Operation Enduring Freedom Essay Example

Support and Special Forces. The UIF has become widely recognized as the new governing authority, although concerns about a recurrence of the chaos witnessed in 1992 persist. From 1996 to 2001, Afghanistan was under Taliban rule, also known as the "Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement," during a prolonged civil war. Despite having significant territorial control, the Taliban's policies included mistreating women and supporting terrorists, leading to their isolation from the international community. However, in December 2001, the US effectively ousted the Taliban from power.

Both the U.S. military and Afghan Northern Alliance had their own preferences for types of equipment in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S.

The U.S. and NATO forces favored advanced and complex weaponry and vehicles like the M16 rifle and M1126 Stryker ICV, which provided superior firepower, accuracy, and safety compared to the Taliban and Northern Alliance's weapons. However, this equipment was less reliable and sturdy. In contrast, the opposing groups preferred Soviet Union-developed equipment such as Ak-47, AK-74 rifles, and BMP Armored Personnel Carriers.

Again, in the desert climates of the Middle East, these were weaker and less advanced but more reliable. Moreover, there was a significant difference in tactics employed by the U. S.

Both the Allies and NATO primarily utilized conventional tactics, with the exception of their specialized special operations teams. However, the enemy heavily relied on unconventional warfare, giving the Taliban a significant advantage over the Allies in terms of tactics and strategy. Moreover, the training differed among the factions involved.

The Taliban and Northern Alliance forces lacked proper training, resembling more of militia groups rather than military forces. In contrast, the U.S. military was well prepared

and trained for various forms of warfare including desert and urban scenarios.

Despite its insufficient countering of the enemy's tactical advantage, it provided an advantage for them. Afghanistan and Iraq both played significant roles in Operation Enduring Freedom and the wider war. The engagement of American Special Forces with Taliban forces began in Afghanistan, where they received assistance from the Afghan Northern Alliance and from NATO countries.

During the initial months of the operation, a significant advancement was achieved by the combined efforts. With the support of the Northern Alliance and intelligence from civilians, Special Forces units from the United States and Canadian Armies conducted successful raids on Taliban camps. As a result, the opposition forces (OPFOR) in Afghanistan were nearly entirely driven out. Subsequently, Marine tank battalions led an assault into Iraq with the objective of reaching Baghdad, the capital. The strategists believed that capturing Baghdad would expedite the capture or elimination of Al Qaeda and Iraqi leaders, as well as the remaining enemy forces. Numerous leaders were captured, however, there was one issue with this plan: since the enemy did not possess a conventional organized military, they were not willing to surrender solely due to the loss of their leaders.

Despite NATO capturing many OPFOR leaders, the enemy in Iraq continues to fiercely battle against American soldiers, resorting to any possible tactics in an attempt to eliminate them.

The Philippines plays a crucial role in Operation Enduring Freedom, also referred to as Operation Freedom Eagle. In December 2001, it was renamed as Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines and became a part of the counter-terrorism effort. In January 2002, members of Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) were led by Brig.

Gen.

Donny Wurster was sent to the Philippines as part of Joint Task Force 510 (JTF 510) to assist Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines. More than 1,200 individuals from SOCPAC and its components collaborated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), led by Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, in combating terrorism in the country. The primary focus of the mission was Basilan Island in the southern region.

During Exercise Balikatan 02-1, forces were deployed for training purposes. It should be noted that this exercise is separate from the larger Balikatan 02-2 exercise, which took place in April 2002. Basilan, a stronghold of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, had instilled fear among its citizens and negatively impacted the economy. As part of this mission, 81 kilometers of road were constructed and improvements were made to an airfield and port facility. Additionally, fresh water wells were dug (source: Operations-Operation Enduring Freedom). Operation Enduring Freedom has made significant progress over the past eight years.

According to "iCasualties.org: Operation Enduring Freedom," the Coalition side has experienced 1463 KIA casualties, which is considered relatively low given the conflict's duration. However, there has been a yearly rise in fatalities caused by IEDs. In 2009 alone, there were 221 casualties attributed to this form of attack. Nevertheless, the ongoing operation in Iraq and Afghanistan aims to eradicate terrorism and will persist until its goal is accomplished.The following text provides a reference with and their contents:

Reference

1. http://icasualties.org/oef