Neil C. Roberts

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Neil C. Roberts
Died March 4, 2002
Place of birth	Woodland, California
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	10
Rank	Petty Officer First Class
Unit	United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
Battles/wars	Enduring Freedom Operation Anaconda Battle of Takur Ghar
Awards	Bronze Star Joint Service Achievement Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Army Achievement Medal Joint Meritorious Unit Award Meritorious Unit Commendation Battle “E” Award Good Conduct Medal National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon NATO Medal

Neil Roberts was part of a dedicated team fighting the Taliban, a fundamentalist regime that a U.S.-led coalition knocked from power in Afghanistan in 2001, but has continued to conduct guerilla operations, particularly along the Pakistan border. Roberts worked to help ensure that al-Qaeda terrorists could no longer train in, nor launch strikes from Afghanistan since their lethal attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001.

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Roberts joined the Navy after graduation from high school, where he excelled in football and wrestling. He became a Navy SEAL in 1992. In March 2002, Roberts participated in the opening phase of Operation Anaconda, the U.S.-led offensive in the high mountains of eastern Afghanistan to surround and destroy a large group of al-Qaeda fighters.^[1]

Roberts was poised to exit the ramp of a MH-47 Chinook helicopter on a nighttime insertion, when the aircraft was hit by rocket-propelled grenades. Machine-gun fire also ripped through the aircraft, cutting hydraulic and oil lines.^[2] Roberts slipped on the oil as the helicopter took off and Roberts was thrown from the helicopter, dropping about 5 to 10 feet to the snowy ground below. He immediately engaged overwhelming al-Qaeda forces with his M-249 light machine guns. Roberts survived at least 30 minutes before he was shot and killed at close range. Roberts was the first Navy SEAL to die in Afghanistan, and the first to die in combat since 1989.^[1]

Intrepid and dedicated rescue forces, unaware of his fate, retook the ridge at a cost of several American lives. The U.S. military now calls that part of Takur Ghar Mountain, “Roberts Ridge”. ^{[1] [2]}

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