Operation Neptune Spear Bailey Byrum

Locating Bin Laden U.S. intelligence community effort to determine the location of Bin Laden began with a fragment of information unearthed in 2002,resulting in years of investigation, followed by multiplatform surveillance on the compound in 2010.

Bin Laden’s compound The CIA used surveillance photos to determine the identities of the inhabitants. In September 2010 the CIA concluded that the compound was built to hide someone. The 3 story compound was located .8 miles from the PMA it had 12 to 18 ft. high concrete walls topped with barbed wire, two gates, and the third story had a 7ft. High privacy wall.

The Compound

Objective Two U.S. officials stated that the operation was “a kill-or-capture mission, since the U.S. does not kill unarmed people trying to surrender", but that “it was clear from the beginning that whoever was behind those walls had no intention of surrendering.”

Execution of the Operation The raid was carried out by 24 heliborne SEALs from the Red Squadron of DEVGRU For legal reasons the personnel were temporarily transferred to the control of the CIA The SEALs operated in two teams and were equipped with H&K 416 Carbines and H&K MP7s with suppressors, night-night vision, body armor and hand guns A dog was also involved in the raid The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment provided the air power for the raid The first team was supposed to fast rope to the ground but experienced problems and went down in the yard then the second one landed outside the compound and proceeded into the compound

Bin Laden Killed The SEALs encountered the residents in the compounds guest house, and in the main building. In addition to Bin Laden three men and a women were killed. The individuals were Bin Laden’s son Khalid, His courier (al-Kuwaiti),al-Kuwaitis brother Abar, and Abars wife Bushar. Al-Kuwaiti was killed when he fired upon SEALs in the guest house his male relative was shot and killed with his wife on the first floor of the main building Khalid was killed when he rushed SEALs on the stairs Bin Laden was encountered on the third floor of the main house Bin Laden peered over the ledge at the SEALs the returned to his room as a SEAL fired at him. The SEALs rushed to his room where they found him in his room with a head wound two SEALs then shot him in the chest with their rifles.

Questions If you would have been the head over the operation when the first helicopter went down would you have called off the raid or carried it out? If you would have been the SEAL that saw Bin Laden in the hall would you have fired at him or pursue him then take him alive?

Sources Tripline.net Armedforcesmusem.com Cnn.com Theaviationist.com Wikipedia.org