ORDER OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission (Affiliate link). Available on April 28, 2026.

OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission reveals the full, never-before-told story of the U.S. Navy SEAL and special operations component of Operation Red Wings, one of the most renowned chapters in modern military history. Begun late in the night of June 27, 2005 with a covert insert of a 4-man U.S. Navy SEAL special reconnaissance team, Operation Red Wings spiraled into disaster in less than 24 hours, with 19 U.S. special operations personnel tragically killed.

Ed Darack, author of the acclaimed book Victory Point (Penguin, 2009) (affiliate link), provides the definitive, in-depth, comprehensive account of the U.S. Navy SEAL and special operations portion of Operation Red Wings in OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission. Darack weaves a unique narrative combining deeply researched history and technical details to paint a lucid picture of the evolution of U.S. Navy SEAL involvement, their planning, and their harrowing battle that ended in tragedy. The book furthermore provides a solid base of understanding of modern military operations and is relevant for the casual reader to seasoned military practitioners. The book includes detailed maps and a large gallery of images of the region that Darack took just weeks after the operation. This book is an exceptional companion to Victory Point (affiliate link).

The story of Operation Red Wings is widely misunderstood and misreported, marred by glaring misinformation about virtually all aspects of the mission. OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission provides the definitive story of the U.S. Navy SEAL and special operations component of this mission, one that satisfies all unanswered questions about this chapter in modern military history, including where responsibility lies for this terrible tragedy. The book also directly addresses individual misinformation points that plague the story of Operation Red Wings and debunks each of these mischaracterizations definitively. .

Darack, who embedded with U.S. Marines just months after Red Wings in the area of the operation, has spent over 20 years researching this operation. OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission is a must-read for anyone interested in Operation Red Wings, U.S. Navy SEALs, special operations, the War in Afghanistan, and the military in general. This is a timeless story, and the exhaustively researched narrative, detailed maps, and vivid images will remain enduringly relevant.

Read book's Note to Reader and Introduction (.pdf)

Book Information Sheet (.pdf)

ORDER OPERATION RED WINGS: The Complete Untold Story of the Tragic U.S. Navy SEAL Mission (Affiliate link). Available on April 28, 2026.