Original subtitles

Narrator: DEEP IN AFGHANISTAN, \h\h\h\hA U.S. NAVY SEAL TEAM

\h\h\h\h\hHAS BEEN AMBUSHED AND IS NOW IN MORTAL DANGER.

THE TALIBAN CLAIM \hRESPONSIBILITY.

\h\h\h\hA RESCUE MISSION IS IMMEDIATELY LAUNCHED.

\h\hHELICOPTER RESCUE FROM A MOUNTAIN LEDGE

IS THE SEAL’S LAST HOPE.

\h\h\hMan: SHOW YOURSELF, THIS IS AIR FORCE RESCUE.

WE ARE HERE TO PICK YOU UP.

Second man: I WAS THINKING, \hWOW, THIS IS PRETTY SMALL.

ARE WE GOING TO LAND HERE?

\hThird man: I’M LIKE [beep] IF WE BUMP OVER 15, 10 FEET,

\h\h\h\h\hWHATEVER IT MAY BE, WE‘RE GOING TO HIT THAT WALL.

Narrator: A SPECIAL OPERATIONS \h\h\h\h\h\hRESCUE HELICOPTER

HAS JUST BEEN SHOT DOWN.

NOW IT’S UP TO THE U.S. \h\h\hAIR FORCE RESERVE

TO TAKE ON THE MISSION.

Third man: I TOLD THE GUYS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE BACK,

I’M LIKE IF YOU GUYS \hARE PRAYING GUYS,

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRAY NOW.

\hNarrator: TO SUCCEED, THEY’LL HAVE TO CONFRONT

A HELICOPTER PILOT‘S \h\hWORST NIGHTMARE.

Narrator: HIGH ABOVE \hTHE GULF OF MEXICO

\h\hA U.S. AIR FORCE PAVE HAWK HELICOPTER

IS LOW ON GAS.

[RADIO CHATTER]

\hTHESE VOLUNTEER PILOTS ARE WITH THE 920th RESCUE WING--

THE ONLY RESERVE RESCUE WING \h\h\hIN THE U.S. AIR FORCE.

THEY’RE REHEARSING THE DELICATE ART OF IN-AIR REFUELING.

IT’S A VITAL SKILL THEY’LL NEED

TO FLY COMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSIONS IN AFGHANISTAN.

\h\h\h\hSkinny: I CAME IN THE AIR FORCE 23 YEARS AGO

TO BE A RESCUE HELICOPTER PILOT.

\h\hTHAT‘S BEEN A DREAM OF MINE EVEN SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

\h\h\h\h\hEVERYBODY HAS THEIR CHOOSING IN LIFE,

AND THAT’S JUST SOMETHING \h\h\hTHAT I WANTED TO DO.

Narrator: TODAY JEFF MACRANDER \h\hIS COMMANDER OF OPERATIONS

OF THIS UNIQUE AVIATION UNIT.

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR

THEY FLY ACTIVE DUTY \h\h\hIN WAR ZONES,

BEFORE MANY OF THEM RETURN \hTO THEIR CIVILIAN JOBS.

\h\h\hIN THE SUMMER OF 2005, TWO HELICOPTER CREWS FROM THE 920th

\h\h\h\h\hARE NEARING THE END OF THEIR TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN.

Spanky: WE’D HAVE MAYBE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA COUPLE,

TWO, THREE-DAY TURNOVER \h\h\hAND THEN BE HOME,

AND WE ALREADY HAD PLANS FOR THE 4th OF JULY AND PARTIES,

\h\hAND UNFORTUNATELY NONE OF THAT HAPPENED.

\h\h\h\hSkinny: OF COURSE ALL GOOD WAR STORIES START

WITH "THERE I WAS..."

SO THERE I WAS GETTING READY \h\h\h\h\hTO TAKE A SHOWER,

\h\h\h\h\hAND MY ROOMMATE COMES RUNNING IN AND SAYS,

"HEY, THE RADIO JUST WENT OFF,

AND THEY WANT YOU TO REPORT TO OPS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hRIGHT NOW, WITH A THREE-DAY BAG!"

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THIS THREE-DAY OPERATION

WILL BE A DAUNTING CHALLENGE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY ARE TO LOCATE A COVERT FOUR-MAN NAVY SEAL TEAM

HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS \h\hOF THE HINDU KUSH.

\h\h\h\hWHILE ATTEMPTING TO KILL A HIGH-RANKING AL-QAEDA LEADER,

\hTHE SEALS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A TALIBAN COUNTERATTACK.

[GUNFIRE]

\h\hFINDING THEMSELVES COMPLETELY SURROUNDED,

THEY CALL FOR HELP.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE TALIBAN CLAIM TO HAVE RECORDED THE ATTACK,

AND THIS WAS BROADCAST \h\h\h\h\hON THE NEWS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA CHINOOK, PACKED WITH SPECIAL OPERATIONS TROOPS,

SETS OFF TO EXTRACT THEM \h\h\hIN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

JUST AS THE HELICOPTER \hMAKES ITS APPROACH,

A ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE

\h\hBURSTS THROUGH THE OPEN REAR DOOR

EXPLODING THE FUEL TANKS.

ALL 16 ON BOARD ARE KILLED.

IT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST LOSS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF AMERICAN LIFE

IN THE AFGHANISTAN WAR.

REELING FROM THIS DEVASTATING \hBLOW TO THEIR RESCUE EFFORT,

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

\h\h\hTURN TO THE RESERVISTS OF THE 920th RESCUE WING FOR HELP.

Skinny: THEY’RE A COMMUNITY, \h\h\hA VERY PROUD COMMUNITY

THAT DOESN‘T LIKE TO ASK FOR HELP FROM OUTSIDERS.

AND SO THE INITIAL RECEPTION \h\h\hWAS A LITTLE BIT COLD.

\h\hSpanky: I THINK THAT THEY DEFINITELY LOOKED DOWN ON US,

\h\hQUESTIONED OUR TRAINING, OUR CREWS, OUR CAPABILITIES.

Narrator: BUT SKINNY \h\h\hCONVINCES THEM

THE RESERVISTS CAN DO THE JOB.

Skinny: OUR CONFIDENCE WAS HIGH

THAT IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY THERE AND THEY WERE ALIVE,

WE WERE GOING TO FIND THEM.

Narrator: SKINNY WILL BE LEADING HIS MEN INTO THE SAME VALLEY

\h\hWHERE THE TALIBAN SHOT DOWN THE CHINOOK.

\h\h\h\hBUT INSTEAD OF THE LUMBERING CHINOOK,

SKINNY’S CREWS WILL BE FLYING

ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED \h\hHELICOPTERS IN THE WORLD--

\h\h\h\hA TONED-UP VERSION OF THE FAMOUS BLACK HAWK.

Skinny: WE CALL IT A PAVE HAWK.

\hNarrator: THE PAVE HAWK IS A RESCUE PILOT‘S DREAM.

Spanky: THIS IS OUR \h\hHYDRAULIC HOIST

THAT HAS 200 FEET OF CABLE.

\h\hNarrator: USING ITS IN-AIR REFUELING PROBE,

THE PAVE HAWK PILOTS CAN FLY \h\h\hNONSTOP FOR 14 HOURS.

Spanky: ANOTHER GREAT THING \h\h\h\h\hABOUT THE AIRCRAFT

\h\hIS THIS FLIR TURRET AND COLOR WEATHER RADAR.

Narrator: ITS INFRARED CAMERA \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND COLOR RADAR

\h\h\h\h\hENABLE IT TO FLY IN VIRTUALLY ANY WEATHER--

DAY OR NIGHT.

AND IT HAS ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSES INCLUDING CHAFF AND FLARES.

Spanky: IT’S A VERY AWESOME \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHELICOPTER.

