d-in-evading-capture-b/
On June 30, 2009, the day Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked into captivity,
American forces in Afghanistan had not allowed a single service member to
fall into enemy hands.
Since July 1, 2009, the U.S. has not had a second prisoner of war in that
country - a remarkable record, given it is America's longest war against
foes who seek hostages.
The war has lasted more than 12 years, replete with hundreds of close-in
firefights, Taliban ambushes, surprise raids on isolated outposts and a
smattering of helicopter crashes. Nearly 850,000 U.S. service members have
deployed to the land of the Taliban and al Qaeda, a mountainous forbidden
place where the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were conceived and planned.
"The United States military has been a high-value target since the war
began, and the Taliban has not been able to get their hands on our people
for pretty basic reasons," said retired Army Gen. John M. Keane, who has
advised commanders in the Afghanistan War.
Those reasons include: use of overwhelming force, quick-reaction rescue
teams, sophisticated intelligence and old-fashioned heroism.
Also, the Taliban lack sophisticated anti-aircraft systems. Vietnam War POWs
faced far superior Soviet-designed air defenses. The North Vietnamese were
able to capture U.S. ground combatants, albeit with a much larger and
organized land force, compared with the Taliban.
Still, the Afghan enemy, despite overrunning some posts and pinning down
Americans, has not scored a capture in battle.
The U.S. military has gone to school on how to win quickly, all but ruling
out the chance of capture. In Afghanistan, targeted compounds are attacked
with large forces. Intelligence systems blanket a site for days. Spy planes
watch the action and relay live video to commanders. Backup ground and air
units can arrive in minutes.
Nate Self, a highly decorated former Army Ranger officer, says another
factor is that commanders strictly judge the risks before sending troops
from forward operating bases, or "outside the wire."
Mr. Self is one of the war's first celebrated heroes: In 2002, he led a
quick-reaction Ranger unit onto a snow-covered mountaintop to rescue a Navy
SEAL who was on a mission to kill al Qaeda operatives. The SEAL had been
shot dead. Mr. Self's men ran into a hive of terrorists who engaged from all
sides during a 15-hour-long gun battle.
Mr. Self, who earned the Silver Star for valor and was a presidential guest
at a State of the Union Address, said air power helps prevent the capture of
any POWs.
"I think it was a combination of several factors," he said. "We had overhead
surveillance on the guys that were fighting there, even the ones who were
isolated. We absolutely had air power to our advantage, which helped to curb
the advances of the enemy and repel the enemy where needed. And we responded
very quickly with a reinforcing effort. Timing there was everything. The POW
possibility was very real in that battle."
By Epictetus
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