Special Operations Forces In Afghanistan

After the Afghan war’s largest loss of Special Forces troops in a helicopter crash on Saturday South of Kabul, we’re talking about Special forces in Afghanistan and around the world, how they’re used and if they’re stretched too thin.

Navy Seal Team Six became instantly famous with the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in May. Last weekend in Afghanistan, Seal Team Six was in the spotlight again, this time tragically, as nearly two dozen of its members died when a giant U.S. Chinook helicopter went down under Taliban fire south of Kabul.

The loss was a heavy blow for Seal Team Six, and a sharp reminder of just how much U.S. Special Operations forces are now being used in Afghanistan and around the world.

This hour On Point: Are we asking too much of the U.S. “tip of the spear”?
-Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

Tom Bowman, Pentagon correspondent for NPR.

Kalev Sepp, senior lecturer in defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and a former Army Special Forces officer.

Ryan Zinke, Montana state senator and former member of Seal Team 6.

Nick Turse, associate editor at TomDispatch.com, author of "How many secret wars are we fighting?"