Skinny: I LIKE TO THINK RESCUE

REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST \h\hSPECIALIZED OPERATIONS

IN THE AIR FORCE.

I MEAN, BASED ON OUR TRAINING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND OUR TACTICS

AND THAT KIND OF THING.

\h\h\hWE ALWAYS LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS SPECIAL, TOO.

Narrator: EACH RESCUE HELICOPTER TRAINS WITH A CREW OF SIX--

TWO PILOTS, A FLIGHT ENGINEER, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA GUNNER,

AND TWO PARA-RESCUEMEN \h\h\h\h\hIN THE BACK.

THE PARA-RESCUEMEN, OR PJs, \h\h\h\hARE ELITE GRADUATES

OF THE SO-CALLED SUPERMAN SCHOOL.

\h\h\hChecky: WE’RE USED TO THE EXCITING THINGS--

\h\h\hJUMPING OUT OF AIRPLANES AND SCUBA DIVING AND SHOOTING

AND RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE NIGHT

AND JUST DOING WILD THINGS.

Narrator: PJs ARE AMONG THE MOST HIGHLY TRAINED

EMERGENCY TRAUMA SPECIALISTS \h\h\hIN THE U.S. MILITARY.

\h\hIT’S THE PJs WHO WILL BE FIRST OUT OF THE HELICOPTER

\hWHEN THEY REACH THE LANDING ZONE.

SHORTLY BEFORE NIGHTFALL \h\h\hSKINNY’S TWO CREWS

SET OFF FOR THEIR SEARCH \h\h\hFOR THE SEAL TEAM,

\h\h\h\hBUT THEY HAVE LIMITED INFORMATION ON WHERE TO LOOK.

THIS DANGEROUS MISSION WILL TEST THEIR SKILLS TO THE LIMIT.

COMBAT RESCUE MISSIONS \hARE PREFERABLY FLOWN

UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS.

BY HUGGING THE GROUND AT NIGHT-- IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

\h\h\hFOR THE ENEMY TO SEE OR HEAR THEM APPROACHING.

TO ENABLE THE PILOTS TO SEE IN THE DARK,

THEY WEAR NIGHT VISION GOGGLES.

THESE IMAGE INTENSIFIERS

AMPLIFY THE AVAILABLE LIGHT FROM THE MOON AND THE STARS

\h\h\h\h\hBY UP TO 5,000 TIMES ONTO A GREEN PHOSPHOR SCREEN.

THE HUMAN EYE CAN DISTINGUISH \h\h\h\h\hMORE SHADES OF GREEN

THAN ANY OTHER COLOR.

Spanky: WITH THE GOGGLES \hON THE HELMET AND IN,

\h\hI’M GOING TO GET THE DIOPTER SETTING.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED FLYING \hGOGGLES IN PILOT TRAINING,

IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT \h\h\h\hTO TRY TO LOOK

THROUGH WHAT I ENVISIONED \h\hAS TOILET PAPER TUBES.

YOU HAVE ZERO PERIPHERAL VISION,

YOU CONSTANTLY GOT TO KEEP \h\hYOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL.

IT JUST WAS DIFFICULT.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY’RE OUT \h\h\h\hAWAY FROM MY EYES...

\h\h\h\hBUT OVER TIME AS YOU GOT MORE AND MORE GOGGLE EXPERIENCE,

IT STARTS BECOMING \h\hSECOND NATURE,

\h\h\h\h\hAND NOW, OF COURSE, WE DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

Narrator: IF IT’S CLOUDY \h\h\h\h\h\hOR OVERCAST,

\h\hTHEY CAN ALSO USE THEIR INFRARED CAMERA

TO NAVIGATE THE MOUNTAIN PASSES AT NIGHT.

IT DETECTS HEAT--

\hEVEN WHEN THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LIGHT.

\hHAVING BEEN BAKED ALL DAY BY THE SUN,

\h\h\h\hTHE GROUND REGISTERS AS A GLOWING IMAGE IN THE COCKPIT.

EIGHT HOURS INTO THEIR SEARCH,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHIGH UP IN THE HINDU KUSH MOUNTAINS,

THE RESCUERS ARE STILL LOOKING AND LISTENING

FOR ANY SIGNAL THAT COULD \h\hLOCATE THE SEAL TEAM.

Gonzo: YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR \h\h\h\hTHE RADIO KEYING.

\h\hYOU’RE LIKE, OH, THEY‘VE RIGHT HERE.

THEY GOT TO BE CLOSE BY.

\hBUT IT‘S JUST FINDING A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.

\hTHOSE MOUNTAINS WERE 6, 7, 8,000 FEET HIGH

AND A LOT OF AREA TO COVER.

Narrator: THEY FLY AS CLOSE AS THEY DARE TO THE MOUNTAINSIDE.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE FAINT CLICKING ON THE EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES

SUGGESTS SOMEONE DOWN THERE \hIS TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT.

\h\hSpanky: I CAN REMEMBER JUST PLEADING IN MY MIND,

"PLEASE, PLEASE," AND WE WERE EVEN DOING IT OVER THE RADIOS,

"PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN, SHOW YOURSELF, DO ANYTHING,

\hBECAUSE THIS IS AIR FORCE RESCUE,

WE ARE HERE TO PICK YOU UP."

Narrator: ANXIOUS AS THEY ARE \h\h\h\h\hTO FIND THEIR GUYS,

THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE WARY \h\h\h\h\hOF ENEMY ATTACK.

Skinny: WE WERE VERY CONCERNED

ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD CALL \h\h\h\h\h\hA SAR-TRAP,

WHERE THE BAD GUYS NOW MAYBE \h\hHAVE CAPTURED THESE GUYS

\h\h\hAND THEY’RE USING THEIR SIGNALING DEVICES

TO LURE THE HELICOPTERS IN \h\h\hTO SHOOT THEM DOWN.

\h\hAND THEY’D OBVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED AN ABILITY

TO SHOOT DOWN U.S. HELICOPTERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THAT AREA,

BECAUSE WE WERE SEARCHING \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SAME AREA

WHERE THEY HAD JUST SHOT DOWN \h\h\h\h\h\hA U.S. HELICOPTER.

\h\hNarrator: DESPITE FEARS OF BEING LURED INTO A TRAP,

\h\h\hTHEY DO NOT WANT TO ABANDON THE SEARCH.

THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY DON’T FIND THE MISSING SEAL SOON,

THE TALIBAN SURELY WILL.

IT’S BEEN TWO LONG NIGHTS

\h\h\h\h\hFOR THE COMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWS.

AFTER HOURS OF SEARCHING,

THEY HAVE STILL HAVE MADE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNO CONTACT

WITH THE MISSING SEAL TEAM.

THEY RETURN TO BASE

BEFORE SUNRISE TAKES AWAY \hTHEIR COVER OF DARKNESS.

\h\hSHORTLY AFTER DAWN, THERE‘S A BREAKTHROUGH.

Man: STOP RIGHT THERE.

Narrator: AN OLD MAN ARRIVES \h\hAT A REMOTE MARINE BASE

WITH A HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE \h\h\h\hFROM A NAVY SEAL.

\h\hTHE SEAL‘S NAME IS MARCUS LUTTRELL.

\h\h\hHE CONFIRMS THE CLAIM MADE IN THE TALIBAN VIDEO--

\h\h\h\h\hTHE REST OF HIS UNIT HAS BEEN KILLED IN THE AMBUSH.

HE IS THE SOLE SURVIVOR, AND HE‘S BADLY WOUNDED.

THE OLD MAN’S VILLAGE HAS GIVEN HIM SHELTER,

\h\hBUT THE TALIBAN HAVE IT SURROUNDED.

\h\h\h\hWITHIN HOURS THE HELICOPTER CREWS

\hHAVE A SATELLITE PHOTO OF THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

WHERE LUTTRELL IS HIDING.

