The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy SEALs and the Winning of Al-AnbarThe Sheriff of Ramadi is the first book written about the courage and success of the Navy SEALs in Ramadi. The Battle of Ramadi was the most sustained and vicious engagement fought by Navy SEALs since their inception in 1962. Never has a conventional commander fought a battle using Special Operations Forces as an intricate part of his battle plan. The operational and intelligence-gathering capabilities of a SEAL Task Unit produced startling and unprecedented success on the battlefield and in this urban battlespace. The book is an account of the Navy SEAL Task Unit in Ramadi from October 2005 through October 2007. The text follows the Battle of Ramadi (often called the Second Battle of Ramadi) and the deployment of the SEAL Task Unit in that battle. The book is based on extensive interviews with Army, Navy, and Marine command and operational personnel who fought in this battle, and the author personally spent time in Ramadi in 2007 for a first hand assessment of the situation. Couch considers the Battle of Ramadi to be the most significant military engagement in the Global War Against Terrorism since 9/11. The Battle of Ramadi and the Battle for al-Anbar Province was the first battle where SOF/Navy SEALs and conventional forces fought side by side to achieve victory. The Battle of Ramadi and the lessons learned provides a template for future joint combined Special Operations Forces and Conventional Forces cooperation in the new battles pace in the war against al-Qaeda and their allies. The lethal component SEALs can bring to an active, insurgent battle space. The Battle of Ramadi was fought with 5,500 soldiers and marines, 2,300 soldiers from the new Iraqi army, and 32 operational SEALS. Of the 1,100+ insurgents killed in the Battle, Navy SEALs accounted for a third of them. |
Contents
The Terrain | 21 |
The First SEAL Task Unit | 37 |
The Second Task Unit | 83 |
Copyright | |
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Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Al Asad al-Anbar province al-Qaeda Americans Anbari armor Army and Marine Baghdad battalion Battle of Ramadi battlespace began brigade BUD/S building Camp Corregidor Camp Lee Camp Ramadi conventional forces COP Falcon counterinsurgency deployment Dick Couch District enemy enlisted Fallujah fight fighters fire going guys Habbaniyah Humvees insurgents intelligence Iraq Iraqi army Iraqi police Iraqi scouts jundis killed knew Lieutenant Mala'ab Marc Lee military mission move Naval Special Warfare Navy SEALs outpost overwatch overwatch positions patrol petty officer platoon Ramadi and al-Anbar Ramadi task unit Route Michigan Seabees SEAL operations SEAL platoons SEAL squadron SEAL task unit SEAL teams Sean MacFarland senior Shark Base shooting soldiers and marines Special Forces Squadron Five Squadron Seven Squadron Three streets Sufia tactical Tall Afar target task unit commanders things told took tribal leaders tribal sheikhs tribes UDTs Vietnam wanted warriors