(“complete absence of fires from 0639 to 1615”).
20 Swenson and Fabayo sat stunned: Fabayo, Werth/Hooker Investigation, Exhibit BH.
21 Lt. Johnson again contacted Fabayo on the radio: Fabayo, Appendix e14. 112 “Get us smoke to get us out of here”: Miller, Annex E, Appendix e18.
22 the village was too close: Fabayo, Appendix e14.
23 “They didn’t have SA [situational awareness]”: Granger discussion with West at Joyce, 17 Oct. 2009.
24 “verified that no civilians are present”: Tactical Directive, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, 1 July 2009.
25 “a potential QRF [quick-reaction force]”: CJTF-82 Memo for Record, Timeline of Events: Ganjigal, 23 Nov. 2009, 0615.
26 he hadn’t been told how far he was to advance: CJTF-82 Memo for Record, Timeline of Events: Ganjigal, 23 Nov. 2009, 0630.
27 Maj. Williams handed his cell phone: Fabayo, Appendix e14.
28 asking him to call for an Afghan quick-reaction force: Fabayo, Appendix e11.
29 without any Americans from 1-32 joining them: Fabayo, Exhibit BH.
30 no effect on the enemy rate of fire: Garza statements, Annex E, Appendix e15, and telephonic interview 16 Sept. 2009, Annex E, Appendix e5.
31 from the ridges to the south, and from the terraces to the north: Swenson brief to West, 13 Oct. 2009.
32 requesting smoke “to conceal their movement”: Fabayo, Appendix e14.
33 The angle of the fire had shifted southeast: Fabayo, Appendix e11, 26 Feb. 2010.
34 more men were shooting at him from inside the town: Fabayo, Exhibit BH.
35 A woman in a red and purple dress: Werth/Hooker Investigation, Exhibit G.
36 another woman stacking rocks to make fighting position: Fabayo, Exhibit BH.
37 the far ambush was becoming a near ambush: Fabayo, Exhibit BH. “Our far ambush became a near ambush,” Fabayo said. “They start to maneuver around us, while we try to withdraw.”
38 an RPG exploded near him, throwing him to the ground: Garza statement, Annex E, Appendix e5, 16 Sept. 2009, MFR, AFZC-BCT-AD, Maj. Johannes Castro, USA.
39 ordered the Army platoon—Dog 3-2—to move forward: 15-6 Investigation, JP Exhibit F and Exhibit K, and Enemy Action Attack RPT Afghan war diary, 2009-09-08 ref. AFG20090908n2165.
40 “We’re surrounded”: Meyer, Annex E, Appendix e3.
41 Lt. Fabayo saw our Humvee: Fabayo, Appendix e14.
42 “You got to keep calm”: Fabayo, Exhibit BH.
43 “You must surrender”: Swenson email to West, 5 Jan. 2011.
44 I don’t want some kid to find it intact and blow himself up: Swenson discussion with West, 14 Sept. 2011.
45 “Where’s the reporter?”: Fabayo, Exhibit BH.
46 was dead: Swenson discussions with West, 17 Oct. 2009 and 14 Sept. 2011.
47 Swenson, who carried five hundred rounds for his M4: Swenson discussions with West, 14 Sept. 2011.
48 the notepad in his pocket had crumbled: Fabayo, Appendix e12 (Swenson).
49 handed them anti-infection pills: Fabayo, Annex E, Appendix e11, and Exhibit BH.
50 “You’ll get shot”: Garza statement, Appendix e15.
51 see one Askar stand up and take a bullet in the neck: Memo for the Record, CJTF-1-CJ1, Transcribed Sworn Statement of CPT Swenson, William D., 29 July 2011.
52 Fabayo dropped his first-aid bag: Fabayo, Annex E, Appendix e11.
53 two OH-58 Kiowas were en route to the valley: According to Memo for Record, JTF-82, 23 Nov. 2009, Timeline of Events Ganjigal Valley, 7-8 Sept. 2009, at 0720 the SWT Kiowas were wings up from FOB Fenty and they arrived on station at 0745; the official timeline is clear, but unofficially a Marine UAH, according to Swenson (Tab J), diverted without informing higher headquarters and provided initial gun runs around 0715.
54 he called for a medevac: Recorded in TOC at Joyce at 0738, Exhibit K.
55 “Is he Army or Marine?”: Werth/Hooker Investigation, Gunny Miller, Exhibit U.
56 grenades impacted behind them and to their right side: Fabayo, Annex E, Appendix e14.
CHAPTER 11: INTO THE FIRE
1 Lt. Johnson said he’d cover Hafez: Werth/Hooker Investigation, Exhibit AJ.
2 He didn’t see or hear Lt. Johnson after that: telecommunication West and Meyer et al. at Random House with Hafez on 11 Feb. 2012.
3 Hafez clawed at his gear and threw a smoke grenade: telecommunication West and Meyer et al. at Random House with Hafez on 11 Feb. 2012.
4 give a grid. Nine seven: Meyer, CBS interview, 60 Minutes.
5 Valadez came up on the net: Rodriguez-Chavez statement, Tab N.
6 “There are a lot of bad guys on both sides”: Valadez statement, Tab P.
7 suffered only mild bruises: Werth/Hooker Investigation, Exhibits AD and AB.
8 crouched alongside a drainage ditch, not ten meters away: Meyer After Action Report for Ganjigal, 11 Sept. 2009.
9 “The gun won’t go down enough”: Statement of Rodriguez-Chavez, Tab O.
10 “expertise-induced amnesia”: Jeff Wise, Extreme Fear (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009), p. 50.
11 the others ducked back into the ditch: Meyer brief to West at Monti, 17 Oct. 2009. (The notes read that Meyer said he “hit four.”)
12 firing an AK at us from his hip: Rodriguez-Chavez description to West, teleconference, 31 Jan. 2012.
13 the pilots couldn’t do enough to help us: Tab R. The first flight of pilots to arrive were CW2 Kristopher Bassett, CW2 James O’Neal, CW2 Ryan Neal, and CW2 Michael McClain.
14 ignoring the RPG shells exploding in the air: CWO Silano description to West, telecommunication, 3 June 2012.