NOW SKINNY MUST DEVISE \h\h\h\hA RESCUE PLAN.

FIRST TO PICK UP LUTTRELL,

THEN TO RECOVER THE BODIES \hOF HIS FALLEN COMRADES.

\h\h\hSkinny: AS A FLIGHT LEAD, YOU FEEL A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY

BECAUSE ALL THESE GUYS \h\h\h\hARE YOUR GUYS,

AND IT’S YOUR JOB TO GET THEM IN AND GET THEM OUT

SO THEY CAN GET BACK \hTO THEIR FAMILIES.

\h\h\hAND IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS,

WHERE YOU KIND OF STAND THERE \h\h\h\h\h\hAND SAY A PRAYER,

IT’S LIKE "O LORD, PLEASE DON’T LET ME SCREW THIS UP."

Narrator: THIS IS THE MOMENT

EVERY COMBAT RESCUE PILOT \h\h\h\h\hDREAMS ABOUT...

YET DREADS.

IT’S WHEN THEY HAVE TO \h\h\hPUT TO THE TEST

THEIR YEARS OF TRAINING.

\h\hON COMBAT MISSIONS THEIR TACTIC IS TO USE

\h\h\hTWO HELICOPTERS TO PROTECT EACH OTHER.

FLYING INTO A DANGEROUS \hLANDING ZONE--OR LZ--

\h\h\h\hIS A SKILL THEY PRACTICE BACK HOME IN THE ARIZONA DESERT.

Skinny: MOST OF OUR TRAINING

\hIS TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO AND OUT OF AN LZ,

ONE, AS FAST AS WE CAN,

AND TWO, HAVING TACTICS WHERE \h\h\hWE CAN COVER EACH OTHER.

Narrator: THE LEAD AIRCRAFT MAKES A FAST LOW-LEVEL PASS

OVER THE LANDING ZONE \hTO DRAW ENEMY FIRE.

IT THEN PULLS UP HARD AND HIGH,

LEAVING THE SECOND AIRCRAFT \hTO SLIP IN FOR THE PICKUP.

Man: LZ IN SIGHT.

HAVE VISUAL.

PILOT HAS CONTROL.

Narrator: A CRUCIAL PART \h\h\h\hOF THE TRAINING

\h\h\hIS LANDING ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN--

ROCKY SLOPES THAT COULD EASILY \h\h\h\h\h\hLEAD TO DISASTER.

\h\h\hTHE CREW HELPS GUIDE THE PILOT IN,

RELAYING EVERY OBSTACLE \h\h\h\h\h\hAND DANGER.

Cusick: IF YOU DO THAT

IN A SMOOTH, COORDINATED, \h\h\h\h\hRELAXED MANNER,

\h\hWE ALL WORK TOGETHER SO WE KNOW HOW WE THINK.

AND IF YOU HEAR A PERSON’S VOICE START TO GET A LITTLE SHRILL,

YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE, \hWHAT THE PROBLEM IS,

THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Man: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Man: THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWE CAN GO

DUE TO TERRAIN AND WINDS.

HOW’S MY COUNT?

Narrator: THESE MANEUVERS \h\h\hARE DIFFICULT ENOUGH

IN ARIZONA IN DAYLIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT FLYING INTO THE AFGHAN MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT--

THEY’RE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS--

PARTICULARLY WITH THE TALIBAN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLYING IN WAIT

\h\h\hTO SHOOT DOWN ANOTHER HELICOPTER.

ON THIS MISSION, SKINNY DECIDES HE’LL GO FIRST

IN THE LEAD HELICOPTER

\h\hAND DROP A GLOW STICK TO MARK THE LANDING ZONE--

THEN FLY OFF TO DRAW AWAY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hENEMY FIRE.

SPANKY LEARNS THAT HE’LL BE \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ONE LANDING

TO PICK UP THE NAVY SEAL--

IN A VILLAGE SURROUNDED \h\h\h\hBY THE TALIBAN.

Spanky: AND THAT‘S WHEN \h\h\h\h\hMY HEART SANK.

MY COMFORT LEVEL SHIFTED, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIF YOU WILL.

NOW I FRANTICALLY STARTED \h\hPAYING MORE ATTENTION

TO THE BRIEF,

\h\h\hLOOKING HARDER AT THE LANDING ZONE.

WE COULDN‘T REALLY \hTELL THE ANGLE.

WE DIDN’T REALLY UNDERSTAND

THE SHEER STEEPNESS \h\hOF THE TERRAIN.

YOU START THINKING ABOUT YOUR FAMILY,

\h\h\hABOUT MY FOUR LITTLE BOYS AT HOME

AND MY WONDERFUL WIFE

AND JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, \h\hIF NOT JUST FOR THEM,

DON‘T SCREW UP.

\h\h\hChecky: NOW I KNOW THE ROUTE WE’RE TAKING,

\h\h\hI REALIZE WHERE WE’RE FLYING THROUGH.

WE’RE FLYING IN THE SAME AREA, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SAME VALLEY,

THAT THE CHINOOK HAD JUST \hRECENTLY BEEN SHOT DOWN.

AND WHAT I FOUND OUT \h\h\hAGAIN THAT DAY

WAS THAT IT’S WITHIN \h\hABOUT TWO MILES

\h\hFROM THE LOCATION WHERE WE WATCHED A GUY IN THE MOUNTAIN

SHOOT AN RPG AT OUR AIRCRAFT,

\h\hAND IT ACTUALLY WENT BETWEEN THE LEAD AND THE TRAIL AIRCRAFT.

\h\h\h\hSO THE RPG WENT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR TWO AIRCRAFT,

AND I’M THINKING TO MYSELF, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAIT A MINUTE,

THEY’VE SHOT AT US ONCE,

\h\h\h\hTHE NEXT TIME THEY SHOT AT SOMEBODY THEY SHOT THEM DOWN,

\h\hAND WE‘RE FLYING BACK INTO THAT EXACT SAME AREA.

I GUESS IT BECAME REAL \h\h\h\hAT THAT POINT.

Narrator: THIS TIME \h\hTHE U.S. COMMAND

IS LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE...

\h\h\hONE OF THE BIGGEST COMBAT RESCUE OPERATIONS

EVER MOUNTED IN THE WAR \h\h\h\h\h\hIS UNDERWAY.

\h\h\h\hTHEIR MISSION-- TO RESCUE THE NAVY SEAL

AND RETRIEVE THE BODIES OF HIS FALLEN COMRADES.

ON THE GROUND, ARMY RANGERS \hCREEP TOWARD THEIR TARGET.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE SKY APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

AND A-10 WARTHOGS

\h\h\h\h\hWILL TARGET THE TALIBAN POSITIONS.

A GIANT REFUELING AIRCRAFT \h\h\hWILL PROVIDE BACKUP.

AND FLYING HIGH ABOVE \hTHE WHOLE OPERATION,

A SPECTRE GUNSHIP.

AT THE MOMENT OF RESCUE,

THIS WILL ILLUMINATE \h\hTHE LANDING ZONE

WITH A NIGHT SUN,

\hA GIANT INFRARED SPOTLIGHT INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE,

\h\h\h\hBUT CLEAR TO EVERYONE WEARING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES.

WITH SO MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED,

\h\h\hRADIO CHATTER CROWDS THE AIRWAVES.

Spanky: THE INTENSITY \h\h\h\h\hOF THE CALLS

GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER \h\h\h\h\hAND QUICKER

UNTIL IT WAS AT TIMES SOME GUYS SEEMED LIKE

WERE SCREAMING ON THE RADIO.

\h\hJosh: IT’S VERY TEMPTING JUST TO PULL OUT THE RADIOS,

BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO KEEP \h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOUR EARS OPEN.

