In early 2006, the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade deployed to Afg under Col. Mick Nicholson (who would return to the country as a 1-, 2-, and 4-star). There were a number of AQ operatives in eastern Afg, but the only one 10th Mountain knew of was Abu Ikhlas al-Masri. - ThreadSky

wesleymorgan.bsky.social • 21 days ago

In early 2006, the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade deployed to Afg under Col. Mick Nicholson (who would return to the country as a 1-, 2-, and 4-star).

There were a number of AQ operatives in eastern Afg, but the only one 10th Mountain knew of was Abu Ikhlas al-Masri.

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wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

Abu Ikhlas had been living in Kunar since the ‘80s and was more local militant advisor than terrorist. But CIA encouraged 10th MTN to expand into Kunar because the agency believed it would be good for cross-border intel collection.

Here are 10th MTN leaders with their CIA paramilitary liaison.

wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

In April 2006, Nicholson's 3/10 Mountain brigade launched Operation Mountain Lion, surrounding and pushing into the Korengal with three battalions: 1-32 Infantry, 1/3 Marines, and 3-71 Cavalry.

These photos show 1-32 heading up the neighboring Shuryak as Mountain Lion began:

wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

1-32 “Chosin” commander Lt. Col. Chris Cavoli (now 4-star SACEUR) oversaw his unit's ridgetop blocking positions from the Abbas Ghar between the Korengal and Shuryak while 1/3 moved in below.

Here is Cavoli during Mountain Lion, and some of the views 1-32 had as they called in mortars and artillery

wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

While Nicholson and the Marines moved into the Korengal Lumberyard to set up an outpost, some of Cavoli's 1-32 Infantry troops filled sandbags for ridge-top fighting positions, and others fanned out into mountainside villages and rock formations, looking for an enemy who was making himself scarce:

wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

The most violent event of Mountain Lion wasn’t a firefight, but an AC-130 strike that missed its target and killed 7 children, by Marine Lt. Jesse Wolfe’s count (he was horrified and now works civilian harm mitigation for DOD).

These photos are from a tense meeting in the next village over.

wesleymorgan.bsky.social•21 days ago

In early May, Gen. Abizaid visited the new lumberyard KOP, and 3/10 leaders held a shura with Korengali elders.

“We were sitting down with essentially the elders of the insurgency,” Nicholson told me. “But we didn’t know that at the time. We thought the population was being coerced by outsiders."

jkdemp.bsky.social•21 days ago

Guk!

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