Deadly Marksmen | Navy SEALs: America's Secret Warriors (S1, E1) | Full Episode

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[heartbeat thumping] [rock music] male narrator: They are America's elite fighting force. - We have the toughest, strongest warriors on the planet. narrator: They are the US Navy SEALs. - The movies get it wrong. ♪ ♪ narrator: These are the true stories of their most dangerous combat operations. ♪ ♪ - Taking the easy route is one of the quickest ways to get yourself killed. - Man down! Narrator: Told in their own words. - I got my ass behind cover. I almost got it, but I didn't. - I will never quit. I will never give up. I will go until I die or until I win. Narrator: This is "Navy SEALs: Deadly Marksmen." ♪ ♪ Afghanistan. Iraq. Africa. US Navy SEALs are protecting America's interests in every combat zone around the world. And in this elite brotherhood is a special class of warrior: sharpshooters, capable of incredible marksmanship under every conceivable condition. [gunshot] Men like American sniper Chris Kyle, lone survivor Marcus Luttrell, and the unsung heroes who freed Captain Richard Phillips on the high seas. - Thank you very much. - I don't think anybody would argue that the SEAL snipers are some of the top snipers in the world. I mean, they've got the track record to prove it. And I'm not bragging when I say that. ♪ ♪ narrator: Whether on recon, hiding in plain sight, on the hunt for an enemy target, or in the heat of combat, SEAL snipers are disciplined and deadly. - When things get critical, you do things ten times better than anybody else. [rifle fires] [shell clanging] ♪ ♪ narrator: Summer, 2006. Ramadi, Iraq is the center of an al Qaeda-backed insurgency. [shouting] - Ramadi at the time was the wild West. It was considered the most dangerous operating environment in the world globally for US personnel. Narrator: SEALs have been ordered there to help conventional forces struggling to defeat a tenacious enemy that controls large parts of the city. [shouting] ♪ ♪ Snipers from SEAL Team 3 are providing what is called overwatch for a Marine Security patrol. ♪ ♪ - They can see where the teammates are going, what buildings they're going in and out of, and where there might be a potential enemy. Or maybe a guy running around corner with an AK. narrator: This particular platoon includes the legendary Chris Kyle, whose deadly marksmanship inspired the book and Hollywood blockbuster "American Sniper." Alongside Kyle on overwatch, fellow SEAL sniper Kevin Lacz. - Chris obviously was the epitome. I know there are other snipers that have put out, like, numbers of kills that they had, but, you know, it just pales in comparison to Chris. Chris is the ultimate sniper. You know, fortunately he's a team guy and I think we're all very lucky he was in our platoon-- our task unit. ♪ ♪ narrator: So far, the patrol has been uneventful. But something suspicious catches Kyle's trained eye. ♪ ♪ Two men on a moped begin heading down the street. - You see that moped up there? ♪ ♪ - You know, he nudged me. He's like, "Did you see that?" I was like, "What?" You know, I look up, and there's this moped coming. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] [helicopter blades whirring] narrator: Since arriving in Ramadi, SEAL snipers have proven to be an effective weapon against the insurgency. - We had quantifiable success on the battlefield. We're reducing enemy activity based in part on the sniper operations. narrator: Operations that rely on more than the SEAL's shooting talents. - One of the big misconceptions about being a sniper is that all you do is take long-range shots, keep a head count, you know. That's all the sexy stuff. The biggest thing about being a sniper, though, is being a trained observer. You're able to notice stuff that typical people wouldn't have noticed. - Snipers can get eyes on that target, and they're gonna give you awareness of the atmosphere. So, what's going on, who's moving on target, if they can see anybody. ♪ ♪ narrator: On the overwatch mission in Ramadi, Kyle and Lacz provide critical cover for Marines on patrol. The Marines are there to earn the goodwill of the locals, but they can't be sure who's a friend and who's a foe. - There's enemy activity in and around there. It's an easy place to stage and bury weapons and IEDs. And just overall nefarious areas. Our job was to overwatch those surrounding roads because they were heavily IED'd, and our job was to interdict those IED placers. narrator: The Marines are in good hands. Kyle is one of the most prolific snipers in US military history, notching 160 confirmed enemy kills. - He loved being a SEAL and a sniper. narrator: Kyle's fellow SEALs call him The Legend. But the enemy