IT IS JUST CONSTANT CHATTER,

\hIT’S HARD ENOUGH TO HEAR YOUR CREW,

LET ALONE ASSETS THAT AREN‘T EVEN ON THE SAME CONTINENT.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE STATUS--

WHAT‘S THE STATUS? WHAT‘S THE STATUS?

\hNarrator: AS THE PAVE HAWKS SPEED ON TO THEIR DESTINATION,

ONE CALL PENETRATES \hTHE RADIO CHATTER:

\h\h\h\hA NEW LOCATION FOR THE PICKUP POINT.

JP: THE COORDINATES \h\hFOR THE SURVIVOR

HAVE CHANGED BY TWO KILOMETERS.

Narrator: IN THIS STEEP \h\h\hMOUNTAIN TERRAIN,

A DIFFERENCE OF A MILE

COULD MEAN LANDING ON A VALLEY FLOOR

OR ON THE FACE OF A CLIFF.

Gonzo: THAT SPARKED A LITTLE \h\h\h\hHELMET FIRE FOR ME.

WE’RE INBOUND, WE’RE FREAKIN’ THREE MINUTES OUT FROM THE LZ,

\hAND I’M LIKE, I DON‘T NEED A GRID COORDINATE RIGHT NOW.

\h\h\hI CAN’T FOCUS INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT

AND PUT THAT IN FAST ENOUGH.

Narrator: AS THEY SCRAMBLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO ADJUST,

THEY REALIZE THE NEW LOCATION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAKES NO SENSE.

JP: I COULDN‘T TELL \h\hANY DIFFERENCE.

THERE’S NO DIFFERENCE \h\h\h\h\hIN DISTANCE,

THERE’S NO DIFFERENCE IN TIME,

\h\h\hAND AT THIS POINT, EVEN WITH MY HELMET ON,

\h\h\h\h\hI‘M SURE I WAS PULLING WHAT LITTLE HAIR I HAD LEFT OUT.

Narrator: FINALLY, \h\hTHEY REALIZE--

SOMEONE AT COMMAND HAS ADDED \h\h\hAN EXTRA DECIMAL PLACE

ON THE END OF THE COORDINATES,

ALMOST JEOPARDIZING THE MISSION.

\h\h\h\hJP: IT TURNS OUT DUE TO A MISAPPREHENSION

OF WHAT THE SCALE \h\h\hOF THE MAPS

AND THE COORDINATE FORMAT \h\hTHAT THEY WERE USING,

THE ACTUAL OBJECTIVE \h\h\hDID NOT CHANGE

THE TWO KILOMETERS THAT WE WERE TOLD,

\hIT CHANGED PRECISELY TWO METERS ON THE MAP.

Narrator: NOW SKINNY AND SPANKY MAKE THEIR FINAL APPROACH.

\h\h\h\hTHEY TURN OFF THE MAIN RIVER VALLEY

AND BEGIN A STEEP ASCENT.

THE MOON ISN‘T UP YET,

AND CLOUDS SHROUDING \h\h\hTHE MOUNTAINS

ARE BLOCKING WHAT LITTLE LIGHT \h\h\hTHERE IS FROM THE STARS.

Spanky: ONCE WE TURNED \h\h\h\hUP THE CANYON,

IT SEEMED TO GET DARKER.

THERE WAS NOT VERY MUCH \h\hILLUMINATION AT ALL.

OUR GOGGLES WERE BASICALLY \h\h\hALMOST SHUTTING DOWN

BECAUSE OF THAT.

Narrator: NOW TO SEE IN THE DARK

\h\h\h\hTHEY HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR INFRARED CAMERA.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE SMALL SCREEN DISPLAYS THE RESIDUAL HEAT

FROM THE MOUNTAIN ROCKS--

OUTLINING THE HORIZON AHEAD.

Skinny: WE PRETTY MUCH WERE \h\h\h\hHUGGING THE TERRAIN.

\hWE‘RE CLIMBING NOW BECAUSE WE’D BEEN IN A RIVER VALLEY.

\h\hWE’RE TRYING TO CLIMB UP TO THE ELEVATION WHERE THE LZ WAS.

AND SO WE’RE CLIMBING UP

\h\h\hAND TRYING TO FOLLOW THE CONTOURS BEST WE CAN,

AND IT’S ALL ON MY SIDE,

\h\hSO THE MOUNTAINS ARE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Spanky: BUT THEN AS WE GOT CLOSER

WE STARTED SEEING, IT SEEMED \h\hAT FIRST LIKE LIGHTNING.

BUT WE SOON REALIZED \h\hIT WASN‘T THAT.

Narrator: THE LIGHTNING \h\hIS ACTUALLY GUNFIRE

FROM AMERICAN FORCES.

Skinny: THEY’RE COVERING THE SOUND OF OUR ROTORS

\hWITH LARGE GUNFIRE, U.S. FRIENDLY GUNFIRE.

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ROUNDS IMPACTING THE RIDGE, YOU KNOW,

\h\hABOUT A MILE OFF FROM WHERE WE WERE.

Man on radio: LEFT SIDE.

Narrator: BELOW THEM \h\h\hA BATTLE RAGES

BETWEEN U.S. FORCES \h\hAND THE TALIBAN.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE VALLEY IS ALIVE WITH INFRARED MARKER STROBES.

THESE BRIGHT PULSES \h\hARE ONLY VISIBLE

WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES.

THIS IS HOW EVERY RANGER \h\h\h\h\hON THE GROUND

AND AMERICAN AIRCRAFT IN THE SKY

IDENTIFIES THEMSELVES.

\hSpanky: EVERYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND

IS TURNING ON THEIR STROBE LIGHT

AND SAYING HEY, I‘M A FRIENDLY, DON‘T SHOOT OVER HERE.

\hJosh: AN IR STROBE LOOKS A LOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, MUZZLE FLASHES.

\hIT’S REALLY HARD TO KEEP YOUR CALM

AND NOT BE TRIGGER HAPPY.

Narrator: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BEING HIT BY ENEMY FIRE,

THEY BEGIN EVASIVE MANEUVERS, \h\h\h\h\hYANKING AND BANKING

THROUGH THE TWISTS AND TURNS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE VALLEY.

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY ARE ENTERING A DANGEROUSLY HOT WAR ZONE.

Spanky: THIS IS REALLY BAD.

IT’S SCARY DARK,

BUT AT LEAST THE LANDING ZONE \hIS GOING TO BE ILLUMINATED.

Narrator: BUT THERE’S NO SIGN

\h\h\hOF THE SPOTLIGHT SPANKY IS EXPECTING--

\h\h\hTHE INFRARED NIGHT SUN ON BOARD THE SPECTRE GUNSHIP

CANNOT BURN THROUGH \h\hTHE CLOUD LAYER

TO ILLUMINATE THE LANDING ZONE.

Spanky: I REMEMBER THE GUNSHIP \h\h\h\hVERY LOUDLY SCREAMING,

"HALOS, NEGATIVE BURN, \h\h\hNEGATIVE BURN."

Narrator: THE HELICOPTER’S \h\h\h\h\h\h\hLANDING ZONE

IS SHROUDED IN TOTAL DARKNESS.

THEN A LUCKY BREAK.

FLYING MUCH LOWER, A-10 WARTHOGS

\h\h\h\hARE ATTACKING THE TALIBAN POSITIONS.

ONE WARTHOG PILOT SPOTS \h\hA GAP IN THE CLOUDS

AND WITH SPLIT-SECOND TIMING

PINPOINTS THE LANDING ZONE WITH HIS TARGETING LASER.

Spanky: IT’S JUST \hA BEAM OF LIGHT

EXACTLY WHERE I NEEDED TO LAND.

Gonzo: IT WAS LIKE THE FINGER OF GOD.

