IntroductionOperation 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 our military's readiness for joint operations against a hardened and willing adversary. The primary mission was to kill/capture the Taliban/Al-Qaeda forces occupying the towns and villages near Shahi Khot in order to take control of the valley.1 The United States needed the towns, villages, mountains and , more importantly, complex and complex landscapes. caves that are difficult to access, cleared of enemy combatants. Units participating in the operation included elements of the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and Coalition forces from seven countries, including Afghanistan.2 With as many of different nations fighting alongside our own military branches, it would test our ability to conduct joint operations on several levels. History On September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden decided to "wake up the sleeping giant." The United States immediately sent SOF units and CIA officers to reconnoitre the area and meet with the Northern Alliance. The main battle leading to this operation took place at Tora Bora, in the absence of conventional forces. Until then, the War on Terror was primarily a special operations fight with the Air Force providing aerial support.3 SOF and the Northern Alliance had already displaced Taliban forces from many cities and towns of northern Afghanistan to take control of key terrain. It took only three weeks to clear key towns in northern Afghanistan, including Taloqan, Konduz, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif.4 SOF units were having a considerable impact across the country in calling in strikes aerial. At the same time, SOF units were diligently...... 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, 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, 9:14 Sean Naylor, Not a Good Day to Die, 92:15 Mark Davis, Operation Anaconda: Command and Confusion in Joint Warfare, 12.