gives him another name-- The Devil of Ramadi-- for ruthlessly decimating their ranks. - He wasn't a really good shot. He just always found the right place, right time. Every time he went out, he's, like, killing seven to eight guys. And everybody's like, "God, how can you do that?" - Now, that's one thing Chris Kyle really taught me, was patience. And, I mean, he could sit there forever and just stay on the gun. We'd be on the guns for six, eight hours at a pop. It's exhausting, but then all of a sudden, you start to notice things and you kind of zero in on what may be a potential threat. narrator: Snipers will remain on high alert behind a gun for hours--even days-- while observing the target. - Sniper is a special breed. These guys are able to sit scoped, like, in very uncomfortable conditions. Hot, bugs crawling all over you. But just the discipline to stay there and systematically look around the battlefield for targets. And most people don't have that kind of patience. - You can have mental fatigue, psychological fatigue, start second guessing, "Hey, was this even "a good idea? How good was the intel that put me in this spot that's got me here for days?" narrator: During the long hours of staring through a scope, a sniper must stay aware of the smallest details-- both the enemies and his own. - On a sniper overwatch, there's, you know, some elements that you need to keep in line, and you gotta know the difference between your water bottle, your piss bottle, and your Copenhagen spit bottle. And the last thing you want to do is mess that up when you're on target and it's 110 degrees at night and you get up to take a sip of water, and you do not pick the right bottle. I can say that's a bad decision. Um, it's happened to many team guys, whether they want to admit it or not. ♪ ♪ narrator: From their position, Kyle and Lacz continue to track the Marine patrol closely. Kyle not only uses his intense sniper training, he relies on his growing wartime experience to help him spot anything out of the ordinary. ♪ ♪ Kyle takes notice when the two men on the moped begin driving down the street. These men could just be passing by, or could be planning an attack. ♪ ♪ As Kyle slowly tracks the moped, he tells Lacz the passenger has dropped a bag in the road. Kyle and Lacz immediately suspect the men are insurgents and the bag holds an IED-- a bomb that is now dangerously close to the Marine patrol. But the SEALs have only seconds to decide whether or not the men are insurgents with hostile intent-- ♪ ♪ Or innocent civilians. If hostile, the rules of engagement allow Kyle to shoot. ♪ ♪ One of a sniper's greatest fears is making a mistake and killing an innocent person. - In an urban battleground, you gotta be in somewhere long enough to be familiar with the environment-- with the buildings, with the streets, with the layout, with the people. Who can be trusted, who can't be trusted. Safe way in, safe way out. What the enemy's reaction time is. Being a sniper in an urban environment, to me, is the hardest type of snipering to do. - It's hostile. ♪ ♪ - All right, it's on. ♪ ♪ - The enemy tactics had reflected that they were using mopeds to deliver IEDs. This was hostile intent, clear and simple. - Seven. 650. Take him at 300, maybe 150. narrator: It's a high stakes shot. A moving target. A possible IED. Friendly troops and civilians close by. And only one chance to get it right. [heartbeat thumping] ♪ ♪ narrator: Around the world, US Navy SEALs play a critical role in the fight against terror. ♪ ♪ And in this new, unconventional kind of war, the SEAL sniper is a force multiplier on the battlefield. ♪ ♪ - When a sniper goes in the theater, I call them the 13-X factor. They have the capability of being 13 times stronger in combat-- - Hit it. - Than another soldier because of their skill and their training. They can hide and they can shoot a really long distance. The impact of hitting somebody at 1,200 yards-- - Ooh! - Is terrible on the enemy. - If you dropped a bomb or a lot of Army soldiers, or Marines came in and shot up the village. That's not happening with a sniper. A sniper, you have a couple men up on a building, and they're only taking out the threats-- the terrorist-- the militant. They don't miss, and they don't shoot innocents by mistake. And they're so effective. ♪ ♪ - Well, we made a difference. That's all I know. The psychological impact was 190 grains of bullet going between their eyes. There's their impact. ♪ ♪ narrator: In Ramadi, Iraq, one of America's most deadly snipers is on high alert. SEAL Team 3's Chris Kyle is tracking two men on a moped... ♪ ♪ When he reports the passenger has dropped a mysterious bag close to a Marine patrol. ♪ ♪ Kyle and fellow sniper Kevin Lacz suspect the men are insurgents and inside the bag is a bomb. ♪ ♪ Kyle has seconds to decide whether to shoot the men or let them go. ♪ ♪ - 550. 