THE FLIGHT On 7 October 2001, the first strikes began. Approximately fifteen land-based bombers, twenty-five carrier-based strike aircraft, and some fifty Tomahawk cruise missiles hit Taliban early warning radars, airfields, and command centers. The first target was struck at approximately 12:30 p.m. EDT. Within days, the Taliban's limited aircraft and air defenses were neutralized. American special operations forces, inserted by helicopter and MC-130, linked up with Northern Alliance commanders and used laser designators to guide precision munitions onto Taliban and al Qaeda positions. B-52s, B-1s, and B-2s provided devastating close air support, while Predator unmanned aerial vehicles conducted reconnaissance—and, for the first time in combat, fired Hellfire missiles. By November, the Taliban had fled Kabul; by December, they were cornered at Tora Bora. Humanitarian daily rations dropped from C-17s accompanied the bombs, a dual mission of destruction and mercy.