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FORWARD OPERATING BASE APACHE, Afghanistan – On Dec. 17, 2013, an
American UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in Zabul province, killing six
service members and severely injuring one other. The Department of
Defense later acknowledged that the aircraft was brought down by
enemy forces. That night, the 2nd Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment of
3rd Brigade 1st Infantry Division Combined Task Force Duke reacted
swiftly and secured the crash site of the fallen heroes.
The Black Hawk crash occurred in the area of operations of
Combined Task Force Duke whose garrison station is located in Fort
Knox, Ky. The unit selected 2nd Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment,
also known as the “Ramrod” Battalion, to lead the effort to secure
the crash site. The Ramrods activated one of its companies, Charlie
Company “Comanche.”
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Command Sgt. Maj. John Morales of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Combined Task Force
Duke received an Army Commendation Medal for his actions during a
fallen angel rescue on Dec. 17, 2013. Morales currently serves as
the command sergeant major for 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment
Ramrods. He is a native of Kansas City, Kan.
(U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Marco Kilongkilong)
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The company at the time was not the quick reaction force but was
chosen as they would deploy into action with Afghan National Army
soldiers who would assist in securing the site. Charlie Company has
been deployed as part of the Security Force Assistance mission in
Afghanistan and has been conducting multiple operations with the
Afghan National Army (ANA), specifically the 2nd Brigade of 205th
Afghan National Army Corps.
This partnership proved invaluable
during this mission since the ANA unit was familiar with terrain and
the mountain where the crash occurred.
With the winter season in full effect at Zabul province, the
location of the crash site had reported below freezing temperatures.
The extreme cold temperatures were a major concern for leaders while
assembling the Ramrod Soldiers to secure the fallen aircraft.
“We didn't think; we reacted,” said Command Sgt. Maj. John
Morales. Command Sergeant Major of the Ramrod Battalion added,
“Security is a normal condition that our soldiers know how to do
right.”
The Ramrod Battalion command team deployed to the crash site
along with Comanche Company in the late afternoon of the 17th to act
as a command and control node. The Ramrod battalion deployed to two
locations to secure the crash site.
The first location was on a higher position overlooking the crash
site to provide an overwatch security. The second location provided
additional support to Special Forces elements already on the ground.
Due to this immediate response, several life-saving materials,
including extreme cold-weather gear, were air-lifted to the Ramrod
elements that secured the crash site.
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“First thing I thought was that this was a really serious
situation, and I needed to get my guys prepared as quickly
as possible,” stated Sgt. Jon Davis, a squad leader with the
platoon that participated in the rescue. “I had to inspect
my guys to make sure they had all the proper equipment to
execute the mission.”
The Air Rescue Force and
Special Forces that had been activated to rescue the fallen
heroes of the crash left hours after the crash. The Ramrod
element's mission was to secure the site until it could be
removed. For the Ramrods, that meant bearing the extreme
conditions over night. As darkness fell, the temperature
dropped significantly.
“I knew how cold it could get on top of the mountain
from previous deployments and previous air assault
(helicopter) missions,” stated Army Spc. Justin Necessary.
“I was not expecting it to be as cold as it was. That was
the coldest I have ever been my entire life.”
The
21-year-old Clifton, Texas native did not know that he was
about to be part of a life-saving critical mission to
retrieve extreme cold-weather equipment. An aircraft had
arrived and dropped the cold-weather equipment at a location
at the bottom of a mountainside near their location.
Morales, Davis, and Necessary fought the harsh conditions to
retrieve the cold-weather supplies.
“[Command]
Sergeant Major [Morales] came by and picked me and Necessary
up to go down to the valley to retrieve the cold weather
gear,” Davis of Dothan, Ala., said, “We were pretty
uncertain where we were going. It took a lot of searching to
actually find it at first. We knew it was going to be a long
walk down the mountain and back up too...but we knew our guys
needed the gear.”
The three Ramrod soldiers
eventually located the much needed supplies at the bottom of
the mountain, several feet from their observation post where
the rest of their comrades awaited. This speedball required
a two-man carry method through which one of the soldiers
rested in rotation. According to Davis, about halfway up the
mountain, they found a second package of much needed
supplies. That second speedball was picked up by Necessary
alone while Morales and Davis continued on with the first
speedball.
“We didn't realize how high this was,”
Morales noted. “We were 9,000 feet in elevation. We were
dragging the speedball (supply bag) 20 feet at a time before
we had to take breaks.”
The supplies had several gear
in it to include heating blankets, extreme cold-weather
jackets, additional water, gloves, facial gear, and other
life-preserving supplies under harsh wintry conditions.
“Before we were getting that cold weather gear, I wasn't
sure if I were going to make it that night,” stated
Necessary. “I was already getting pre-stages of
hyperthermia. My hands and toes were getting numb. My body
would shake uncontrollably. I was getting worried.”
Retrieval of the speedball package had taken a significant
effort from the three soldiers. However, in particular, when
the group had returned to the top of the mountain
overwatching the crash site, Necessary had dropped off the
supplies and then crawled into a ball. He began to shake
uncontrollably.
The platoon from Comanche Company
began helping their fellow soldier in need of warmth. His
platoon leader, 1st Lt. Kevin Collins, reacted quickly and
began clothing him in an extreme cold-weather jacket and
pants most commonly known to soldiers as the “marshmallow
suit” due to its large puffy form and color. Davis assisted
his St. Louis-born platoon leader to help Necessary. Collins
then placed the Texas native into a body bag filled with
marshmallow suits to raise his core temperature once again.
This quick reaction allowed him to ensure that Necessary
would not be a cold-weather casualty.
“At night, as
the temperatures dropped significantly,” stated Collins, “I
was more occupied with monitoring the condition of ISAF and
ANSF (Afghanistan National Security Forces) soldiers to
ensure there would be no cold-weather injuries.”
The
cold-weather gear was also used to help the Afghan National
Army soldiers on the mountain with the Ramrods, who both
endured the extreme freezing conditions.
Of note,
the Ramrod battalion was the only element that did not
receive a cold weather injury during the rescue and security
operations of the fallen aircraft.
“The guys knew
their mission, and they didn't know how long they would be
there,” Morales stated. “They didn't fail or falter at 9,000
feet or in 9-degree weather with minimal cold weather gear
allowed. They did it honorably. They facilitated Special
Forces and DART (Downed Aircraft Rescue Team) to do their
mission.”
Combined Task Force Duke received 12 Army
Commendation Awards. Of the twelve, six were from 2nd
Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment. The Ramrod soldiers
receiving awards were: Lt. Col. Eric Lopez, Collins,
Morales, Staff Sgt. Scottie Anuntak, Davis and Necessary.
Morales added, “Hopefully we will never do a mission
like that again; the guys know the importance of it.”
By U.S. Army 1st Lt. Marco Kilongkilong
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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