450. ♪ ♪ - You shoot the wrong person once, at least ten people are gonna hate you. You're gonna fuel the insurgency. You know, we have the moral high ground in these type of fights, and we have to maintain that moral high ground. narrator: If the men are insurgents and Kyle lets them live, they could trigger the bomb remotely and take out the entire Marine patrol. If they are not insurgents and Kyle pulls the trigger, he is killing two innocent civilians. - Our actions, if they go wrong, they're gonna be on CNN International tomorrow morning. They're gonna affect international public opinion. So the responsibility as delicate as sniper is pretty serious. - 450. 400. Take him at 200, maybe 150. 350. ♪ ♪ 300. 250. 200. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ - It was a clear impact. You know, you kind of see the first one slump forward. You know, the back guy slumps down as well. And then you see that pink mist just-- [mimics explosion] Blow out, you know, kind of just like, uh-- Kind of somebody just threw, like, you know, red paint into a really fast fan. Just like-- [mimics whooshing sound] All mist. They did land on this intersection street where the Marine unit was watching. And all they see are two guys on the moped fall and they're both dead. Stone dead. narrator: Kyle has killed both men with a single bullet. ♪ ♪ The Marines quickly secure the area and search the bodies. ♪ ♪ - Radio over, and they report seeing no weapons on them, nothing that would require us to shoot them. So after talking to our comms guy, they plan on sending, you know, a little team over to look at that and then also to look at where we said we saw an IED placement. narrator: A search is made, but no IED is found in the immediate area. ♪ ♪ Lacz believes the bomb was recovered by a third insurgent. ♪ ♪ - By the time the Marines sent, you know, their big conventional search and whatever unit, some guy picked up a IED and walked off with it. ♪ ♪ narrator: In Iraq, insurgents are not the only ones placing IEDs. Local civilians--often desperate for money in the war-ravaged country-- are paid by Al-Qaeda to target US troops. [explosion] - Get up! Get up! - And the going rate back then was you get 200 bucks US dollar to go ahead and plant an IED. So it'd be safe to assume that that was picked up to be used another day. ♪ ♪ narrator: According to Kyle and Lacz, a military investigation concludes that Chris Kyle reacted within the rules of engagement. - I heard Chris say that he's prepared to meet God and answer for every shot he ever took. You know what? God bless him, because I'm convinced he saved a lot of lives. Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] narrator: Kyle's shot underscores the immense challenges snipers face in combat. - When do you shoot? That seems to be always the question that people ask that aren't there in the moment. - Our job is to protect the people we're working with, and our job ultimately is to kill terrorists. And when we do that, you know, we feel pretty justified. ♪ ♪ - Life itself is a value. And true warriors honor that. I think one of the things that make a-- makes a SEAL a really good sniper is, you know, they are well trained, but they're disciplined. ♪ ♪ narrator: Training and discipline, that's the product of their own internal sniper school. - Probably the most difficult sniper training in the world. - Everything is 1,000%, balls to the wall, all the way, all the time. - It's difficult. You know, they do it in different environments. You know, there's a lot of standards. People wash out. They just aren't that good a shooter or not that disciplined. You know, a lot of it's stalking. You know, being able to control your movement and terrain and be very patient with your shots. How to follow just all the disciplines. narrator: Those who make the cut join the ranks of the world's most elite marksmen, men whose lethal precision on the battlefield is the difference between life and death. [gunshot] ♪ ♪ [gunfire] narrator: By the early 1990s, US Navy SEAL teams are numbered one through seven. [gunfire] But it's SEAL Team 6 that is considered the elite of the elite. [gunfire] The most secret, specialized, sought after operators in the world. