It was late June of 2005 in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan, and four outnumbered US Navy SEALs were pinned down, low on ammunition, and without high ground advantage. As the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into hours, the escape options began to run out. Over 100 insurgents had steadily cornered them, and more enemy combatants were on their way. Team Leader Michael Murphy realized that the only hope for survival was to call in a Quick Reaction Force, and in a heroic move, he left

Mike Glover breaks down a brutal Operation Red Wings fight—calling fire, Apaches empty, a downed MH-47, and rare footage captured from the enemy’s perspective. | Mike Ritland