LIKE, AH, THERE‘S THE LZ.

\hTHAT’S HOW WE GOT A REALLY GOOD SIGHT

OF WHAT THE LZ LOOKED LIKE.

Narrator: THIS LANDING ZONE \h\h\h\h\h\hIS A TINY SHELF

HACKED FROM THE SIDE \h\h\hOF A MOUNTAIN.

Checky: TO BE HONEST, \h\h\hIT WAS KIND OF,

IT WAS THE SIZE OF AN LZ

\h\hTHAT I DON’T THINK PILOTS WOULD EVEN LAND IN THE DAYTIME

IF THEY REALLY HAD THE CHANCE.

\h\hI MEAN, I WAS THINKING, "WOW, THIS IS PRETTY SMALL.

ARE WE GONNA LAND HERE?‘

\hNarrator: FLIGHT LEADER SKINNY PREPARES TO DROP THE GLOW STICK

THAT WILL MARK THE SPOT

WHERE SPANKY IS SUPPOSED TO LAND IN THE SECOND HELICOPTER.

SKINNY SCORES A BULL’S-EYE \h\h\hWITH THE GLOW STICK,

AND JUST AS PLANNED, HE BANKS \h\h\hAWAY TO DRAW ENEMY FIRE.

IF THE TALIBAN TAKE THE BAIT, \hTHE PATH SHOULD NOW BE CLEAR

FOR SPANKY‘S HELICOPTER \h\hTO MAKE THE PICKUP.

\h\h\hMan: LZ IS STARTING TO COME INTO VIEW THERE...

POWER IS GOOD.

\hChecky: I NEVER GOT THE SENSE IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT TRICKY.

I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA BIT HAIRY.

\hNarrator: AS COMMANDER, SPANKY TAKES THE CONTROLS

FOR THE FINAL APPROACH.

Spanky: I REMEMBER DAVE GONZALES

\h\h\hHAD HIS HANDS UP ON THE THROTTLES

\h\h\h\hIN ORDER TO GO TO EMERGENCY LOCKOUT.

TO GIVE US MORE POWER IF THAT WAS THE CASE.

Man: LOOKING GOOD, CREW.

\h\h2,000 POUNDS... POWER’S GOOD, 65...

Spanky: SETTING UP \hFOR THE LANDING,

I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT‘S ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK.

AND THEN IT ALL WENT SOUTH \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN A HURRY.

Checky: YOU CAN FEEL \hTHE PITCH CHANGE,

YOU CAN FEEL THE PITCH \h\h\hIN THE BLADES...

YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINES.

EVEN THOUGH MY ADRENALIN \h\h\h\hHAD BEEN GOING,

MY HEART STARTED BEATING \h\h\hA LITTLE BIT MORE.

\hIT WAS LIKE "OK, OK, HERE WE ARE. LET’S JUST STAY FOCUSED."

\h\h\hGonzo: YOU KNOW, ALL UP TO THAT POINT, ALL THE WAY UP

\h\h\h\hTO WHERE WE WERE 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND

EVERYTHING WAS NICE AND CALM.

Checky: AND THEN BROWNOUT.

Narrator: IN THE LAST SECONDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE APPROACH,

THE DOWNWASH OF THE ROTORS

WHIPS UP A BLINDING CLOUD \h\h\h\h\hOF DESERT DUST.

Spanky: AND THAT’S PROBABLY

A HELICOPTER PILOT‘S \h\hWORST NIGHTMARE.

\hUP IN THE MOUNTAINS, ON A VERY DARK NIGHT,

IN A VERY TIGHT, CONFINED SPACE.

BROWNING OUT AND NOW LOSING \h\h\hALL VISUAL REFERENCES.

Checky: NOW I CAN NO LONGER SEE THE STROBE LIGHTS ON THE LZ,

\h\h\h\h\hAND IF I CAN’T SEE THE STROBE LIGHTS ON THE LZ,

\h\h\h\hTHE PILOTS CAN’T SEE THE STROBE LIGHTS ON THE LZ,

AND THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM.

Spanky: WE’VE GOT INSTRUMENTS TO KIND OF TELL US OUR DRIFT,

BUT IT’S JUST WE CAN’T FLY \h\hWITH OUR EYES CLOSED,

\h\h\h\h\hAND IT FEELS LIKE YOU‘VE GOT YOUR EYES CLOSED.

\h\hIF I WAS DRIFTING AND TRIED TO BRING IT DOWN ON THE GROUND,

MY TIRES WOULD HIT,

AND I WOULD INEVITABLY, \hMOST LIKELY ROLL OVER.

Narrator: IN A BROWNOUT \h\h\hIT’S HARD TO TELL

\h\hWHETHER THE HELICOPTER IS DRIFTING LEFT OR RIGHT.

A PILOT LANDING BLIND \hON AN UNEVEN SURFACE

RISKS ROLLING OVER.

\h\hTHE FIRST WHEEL TO TOUCH THE GROUND

BECOMES A TIPPING POINT--

THAT CAN TRIGGER DISASTER.

\h\h\h\hSpanky: IT’S VERY EASY FOR THE HELICOPTER TO CONTINUE

AND PIVOT ON THAT POINT, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hROLL OVER,

AND BLADES HIT THE GROUND AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE.

\hNarrator: AS THEY BRACE THEMSELVES FOR TOUCHDOWN,

SPANKY’S CREW ARE ALL \h\hON MAXIMUM ALERT.

\hGonzo: I REMEMBER LOOKING TO MY LEFT,

AND I COULD SEE A WALL \h\hFROM THE MOUNTAIN,

AND I JUST SAW THAT, AND I’M LIKE [beep]

IF WE BUMP OVER 15, 10 FEET, \h\h\h\hWHATEVER IT MAY BE,

WE‘RE GOING TO HIT THAT WALL.

AND THEN SPANKY SAW ON HIS SIDE A 1,500, 2,000-FOOT DROP-OFF.

Narrator: ON A NARROW LEDGE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN A BROWNOUT

THERE‘S LITTLE ROOM \h\h\h\h\hFOR ERROR.

Spanky: I STARTED DRIFTING \h\h\h\hUNFORTUNATELY LEFT

TOWARDS THE ROCK FACE,

WHERE MY ROTORS WOULD HIT, \h\hAND INEVITABLY CRASH.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN WE‘D HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS.

Gonzo: I TOLD THE GUYS \h\h\h\h\hIN THE BACK,

I’M LIKE, IF YOU GUYS \h\hARE PRAYING GUYS,

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRAY NOW.

Checky: BEING IN THE BUSINESS \h\h\h\h\h\hAS LONG AS I HAVE,

I KNOW THAT HELICOPTER CRASHES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE NASTY,

AND THERE’S ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO KIND OF MAYBE SAVE YOURSELF

AND IT’S LAY DOWN.

SO AT THAT POINT

I FIGURED WE‘RE GOING TO HIT, \h\h\h\hWE‘RE GOING TO CRASH.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: BY NOW SPANKY SHOULD BE SAFELY ON THE GROUND.

BUT HE’S STILL HOVERING \h\hBLIND IN THE DUST--

\h\h\h\hCOMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON DIRECTIONS FROM HIS CREW.

Checky: YOU CAN HEAR THE PILOTS, JUST BACK AND FORTH,

STOP LEFT, STOP RIGHT, \hSTOP LEFT, YOU KNOW,

AND IT JUST CONTINUES, THE PILOT HAS CONTROLS, CO-PILOT,

AND IT WAS AN ORCHESTRA OF...

I DON‘T EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT.

\h\h\h\h\hJosh: I HAD NOTICED THE TAIL HAD GOTTEN SOMEWHERE

BETWEEN 2 1/2 TO 5 FEET \hOF SOME OF THE TREES.