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ - It's just hard to believe that there's an organization out there that has performed at that high a level for as long as they have. ♪ ♪ narrator: In August of 1993, snipers from Team 6 are ordered to Somalia-- a violent and lawless country on the eastern horn of Africa. [gunfire] The government has collapsed. Civil war has erupted. And a massive famine has killed more than 200,000. ♪ ♪ The SEALs are part of Task Force Ranger-- a covert US operation to capture Somalia's most dangerous warlord. - [speaking Somali] narrator: Mohamed Farrah Aidid. ♪ ♪ Aidid's soldiers have been seizing humanitarian aid and food shipments, shelling the local US base, and murdering UN peacekeeping troops. - We had a list of names from one to ten and, uh, Aidid obviously was number one. narrator: SEAL Team 6 snipers, including veterans Rick Kaiser and Howard Wasdin will play a vital role in hunting Aidid down. - We had no, you know, inhibitions that this wasn't dangerous. So we were ready to, if possible, die in that situation. Everybody was willing to make that sacrifice to find this one evil bastard. ♪ ♪ [helicopter blades whirring] narrator: In the fall of 1993, Mohamed Farrah Aidid was the most feared man in Mogadishu. He's also a hard man for US Intelligence to find. - He knew to keep moving. That's how bad guys keep from getting caught. They've gotta be constantly moving and going from place to place. That's even more important than having a lot of security. narrator: Among the other targets on Task Force Ranger's hit list, one of Aidid's most trusted lieutenants-- his financier, Osman Hassan Ali, also known as Osman Atto. Atto allegedly used his income from drugs, kidnapping, and arms trafficking to fund Aidid's militia. - Osman Atto arguably was more important that Aidid because he was the purse strings. He's the one that had the money. So we made it a priority to get him. narrator: The SEALs set up an observation tower at a United Nations compound in western Mogadishu. ♪ ♪ From there, they can see Atto's house and an open air garage he owns nearby. Soon they have a possible sighting of the man himself. ♪ ♪ - We observed him all day long. I mean, it would have been an easy shot. But the headquarters said, "No, we're gonna come capture him." - They don't want him shot. They want him taken alive. Which, you know, that's fine. narrator: The SEALs decide to wait for a more opportune time to grab Atto. Just a few days later, they get their chance. ♪ ♪ A local paid informant for the CIA reveals that Atto will be attending a meeting at his garage the next morning. - This was the agent that we had inside. This was one of the--one of the guys that we paid. He's taking CIA money to give us intel. narrator: The informant agrees to point out Atto to Wasdin and another Team 6 sniper who are in position above the area. ♪ ♪ - Any time you're hitting a target, you want as many resources as you can. You want signals. You want to verify at least two or three times that that is the right person. ♪ ♪ narrator: Soon after the SEALs and the informant are in place, a man arrives with armed security. Wasdin looks to the informant, waiting for the agreed-upon signal to confirm the man is Osman Atto. The sign is a simple tip of his kufi cap. - Supposed to, like, take off his hat. And then I turn toward him, and I remember the guy just being so over the top. He takes his hat off like this. ♪ ♪ And I remember saying, "Man, I'm surprised they're not shooting you right now." - What is he doing? ♪ ♪ narrator: Incredibly, Atto's bodyguards do not notice. ♪ ♪ Now it's up to Wasdin to decide whether to launch a raid of the building to capture Atto. ♪ ♪ Certain Atto is at the target location, Wasdin calls the US military base and gives the okay to set the raid in motion. Within minutes, Black Hawk and Little Bird helicopters take off filled with special operators from Task Force Ranger. ♪ ♪ - They come flying in to fast-rope in and get him. And then my job at that point is to cover the assaulters as they're coming in. [gunfire] narrator: As the American helicopters approach, the assault force comes under heavy ground fire. [gunfire] It's up to Wasdin to eliminate the threat. ♪ ♪ [gunfire] Aiming through his Leupold 10 power scope, Wasdin begins taking out the Somali militia. [gunshot] [screaming] - Twelve o'clock. Set this. - I got it. [gunfire] - Nice shot. ♪ ♪ Nine o'clock. [gunfire] narrator: A man jumps out with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher-- or RPG. Wasdin must neutralize the Somali fighter before he can fire the RPG at an approaching helicopter carrying American soldiers. ♪ ♪ Wasdin has little time to get the shot off. - What is that, three to five seconds to be in your scope, another two seconds to aim, another two seconds to shoot. And if you miss that shot, possibly a whole helicopter full of people are killed. I mean, there's no pressure there, right? narrator: Somalia, September, 1993. ♪ ♪ Violent clashes rock the streets of Mogadishu as a bloody civil war rages. Much of the city is under the control of corrupt warlord