Taken from a Combat After-Action Debriefing, Fort Wadsworth, NY. Transcript of report from codename: “Snake Eyes” as presented by General C. “Hawk” Abernathy:
First off, gentlemen, let me put the actions of 30 December 1983 into a little perspective. I was a Colonel at the time, overseeing Special Counter-Terrorist Unit Delta. We had only been an outfit for about a year. There were no “Snow Job” or “Alpine” for us to call on for an Arctic mission. But we did have a commando, and he’d never met a mission he would turn down.
Snake Eyes executed a HALO insertion north of Rampart, Alaska, from our unit’s C-130 operating from Eielson Air Force Base. The mission was to locate a “listening post” that had been deployed by Cobra, presumably to intercept Alaskan NORAD transmissions.
Snake noted that he skied toward the device using its low electricity signature to triangulate. Upon locating it, he made mention of it being a self-powered unit, only turning on when detecting transmissions, and even then only emitting a close-range frequency. This showed a level of technology we had not seen from Cobra to this date, and it set a dangerous precedent.
The remoteness of the location, the complexity . . . again, gentlemen, this was the early days. It was this mission that really changed us from looking at Cobra as a run-of-the-mill terror group; this was an organized, high-tech enemy force, with equipment that rivaled or exceeded our own.
Anyway, he decided to load it up with C4, set to ignite next time they fired it up.
Due to weather being a major detriment, extraction proved to be difficult. The C-130 was equipped for Fulton Recovery, but with the conditions, the plane couldn’t decrease altitude to operate it.
The stop-gap solution was an AH-64A Dragonfly — an Apache modified to Joe-specs, including a single-pilot operation when necessary. At that time, the Dragonfly was the only all-weather helo in our inventory. It was dispatched from Fort Wainwright upon mission completion.
Unfortunately, CWO Hardy, the team’s resident helo pilot, was unavailable to pilot this mission. It should be noted, however, that it is Snake Eye’s opinion that what followed was in no way due to pilot error, and it was only by chance he could briefly make out the sound of a launch.
Snake Eyes attempted to warn the pilot, but there wasn’t enough time or altitude for evasive maneuvers. We believe the successful hit was by a modified SA-3 Goa missile, made and upgraded for Cobra’s use.
Having dumped his skis, Snake Eyes moved to the crash site on foot — through more than six feet of snow, I might add — to try and reach the pilot.
Yes, that is in contrast to orders, but I submit to you that Snake deferred to standing Joe orders — we don’t leave our guys behind.
Anyway, Snake determined the pilot was alive but unresponsive — he noted condensation on the canopy and was able to estimate his respiration — but observed incoming before he could extricate.
That’s correct; this was our first field contact with the HISS. Snake made some pretty accurate estimations of its capability. We were able to verify most of his intel the hard way, later on.
Snake decided to conceal, he could hear troops dismounting. He stated he had intended to wait them out, until he concluded that they were “light resistance,” and wanted to ensure the pilot’s safety.
–What? Yes sir. Exactly. He decided he could take them.