I TOLD THE PILOT,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND AS I WAS KIND OF TURNING AROUND IN THE AIRCRAFT,

I HAD TO GET MY BEARINGS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hABOUT ME

AND FIGURE OUT WHICH WAS LEFT \h\h\h\h\hAND WHICH WAS RIGHT

\hTO HIM, TO ME, TO THE AIRCRAFT.

SO IT GOT A LITTLE CONFUSING.

\h\h\h\h\h\hGonzo: IF YOU’VE GOT A NICE, CALM PERSON IN THE BACK

SAYING, HEY, MAN, STOP RIGHT, \hNEED TO COME A LITTLE LEFT,

\h\h\h\hYOU’RE GOING TO PUT A LITTLE LEFT CORRECTION IN.

\h\hBUT WHEN YOU GOT SOMEBODY IN THE BACK

SCREAMING "STOP RIGHT! \h\h\h\h\hSTOP RIGHT!"

YOU’RE GOING TO REACT

TO WHATEVER YOU’RE HEARING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE BACK

’CAUSE THIS COULD BE SOME BIG TREE THERE

AND YOU REALLY WANT TO GET \h\h\h\hTHE AIRCRAFT AWAY.

Narrator: THE WARNING CRIES

TO AVOID HITTING THE WALL \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOR THE TREES

MAKE SPANKY PULL THE AIRCRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHARD RIGHT.

AT THE SAME TIME, GONZO,

FEARFUL OF THE DROP-OFF \h\h\hON THE OTHER SIDE,

\hGOES TO THE DUAL CONTROLS TO PREVENT SPANKY OVERCORRECTING.

\hTHE PAVE HAWK HAS TWO SETS OF CONTROLS

THAT CAN BE OPERATED \h\hSIMULTANEOUSLY--

OR IN THIS CASE,

\h\h\h\hALLOW A CO-PILOT TO MODERATE A MANEUVER.

Gonzo: I JUST PUT MY HAND \h\h\h\h\hUP BY THE STICK

’CAUSE I WAS EXPECTING \h\hA HUGE CORRECTION,

AND I JUST KEPT SPANKY \h\hFROM MAKING THAT.

\h\h\h\hMY TECHNIQUE IS WHEN I COME INTO THE LZ

10 FEET OFF THE GROUND,

LOOK FOR A REFERENCE.

A ROCK, ANYTHING THAT‘S NOT GOING TO BLOW AWAY.

AND I WENT DOWN AND LOOKED, AND I DIDN’T SEE, YOU KNOW,

I JUST DIDN’T SEE NOTHING, \h\h\h\hIT WAS JUST DUST.

Spanky: THINGS STARTED GOING \h\h\h\h\h\hIN SLOW MOTION.

I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO CRASH,

AND I KNEW I WAS GOING TO LET EVERYBODY DOWN.

EVERYTHING STARTS ROLLING \h\h\hTHROUGH YOUR HEAD--

\h\h\hMISSION PREPARATION, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR KIDS...

\h\hAND JUST THE SENSE OF GRIEF AND FAILURE,

\h\h\hLIKE WE CAME HERE TO PICK THIS GUY UP THAT NEEDS OUR HELP

\hAND NOW I‘M GOING TO CRASH AND ROLL DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

BUT RIGHT WHEN I FELT \h\hTHAT ALL WAS LOST,

WHEN THE DUST CLEARED \h\h\h\hJUST ENOUGH--

\h\hI COULDN’T SEE THE GROUND, I COULDN’T SEE THE ROCK FACE,

I COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING

BUT THAT TERRACE THAT WAS \h\h\h\h\hON MY LEFT SIDE

CAME IN FRONT OF ME, \hAND ABOUT 50 FEET,

40 FEET OFF MY NOSE, \h\h\h\hI COULD SEE

WHAT I COULD DESCRIBE \h\hAS A HANGING POT.

AS A CHILD ON OUR BACK PATIO WHERE MY MOM HAD THESE POTS

THAT HUNG OUT ON OUR PORCH, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIF YOU WILL,

\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT THE PLANT WOULD JUST DRAPE OFF OF IT,

\h\hAND WHEN THE WIND BLEW THE LEAVES WOULD RUSTLE AND STUFF.

\h\h\h\hSpanky: AND THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD SEE--

\hI COULDN’T SEE THE GROUND, I COULDN’T SEE THE VILLAGE,

I COULDN’T SEE THE ROCK WALL--

I COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING \hBUT THIS BLOWING BUSH.

IT WAS A HOVER REFERENCE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT I HAD

THAT COULD TELL ME LEFT OR RIGHT OR UP OR DOWN,

\h\h\hAND I INSTANTLY WAS ABLE TO GET CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT

INTO A SOLID HOVER.

Narrator: ONLY WHEN \h\hTHE DUST SETTLES

DID THEY REALIZE THE INCREDIBLE TIGHTNESS OF THE LANDING ZONE.

Spanky: WE WERE PROBABLY LESS \hTHAN TWO FEET FROM THE EDGE.

I WOULDN’T EVEN HAVE DONE THIS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN TUCSON

DURING THE DAY, PROBABLY.

IT WOULD JUST HAVE BEEN STUPID.

YEAH.

I WOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT \h\hEVEN DURING THE DAY.

\h\hChecky: WE LANDED, THEIR JOB IS DONE, WELL, FOR THE MEANTIME.

MY JOB BEGINS.

SO WE JUMP OUT.

AND AS WE’RE COMING OUT,

\h\h\h\hI SEE SOMETHING DIRECTLY STRAIGHT BEHIND THE TAIL ROTOR.

WHATEVER THIS IS COMING AT US,

\h\h\hWE DON’T WANT IT TO GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE HELICOPTER,

\h\h\hYOU HAVE TO KIND OF PROTECT THE CREW AS WELL.

IT’S PART OF THE DEAL.

SO I SEE WHAT LOOKS TO BE \h\h\h\hA MAN, A BIG GUY,

AND HE’S WEARING AFGHANI CLOTHES,

WE CALL THEM MANJAMMIES,

AND ONE OF THE THINGS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD

WAS IF IT WERE AN AMERICAN,

LET’S JUST SAY AN AMERICAN \h\h\h\h\hWERE DRESSED UP,

CHANCES ARE THEY’RE NOT GOING TO WALK UP TO A TAIL ROTOR.

THEY KNOW IT’S A HELICOPTER, \h\hI AM GOING TO GO AROUND.

THAT‘S JUST A RULE, YOU DON‘T GO NEAR THE TAIL ROTOR.

SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME,

I HAD TO THINK QUICKLY AND I DREW MY WEAPON.

AND MY PLAN WAS TO SHOOT HIM,

BECAUSE AT THIS POINT HE WAS A THREAT TO ME.

\h\h\hA SECOND INDIVIDUAL COMES OUT FROM BEHIND HIM.

SO NOW I’M THINKING, OK,

I’VE GOT TWO GUYS THAT ARE THREATS,

I‘M JUST GOING TO SHOOT \h\h\hTHE BOTH OF THEM.

AND LITERALLY HAD MY FINGER \h\h\h\h\h\hON THE TRIGGER,

AND THEN IMMEDIATELY, \h\h\h\hAND THANK GOD,

THE THIRD PERSON COMES OUT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM BEHIND.

AND THE THIRD PERSON \h\h\h\hWAS CLEARLY,

CLEARLY UNITED STATES MILITARY.

I’M LOOKING AT HIM NOW, \h\h\h\hI’M THIS CLOSE,

AND I KNOW HE‘S AMERICAN.

Narrator: IT’S A U.S. RANGER,

\h\h\hAND HE QUICKLY INDICATES WHICH OF THE MEN IS LUTTRELL.

TO CHECKY’S SURPRISE, LUTTRELL IS DRESSED IN AFGHANI CLOTHES

AND ALSO ABLE TO WALK.