Mohamed Aidid... - [speaking Somali] narrator: ...whose militia seizes critical food and aid. ♪ ♪ To capture Aidid and his lieutenants, the US launches Task Force Ranger-- a covert operation that includes elite snipers from SEAL Team 6. On the list of high value targets, Aidid's alleged financier, Osman Atto. ♪ ♪ After tracking Atto to his garage, Team 6 sniper Howard Wasdin calls in a full-scale raid on the location. ♪ ♪ But the US assault helicopters quickly come under fire-- [gunfire] ...from Somali militiamen. ♪ ♪ With speed, precision, and lethal accuracy, Wasdin eliminates each threat. [gunshot] [screams] [gunfire] ♪ ♪ But one fighter with an RPG gets the jump on Wasdin, taking aim at an approaching Black Hawk. - When he starts pointing the RPG at one of our helicopters, it's time for him to go. - The aircraft is filled with Delta Force operators, ready to fast-rope down and join the raid. With no time to think, Wasdin's training kicks in. He dials in the distance on the scope, aims, and fires. [gunshot] [explosion] The Somali fighter is hit, pulling the trigger on the RPG as he falls. - He actually fired the RPG down into the street below him. narrator: Wasdin's single round saves the lives of everyone onboard the Black Hawk. - Definitely the sexiest shot I've ever taken. You know, that's the one I got the most high fives about. [shouting] narrator: More than a dozen Somali militiamen are taken prisoner. But in the chaos of the raid, the target, alleged financier Osman Atto escapes. - Atto went out the side door of the garage, changed shirts-- because we were looking for him to come out-- and the minute he changed shirts and blended in with the crowd, no way to tell who he was. narrator: Atto's luck does not last. After a few days on the run, he is captured in a second raid. ♪ ♪ Just 12 days later, luck will turn for the US forces, too. Wasdin and other American soldiers in Mogadishu endure one of the darkest days in US military history. ♪ ♪ Members of Task Force Ranger raid a building in the center of Mogadishu, capturing two of Mohamed Aidid's lieutenants. But during the operation, two Black Hawk helicopters are shot down by RPGs. Three others are damaged. Hundreds of Aidid's soldiers converge on the crash sites. Soon, graphic images are broadcast of a dead US soldier being dragged through the streets. In all, 18 service members are killed. 73 wounded. Among them, Howard Wasdin, shot three times in the same leg. Aidid himself remains at large for nearly three more years, until he dies from complications after a shootout with rival warlords. ♪ ♪ The Battle of Mogadishu leads President Clinton to withdraw US forces from Somalia. - All American troops will be out of Somalia no later than March the 31st, except for a few hundred support personnel in non-combat roles. narrator: A decision that still bothers some of the SEALs who survived that day. - Everything we had done, everything we'd accomplished, all the sacrifices we made, the 18 killed that day-- we saw President Clinton pulling us out of that as a slap in the face. - I wish we would have went back in there and pulled out our Killed In Action that were being desecrated by the locals. Because that would have sent a message to these guys that, you know, if you're gonna mess with us-- yeah, we might take some casualties, but we're not going to stop. ♪ ♪ - RPG! RPG! [gunfire] narrator: High in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, members of the Army's Elite 5th Special Forces trapped in a valley, trading fire with Taliban fighters. ♪ ♪ - Our brothers from the 5th Special Forces group were conducting a mission deep in a mountain region. And they had been pinned down. ♪ ♪ narrator: Within two hours, platoon chief Thom Shea and snipers from SEAL Team 7 are on a high priority mission to help save them. The SEALs must reach the valley where the 5th Special Forces are trapped, then eliminate the Taliban threat in preparation for a planned helicopter rescue. - Every footstep in some of those places feels like just feels like you're walking on eggshells and breaking them. And so the movements that you have to make in getting from point A to point B are so slow and so methodical. ♪ ♪ narrator: A few hours before dawn, SEALs reach the valley undetected. ♪ ♪ Quickly, without a sound, they spend the remaining hours of darkness setting up their sniper positions and prepping for the fight ahead. - To be a great sniper in my mind is you have to want to hunt. The shooting is not what makes a good sniper. You have to be extremely okay with killing. [gunfire] [helicopter blades whirring] narrator: By morning, SEAL Team 7 platoon chief Thom Shea and his snipers are in position on a ridge line above the valley. ♪ ♪ Below, the Army's 5th Special Forces group is still pinned down by the enemy after a night of heavy fighting. ♪ ♪ The plan is to airlift them out by helicopter, but not until the SEAL snipers can eliminate the Taliban threat. - We're there to prevent any other Taliban movement onto the 5th Special Forces guys. narrator: A daunting task as the enemy prepares to attack again. ♪ ♪ From their spot above the valley, platoon chief Shea and his snipers waste no time eliminating the enemy below. