On May 2, 2011, the world’s most notorious terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Fifteen years later, the man who pulled the trigger, former U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 member Robert O’Neill, detailed the top-secret operation that changed the world during an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, May 2.
O’Neill joined the Navy in 1995 and has completed over 400 missions. Before eliminating bin Laden, he was already a legend in the special operations community, having participated in the 2009 rescue operation of “Captain Phillips” held hostage by Somali pirates (depicted in the movie “Captain Phillips”) and risking his life to search for missing teammate Marcus during Operation Red Wings.
His combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan played a crucial role in the “Operation Neptune Spear” 15 years ago.
Three weeks before the operation, SEAL members were summoned to the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina. In a heavily guarded room, senior officials issued the order: “This is as close as we’ve ever been to bin Laden.”
The mission had no air support. O’Neill recalled that they didn’t expect to return alive. The team meticulously planned and rehearsed in a simulated building, even seeing the stealth “Black Hawk” helicopter unknown even to the president at the time.
“I completely thought I wasn’t coming back.” O’Neill said. On the day of departure, his 3-year-old daughter was carrying a Hello Kitty suitcase, begging for a vacation. He had to endure the pain of saying goodbye to his family, considering it the most difficult part of the entire process.
But he and his teammates knew why they had to participate in this potentially suicidal mission. On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda orchestrated terrorist attacks hijacking four commercial planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths.
O’Neill emphasized that they pursued bin Laden “not for fame, not for rewards”. He said, “It was for the Americans who on that Tuesday morning were forced to fight to the death against the terrorists on Flight 93.”
The operation commenced at midnight on May 2. Ironically, the fears in rehearsals materialized: the first helicopter crashed in the front yard of bin Laden’s residence. “I thought, the war started right here.” O’Neill calmly crossed the 20-foot high wall.
Passing through the front yard, the team blew open a fake door and stormed into the main building. The SEALs maintained professional “silent operations,” communicating only through tactical movements. On the second-floor staircase, they accurately shot and killed bin Laden’s armed son, Khalid.
As O’Neill followed the team leader rushing up the final set of stairs to the third floor, he thought a suicide bomber was behind the curtain. “I looked down at my shoes, wondering what it would feel like to be blown up. I was tired of thinking about it. Let’s go.”
Passing through the curtain, the team leader tackled a suspected bomber who turned out to be a woman. O’Neill turned to his right, and bin Laden stood three feet away.
“I immediately recognized him. He was thin, with a graying beard, hand on his wife Amal’s shoulder. In SEAL Team 6, the threat must be immediately neutralized.” O’Neill decisively fired his H&K 416 rifle, hitting bin Laden twice in the head and once more as he fell to the ground.
“You just killed bin Laden – your life is about to change dramatically, now get back to work.” His teammates said. O’Neill quickly composed himself, followed protocol, taking photos to document the target. At that moment, the radio exclaimed, “For God and country, Geronimo!” signifying mission accomplished.
After eliminating the target, the team swiftly collected the computer mainframe, hard drives, and discs, and destroyed the damaged stealth helicopter. They then evacuated with bin Laden’s body bag.
The most harrowing part was the 90-minute flight to the Afghanistan border. Pakistani F-16 fighter jets could intercept at any time. “If caught, I had one rule: leave myself a bullet, I didn’t want to go to a Pakistani prison.” O’Neill maintained this mindset throughout.
When the pilot’s bland voice came through the headset, “Gentlemen, for the first time in your lives, you’ll be happy to hear these words: Welcome to Afghanistan.”
O’Neill knew, he could finally go home to see his family.