Checky: I IMMEDIATELY, \h\h\hINSTINCTIVELY GO

INTO AN AUTHENTICATION ROLE,

AND ONE OF THE THINGS \h\h\h\hI’D MEMORIZED

WAS HIS FAVORITE SUPERHERO \h\h\h\h\h\hWAS SPIDERMAN.

\hHE‘D ALSO HAD HIS DOG‘S NAME.

NOW I REALLY ONLY NEEDED TO ASK HIM ONE QUESTION,

\h\hBUT I WENT AHEAD AND ASKED HIM BOTH.

BUT ANYWAY I ASKED HIM WHAT’S \h\h\hYOUR FAVORITE SUPERHERO.

AND HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOH, YEAH, OK. HE TOLD ME IT WAS SPIDERMAN.

\h\h\hEXCELLENT, SAME WITH ME, MY FAVORITE SUPERHERO AS WELL.

Narrator: ONCE MARCUS LUTTRELL’S IDENTITY IS CONFIRMED,

\h\hTHEY REALIZE HE NEEDS URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION.

THEY WILL HAVE TO FLY HIM \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBACK TO BASE

\h\hBEFORE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE THE DEAD BODIES OF HIS FRIENDS.

Checky: THERE IS STILL \h\hA BATTLE GOING ON,

LIKE LITERALLY A HUNDRED METERS FROM WHERE WE ARE.

I MEAN, IT’S LITERALLY, \h\h\h\hAS WE SIT THERE,

\h\hAND I‘M THINKING WE HAVEN‘T LEFT YET, WHAT‘S GOING ON HERE?

AND THEY’RE WAITING FOR ME,

\h\hSO I HIT THE MIKE AND I SAID GO, GO, GO,

\hAND THEY’RE LIKE ALL RIGHT, AND THEN WE WERE UP AND AT IT.

[GUNFIRE]

Spanky: I PULLED STRAIGHT UP \h\h\h\h\hAND THEN JUST DOVE

\h\hOFF OF THE CLIFF INTO THE DARK HOLE.

Checky: THEN OF COURSE \h\h\hALL THE CHATTER

CAME BACK ON THE INTERCOM.

EVERYTHING WAS GOING CRAZY.

\h\h\hI LOOKED AT MARCUS, I STARTED TALKING TO HIM,

HE SAT IN THE CORNER.

IT WAS KIND OF SURREAL \h\h\h\hAT THIS POINT.

\h\h\h\hI KIND OF REALIZED THAT WE JUST RESCUED HIM,

AND THIS GUY, YOU KNOW, AND ALL OF HIS BUDDIES ARE DEAD.

SO AS I’M LOOKING \h\h\h\hAT MARCUS,

I’VE GOT MY NIGHT VISION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hGOGGLE ON,

\hAND I’M FOCUSING IT AND I JUST WANT TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT HIM,

\h\hAND YOU COULD SEE THE LOOK IN HIS EYES,

YOU COULD JUST SEE THE INTENSITY THAT THIS GUY HAD BEEN THROUGH,

\h\hAND I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN WHAT I SAW,

BUT IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING.

I TAPPED HIM ON THE SHOULDER, \h\h\h\h\h\hI SHOOK HIS HAND,

I SAID, "WELCOME HOME, BROTHER."

Narrator: WITH ONLY FIVE MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING,

THEY JUST MAKE IT TO A FORWARD BASE

WHERE THEY DELIVER \hMARCUS LUTTRELL.

HIS LEGS FULL OF SHRAPNEL, \h\h\h\hA SEAL TO THE END,

HE INSISTS ON WALKING \hTO THE MEDICAL UNIT.

\hGonzo: WE LANDED BACK AT JALALABAD,

\h\hAND I WAS LIKE, MAN, JUST LOOKING AT SPANKY,

LIKE, YEAH, MAN, WE DID IT.

WE‘RE DONE.

THAT‘S WHEN EVERYTHING \h\hSTARTED TO HIT ME.

\hTHE PJs IN THE BACK, ESPECIALLY PIERCECCHI,

WAS WHOOPING AND HOLLERING--

\h\hHE WAS STANDING OUTSIDE MY WINDOW POUNDING ON THE GLASS.

AND I JUST REMEMBER THINKING

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO CRASHING,

\hAND I DON’T THINK THEY FULLY REALIZED

JUST HOW CLOSE THEY WERE

\h\hTO BALLING IT UP ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE,

AND THAT’S WHEN THE WAVE \h\hOF ADRENALIN LEFT ME

AND I JUST STARTED SHAKING.

SPANKY‘S THOUGHTS ARE NOW 7,000 MILES AND HALF A WORLD AWAY.

Spanky: ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TALK TO MY WIFE PENNY.

IT WAS SATURDAY MORNING FOR HER.

AND SHE WAS AT THE FABRIC STORE BUYING FABRIC FOR CURTAINS.

AND IT WAS JUST SO AMAZING TO TALK TO HER AND HEAR HER VOICE

AND LET HER KNOW THAT I WAS SAFE.

AND SHE SAID, "DID YOU JUST DO

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR OVER 10 YEARS TO DO?"

AND I KIND OF GOT EMOTIONAL AND I TOLD HER TO STOP IT...

THERE’S GUYS RIGHT OUTSIDE \h\h\hTHIS TENT, WHATEVER,

\h\hSO I’M WIPING MY EYES TELLING HER I’M ALL FINE,

\h\hBUT IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT FEELING TO KNOW THAT I DID DO

WHAT I‘D BEEN TRAINING TO DO \h\h\h\hFOR ALL THOSE YEARS,

\h\h\h\hTHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON‘T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY.

Narrator: FOR SKINNY AND THE MEN OF THE 920th RESCUE WING,

THERE IS ONE LAST JOB.

SOMEWHERE ON THAT BLACK MOUNTAINSIDE

\h\h\hLIE THE BODIES OF THREE NAVY SEALS.

\h\h\hTO BRING THEM HOME, THE RESCUE CREWS WILL FLY

INTO ONE OF THE MOST HOSTILE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hENVIRONMENTS

THEY HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.

SINCE THE CIVIL WAR EVERY EFFORT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MADE

\h\h\h\hTO RECOVER AND IDENTIFY THE BODIES OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS.

THE BODIES OF LUTTRELL’S \h\h\h\hFALLEN COMRADES

LIE IN TERRAIN SO STEEP, IT‘S IMPOSSIBLE TO LAND.

INSTEAD THE HELICOPTERS \h\h\h\h\h\hWILL HOVER--

TO ALLOW THE PARA-RESCUEMEN \h\h\h\h\h\hTO RAPPEL DOWN.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THERE’S AN ADDED COMPLICATION--

FLYING AT NIGHT IN THE HIGH \hMOUNTAINS OF AFGHANISTAN,

THE AIR IS SO THIN

THE ROTOR BLADES CAN’T \hGENERATE ENOUGH LIFT

TO ALLOW THE FULLY EQUIPPED RESCUE HELICOPTER TO HOVER.

THIS BECOMES PARTICULARLY ACUTE

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO HOVER \h\hOVER A STEEP SLOPE.

HOVERING NEAR A FLAT SURFACE

CAUSES THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH THE ROTOR DISK

TO SLOW DOWN.

\hKNOWN AS "GROUND EFFECT," THIS MAKES HOVERING EASIER.

\hPILOTS THINK OF IT AS A CUSHION OF AIR.

BUT A HELICOPTER HOVERING \h\h\hOVER A STEEP SLOPE--

AS IT WILL HAVE TO ON THIS MISSION--

\hNO LONGER BENEFITS FROM GROUND EFFECT.

TO ACHIEVE THE SAME \h\hAMOUNT OF LIFT,

\h\h\h\hIT WILL EITHER NEED MORE POWER OR LESS WEIGHT...