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ - The role of a sniper on a battlefield is a game changer. You know? It makes the enemy think twice about extra movements And if they know you're there, it's gonna force them to stay, you know, back in the shadows a little bit more, um, and not work with free reign to do whatever they want. [gunshot] ♪ ♪ narrator: By midday, Shea and his snipers have killed more than a dozen Taliban while protecting the Special Forces group. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ But one of the enemy remains elusive-- a well-hidden Taliban sniper positioned on an opposite ridge. - The 5th group guy said somebody had shot at them from the top of that ridge. ♪ ♪ All my other guys were like, "Ah, he couldn't be there. "It's too far. It's too high up in the mountains." But as I was looking at it, I'm like, "That's where I would be." ♪ ♪ narrator: Shea trains his scope on the area where he suspects the sniper to be. Patiently, he waits in the 130-degree heat for his rival to reveal himself. ♪ ♪ For hours, Shea scans the ridge through his scope. ♪ ♪ As the sun begins to set, the US Army helicopters appear, arriving to rescue the trapped Special Forces team. - Can't go home without the helo. ♪ ♪ You can hear the echoing of the rotors. And they're probably six to seven minutes out. So as the helo sounded, I'm like, "He's gotta come out now." - Finally, Shea's patience pays off. After hours staring through his scope, he spots the enemy sniper. ♪ ♪ His gun raised to fire. - I see him and I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna take the shot now." ♪ ♪ narrator: Shea has just one chance. The enemy sniper is 1,200 yards away from Shea's position-- the length of 12 football fields end to end. There's also a strong westerly breeze blowing through the valley that has to be factored in. - Wind has a massive impact on the bullet. And it will just push the bullet the direction that the wind's going. And the key to sniping is seeing the wind. narrator: Shea is able to calculate the bullet's trajectory. ♪ ♪ But before Shea fires, he must listen to his heart, literally. - Breathing impacts where the bullet hits. You'll notice your heart rate, your heartbeat. You'll see it beating in your skull. You'll see the scope jumping. Once the scope jumps, then you can squeeze the trigger. - Once you go to shoot, breathing is the most-- It's like, everything should be out of your head. Nothing--nothing matters but the shot. [heartbeat thumping] ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ - When I squeeze the trigger, you can actually see the bullet trace. And I could see the bullet flying. ♪ ♪ narrator: In July of 2009, snipers from SEAL Team 7 are called on for an urgent operation high in the mountains of southern Afghanistan. ♪ ♪ The SEALs are there to help rescue a team of US Army Special Forces pinned down by the Taliban. [gunshot] Their mission, to eliminate the enemy threat allowing US helicopters to rescue the trapped soldiers. The SEALs have killed a number of Taliban, but a highly skilled enemy sniper is still at large. [helicopter blades whirring] Now, as the helicopters near the valley, SEAL platoon chief Thom Shea has the enemy marksman in his scope. ♪ ♪ But Shea is facing heavy winds and the longest shot of his career-- 1,200 yards. ♪ ♪ After calculating for wind, elevation, and distance, he pulls the trigger. [gunshot] - All that I saw was it impact the side of his-- it looked like in this left shoulder region. And then a lot of blood on the rocks behind him. ♪ ♪ narrator: The Taliban sniper is dead. The threat eliminated, US helicopters extract the Army Special Forces unit from the valley safely. ♪ ♪ A job well done for Shea and his platoon. ♪ ♪ But it is just one of their many dangerous missions. Snipers face a special risk because their unique skills make them a high value target. The enemy will often place bounties on their heads. - Historically when snipers are caught, uh, they're executed. narrator: A risk even greater, Shea and his men take the fight to the Taliban, in the enemy's own backyard. - We had pinned down where the Taliban were really training. It was deep in the northern mountains of Afghanistan. The regular army could not get there