Introduction Operation Anaconda was the first major joint combat operation against the war on terrorism that the United States was committed to winning. This operation would test the readiness of our military for joint operations against a hardened and willing adversary. The primary mission was to kill/capture the Taliban/Al Qaeda forces occupying towns and villages in the vicinity of Shahi Khot in order to gain control of the valley.1 The US needed towns, villages, mountains and, what most importantly, of the complex and difficult-to-access caves cleared of enemy fighters. Units participating in the operation included elements of the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and coalition forces from seven nations, including Afghanistan.2 With so many different nations fighting alongside our military branches, would test our ability to conduct joint operations on multiple levels. HistoryOn September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden decided to "awaken the sleeping giant". The United States immediately sent SOF units and CIA officers to reconnoiter the area and meet with the Northern Alliance. The main battle leading to this operation was Tora Bora, in which conventional forces were absent. Up until that point, the War on Terror was predominantly a special operations fight along with the Air Force for air support.3 SOF and the Northern Alliance had already displaced Taliban forces from many towns and villages in northern Afghanistan to gain control of key territory. Major cities in northern Afghanistan, including Taloqan, Konduz, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif, took just three weeks to clear.4 SOF units were having a huge impact across the country requiring airstrikes. At the same time SOF units were dutifully...... middle of paper ......r, 277.3 Colonel John T. Carney Jr., No Room for Error, 273.4 Richard Kugler, Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, 3.5 General Tommy Franks, American Soldier, 198.6 Todd Marzano, Criticisms Associated with Operation Anaconda, Can Remote Leadership Be Effective, 4.7 Todd Marzano, Criticisms Associated with Operation Anaconda, Can Remote Leadership Be Effective, 6.8 Sean Naylor, It's Not a good day for Die, 121.9 Robin Moore, The Hunt for Bin Laden, 273.10 Richard Kugler, Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, 12.11 General Tommy Franks, American Soldier, 324.12 Richard Kugler, Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, 17.13 Todd Marzano, Criticisms Associated with Operation Anaconda, Can Long Remote Leadership Be Effective, 14.9 Sean Naylor, Not a Good Day to Die, 15.92 Mark Davis, Operation Anaconda: Command and Confusion in Joint Warfare, 12.