OTHERWISE IT WILL BE IN TROUBLE.

BEFORE THEY TAKE CHECKY AND THE PARA-RESCUEMEN BACK IN AGAIN,

THEY’LL NEED TO DRASTICALLY \h\h\h\h\hREDUCE THEIR LOAD.

JP: HOW DO YOU LIGHTEN \h\hTHESE HELICOPTERS?

\h\h\hWELL, YOU TAKE THESE BIG HEAVY FUEL TANKS OFF,

YOU TAKE THESE BIG HEAVY \h\h\hMACHINE GUNS OFF.

WE THOUGHT IT JUST MIGHT WORK.

Skinny: THEY PULLED EVERYTHING \h\h\h\hOFF OF THAT HELICOPTER

THAT WASN’T NAILED DOWN,

AND THEY PULLED OFF SOME THINGS THAT WERE NAILED DOWN.

I MADE THE HARD CALL TO SAY

WE’RE GONNA PULL ALL THE WEAPONS AND AMMO OFF, TOO.

Josh: I WAS LIKE, "WHAT, \h\h\h\hWHAT DO YOU MEAN

WE’RE GONNA TAKE THE GUNS?"

I WAS TOLD IN TECH SCHOOL \h\h\hTHAT WHEN YOU DEPLOY

YOU’LL NEVER TAKE YOUR HAND \h\h\h\h\h\hOFF THE WEAPON.

WELL, THAT DIDN’T REALLY \h\h\hWORK OUT SO WELL.

Checky: I EVEN WENT SO FAR

AS TO REMOVE THE BODY ARMOUR \h\hIN THE BACK OF MY VEST,

\h\h\h\hJUST BECAUSE THAT’S REALLY HEAVY,

COURSE, I DIDN’T TELL ANYBODY \hTHAT, ’CAUSE THAT’S A NO-NO.

Narrator: AT THEIR PRE-FLIGHT \hBRIEFING AT BAGRAM AIRBASE,

A SENIOR OFFICER REMINDS SKINNY

OF THE FATE OF THE DOWNED \hSPECIAL FORCES CHINOOK.

Skinny: HE BASICALLY SAID, \h"AMERICA CAN NOT AFFORD

TO LOSE ANOTHER HELICOPTER \h\h\h\hON THAT MOUNTAIN."

THOSE WERE HIS WORDS TO ME.

WHERE WE WERE GOING IN,

\h\hTHE 47 HAD CRASHED JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE

\hOF THE SAME MOUNTAIN THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO GO AND HOVER ON.

Narrator: THIS TIME IT‘S SKINNY WHO WILL BE MAKING THE PICKUP.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THEY FLY OUT TO THE PLACE

WHERE U.S. RANGERS ON THE GROUND

HAVE FOUND THE BODIES \h\h\h\hOF THE SEALS.

\h\h\hJP: WE ENTERED A HOVER, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 85 FEET,

\hBUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT WAS 85 FEET ABOVE A POINT

THAT WAS ON A VERY, VERY STEEP INCLINE.

Skinny: AND THERE WERE BASICALLY ABOUT 40-60-FOOT TREES

ALL AROUND THE LZ,

\hBUT THERE WAS A FAIRLY CLEAR AREA THAT WAS JUST BIG ENOUGH

FOR ME TO KIND OF SNUGGLE DOWN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINSIDE OF THAT

WHERE I’M KIND OF LOOKING \hAT THE TOP OF THE TREES

OUT MY WINDOW.

Narrator: SURROUNDED BY GUNFIRE,

\hTHE PJs RAPPEL DOWN TO LOCATE THE BODIES.

[GUNFIRE]

Checky: SO YOU’RE ON THE SIDE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF A MOUNTAIN

WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES

AND YOU’RE TRYING TO TIE KNOTS \h\h\h\hAND YOU GOT GLOVES ON

\h\hAND YOU’RE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE ROCKS...

THEN YOU GET TO THE SITE \h\h\hWHERE THE BODY IS

AND YOU GOT TO TIE IN,

YOU HOPE THAT YOU’RE ABLE \h\h\hTO SECURE THE BODY,

\h\h\h\hSO IT DOESN’T-- IT COULD LITERALLY FALL.

Narrator: HOVERING \h\hABOVE THE PJs,

THE PAVE HAWK’S ENGINES STRAIN TO MAINTAIN LIFT.

Checky: YOU’VE GOT ROCKSLIDES \hFROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

COMING DOWN ON YOU,

AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER \h\h\hYOU’RE A COMBATANT

IN A WARTIME THEATER,

SO YOU GOT TO POST TEAMS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hALL AROUND

TO SECURE THE OPERATION

\h\hSO YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SHOOTING

WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE HOPEFULLY \hWILL BE SHOOTING FOR YOU.

SO THERE’S A LOT GOING ON.

\h\h\hNarrator: AS GROUND TROOPS EXCHANGE FIRE WITH THE TALIBAN,

THE PJs SECURE THE BODIES.

IT‘S TIME TO BRING THE LAST MEN HOME

AND LAY THEM TO REST.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Josh: I REALIZED HALFWAY HOME, IT’S 4th OF JULY, AND I SAID,

\h\h\hYOU KNOW, YOU DON’T GET MUCH MORE PATRIOTIC THAN THIS.

JP: SOMEONE--I WISH IT WAS ME, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT IT WAS NOT--

HAD THE FORETHOUGHT TO TAKE \h\h\h\hTWO AMERICAN FLAGS.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL TOUCH

AND A WONDERFUL SERVICE \h\hTHAT THESE GUYS DID

COVERING THAT BODY BAG WITH THE AMERICAN FLAG

TO HAIL THEM APPROPRIATELY.

\h\hSkinny: IT WAS STILL DARK WHEN WE LANDED BACK AT BAGRAM,

\hI REMEMBER, AND OF COURSE WE LANDED AND WE TAXIED IN,

AND THERE WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WERE STANDING AROUND,

\hAND I REMEMBER THESE FOLKS, BASICALLY WHEN THE DOORS OPEN,

THEY ALL SNAP TO ATTENTION

BECAUSE THEY SEE THE FLAGS THERE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WITH OUTSTANDING BRAVERY,

THE MEN OF AIR FORCE RESERVE \h\hCOMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE

HAVE SAVED LUTTRELL

AND RECOVERED THE BODIES \h\h\h\hOF HIS COMRADES.

Skinny: WE’RE RESCUE GUYS,

\h\h\h\hWE ALWAYS WANT TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK ALIVE IF WE CAN.

I MEAN, THERE’S A LITTLE BIT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF PRIDE IN ME

\h\h\h\hTO KNOW THAT I HELPED BRING HIM BACK TO HIS FAMILY,

YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I WOULD HAVE RATHER--

I MEAN, AS RESCUE GUYS

WE’D RATHER BRING THEM ALL BACK ALIVE IF WE COULD.

IT JUST WASN’T IN OUR CARDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT DAY

TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, SO...

Spanky: IT WAS A HUGE HONOR

\h\h\hFOR ME TO KNOW THAT SKINNY TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO SEND ME IN

TO DO QUITE FRANKLY

WHAT A LOT OF US WILL NEVER DO \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN OUR CAREER,

AND I THANK HIM FOR THAT.

Narrator: FOR THEIR HEROISM,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEACH CREW MEMBER OF THE HELICOPTER RESCUE TEAM

WAS AWARDED THE AIR FORCE MEDAL.

\hSPANKY WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL

AND NOW EVALUATES THE LATEST \h\h\h\h\hRESCUE PROCEDURES.

CHECKY IS TRAINING \hTO BE A DOCTOR.

SKINNY NOW HAS FOUR SQUADRONS \h\h\h\h\h\hUNDER HIS COMMAND.