because of the mountains. narrator: Shea and SEALs from Team 7 are airlifted into the remote area. ♪ ♪ After marching for miles, Shea and his platoon reach the suspected training area. ♪ ♪ They are immediately engaged by Taliban fighters. [gunfire] For the next 48 hours, the SEALs battle a resilient enemy, but are able to clear several compounds of fighters. ♪ ♪ After two days of continuous combat, the SEALs call for extraction at a predetermined location. ♪ ♪ Shea removes his body armor and weapon. With helicopters still hours away, the exhausted SEALs are eager to get some rest. ♪ ♪ - We're dropping our guard. Not everybody's being attentive. ♪ ♪ - One of the things that, over time, when you're in, you know, a combat environment like that, you have to guard against complacency. ♪ ♪ And the longer you're in a combat zone, you can start to become-- almost feel immune. ♪ ♪ [gunfire] - At that moment, I just realized, "Hey, we're taking fire." [gunfire] ♪ ♪ It was the most out of control thing I've ever experienced in my life. [gunfire] We were hit from 14 different directions. [shouting] narrator: Shea is caught without his weapon and his body armor. - There was a room that was very close to where I was that had an open window. And my gun and my body armor were in that room. So, I--the only quickest way into that room was right through the window, which at that point was about six feet away from me. So I ran as quick as I could. - RPG! RPG! - And that's when the RPG outside exploded right where I was. [explosion] And blew me to the back of the room. Narrator: Shea somehow survives only to take fire through the window. - I remember watching bullets strike off the wall. And there were bullets landing in front of my face. ♪ ♪ And I realized that everything was going south. Narrator: Shea is in the crosshairs of a Taliban sniper. - I wanted to know where the sniper was. And the only way to figure out where somebody is is to have them shoot, which is a scary proposition. ♪ ♪ Narrator: The veteran SEAL improvises by grabbing a nearby pot. - I slowly push it, you know, from the bottom of the window frame up into the window. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] [clanks] narrator: The shot gives Shea a rough idea where the Taliban sniper is shooting from. - Then it was game on. I have a blanket over me 'cause I want to afford myself as much opportunity as I can to not be seen. I moved into the light. ♪ ♪ I see his head. And I squeeze the trigger. [gunshot] narrator: The Taliban sniper returns fire nearly simultaneously. - The bullet goes right through the blanket, and I thought it hit me, 'cause it hit my helmet. And a bullet going supersonic, trust me, it feels like it hit. ♪ ♪ narrator: But Shea is unhurt. Unsure if his foe is still alive, he must shoot a second time. - I had to do it again. 'Cause that's the only place in the room that I could see him. ♪ ♪ [gunshot] ♪ ♪ That was the scariest thing that I had ever done, is do it a second time. So doing it the second time, I realized once I saw that same head again, I'd hit him on the first round. ♪ ♪ narrator: Shea has won the duel, but other Taliban still surround the building. ♪ ♪ The SEALs order an air strike on the Taliban from a B-1 bomber. [explosion] ♪ ♪ - At the end of it, none of us had an injury. [gunfire] And I have no idea how it happened other than we just decided we were gonna fight till we're dead. ♪ ♪ narrator: An ethos shared by the entire SEAL community, especially among snipers. [gunshot] - Nice shot. narrator: Highly trained, highly specialized warriors whose lethal marksmanship is unparalleled and has changed the face of modern warfare. - When you look at what we've done, American snipers have really taken that ball and we run with it. ♪ ♪ - People don't talk like this anymore, but it's all for God and country. At the expense of your life, if necessary. You've gotta have an extraordinary man with extraordinary resolve who basically you have to cut up in little pieces to stop. ♪ ♪ [gunshot]

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Channel: HISTORY

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Keywords: history, history channel, history shows, history channel shows, navy seals: america's secret warriors, history navy seals: america's secret warriors, navy seals: america's secret warriors show, navy seals: america's secret warriors full episodes, navy seals: america's secret warriors clips, Navy SEALs: America's Secret Warriors: Deadly Marksmen (S1, E1) | Full Episode, history navy seals, chris kyle, american sniper, chris, kyle, clint eastwood movie american sniper, snipers

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Length: 42min 1sec (2521 seconds)

Published: Thu May 19 2022