds fired by an American commando.¹

But the path to that moment was extensive, fraught with setbacks, and required that a litany of seemingly impossible problems be solved along the way.

Bin Laden had not simply proven an elusive target while ranking as the planet's most wanted terrorist for well over a decade but the focus of what was almost certainly the most intense, costly, and largest manhunt in human history.²

In early 1996, for the first time in CIA history, a 'station' was opened with the sole intent of tracking a single individual.³

That pursuit ratcheted up exponentially following September 11, 2001. The Agency pulled out all the stops, employing unprecedented -- even brutal -- methods in its quest, so long as those methods provided even the slightest possibility of delivering results.⁴ Sophisticated new techniques were developed while proven-but-discarded ones were dusted off and put back into use.⁵

The CIA's activities were complemented by those of the larger intelligence community. The NSA flirted with the boundaries of science fiction with ever-escalating electronic surveillance capabilities as the FBI redefined the meaning of the long arm of the law. In addition, a dozen other entities proved their increased relevance time after time.

Low orbiting spy satellites and the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone -- the so-called Beast of Kandahar that had been little more than a bat-shaped rumor not long before -- tirelessly peered down on the suspected safe house.⁶ The National Geospatial Agency analyzed the incoming data in an effort to determine if 'HVT-1' was truly on site.⁷

Civilian and military leadership overcame the paralyzing tendency toward risk aversion despite knowing full well what a mission failure could mean for the nation -- and their careers. After months of study, rehearsal, and deliberation, the green light was finally given to a bold operation that would covertly send American forces deep into the sovereign territory of a nominal ally with the intent of neutralizing bin Laden.⁸

To pull it off, the bleeding-edge Sentinel drone glided silently above as the operation unfolded, transmitting real-time video that was sent via satellite to the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), who oversaw the mission from the Jalalabad staging base just on the Afghanistan side of the border. The live feed was also beamed to the Situation Room at the White House in Washington, DC, and a makeshift command center at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, VA.⁹ The versatile Sentinel also simultaneously jammed Pakistan's air defense systems to mask the heliborne infiltration and monitored Pakistani communications in order to provide early warning in the event of detection.¹⁰

Further ensuring the element of surprise was the utilization of specially modified MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The secrecy of the 'Stealth Hawks' had been so well maintained that their very existence even came as a shock to many of those hailing from the shadowy world of special operations.¹¹

Manning their controls were vastly experienced aviators of the legendary 160th Special Operations Air Regiment (Airborne). Vision enhanced by the latest night vision technologies, the Night Stalkers remained undetected on their approach as they flew inch-perfect routes through valleys, brushing the tops of trees on a moonless night.¹²

One of the 160th SOAR pilots further demonstrated his prowess, narrowly avoiding disaster when faced with a potentially fatal situation: a rapid loss of altitude brought about by the unique combination of altitude, temperature, and high concrete walls surrounding the compound. While forced to sacrifice the top-secret chopper by intentionally sticking its nose into the dirt, by doing so he ensured that his cargo -- highly-trained warfighters -- remained mission capable.¹³

At each successive step, capabilities were pushed beyond their previously established limits in order to accomplish a single goal.

But for the two dozen or so operators from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group who unloaded from the helicopters, set foot on bin Laden's property, broke down his doors, invaded his home, and ended his existence with calculated precision, it was just another night on the job.

While allowing that the stakes were elevated due to the target, it is no exaggeration to describe the takedown as tactically routine -- even easy -- for the raiders. The steely-eyed professionals possess skills that had been honed to near-perfection, each having conducted hundreds of similar operations in the decade-long run-up to this objective.

Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, the man who tasked the unit and oversaw the mission's planning and execution, had seen it play out many times before.

Noting that Operation Neptune Spear was but one of a dozen or so similar raids performed that evening alone by the clandestine warriors under his watch, McRaven stated matter-of-factly, ...It is what we do. We get on helicopters, we go to objectives, we secure the objectives, we get back on helicopters, and we come home.¹⁴

From Outlaw(s)…

The debacle of Operation Eagle Claw -- the failed rescue attempt of more than 50 Americans held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, in 1980 -- was a hard lesson for the nation but a lesson learned.¹⁵

From the ashes of that failure emerged the Joint Special Operations Command, and with it, the formation of