TimelineofDepartmentofDefenseActionsonSeptember1112,2012 AlltimesareEasternDaylightTime(EDT,Washington,DC) andEasternEuropeanTime(EET,Benghazi)

Tuesday,September11,2012 EDT//EET ~3:42pm//9:42pm TheincidentstartsatthefacilityinBenghazi. 3:59pm//9:59pm Anunarmed,unmanned,surveillanceaircraftisdirectedtorepositionoverhead theBenghazifacility. TheNationalMilitaryCommandCenteratthePentagon,afterreceivinginitial reportsoftheincidentfromtheStateDepartment,notifiestheOfficeofthe SecretaryofDefenseandtheJointStaff.Theinformationisquicklypassedto SecretaryPanettaandGeneralDempsey. SecretaryPanettaandGeneralDempseyattendapreviouslyscheduledmeeting withthePresidentattheWhiteHouse.Theleadersdiscusspotentialresponses totheemergingsituation. ThedivertedsurveillanceaircraftarrivesonstationovertheBenghazifacility.

4:32pm//10:32pm

5:00pm//11:00pm

5:10pm//11:10pm

~5:30pm//11:30pm AllsurvivingAmericanpersonnelhavedepartedthefacility. 6:008:00pm// 12:002:00am

SecretaryPanettaconvenesaseriesofmeetingsinthePentagonwithsenior officialsincludingGeneralDempseyandGeneralHam.Theydiscussadditional responseoptionsforBenghaziandforthepotentialoutbreakoffurtherviolence throughouttheregion,particularlyinTunis,Tripoli,Cairo,andSanaa. Duringthesemeetings,SecretaryPanettadirects(providesverbalauthorization) thefollowingactions: 1) AFleetAntiterrorismSecurityTeam(FAST)platoon,stationedinRota,Spain, topreparetodeploytoBenghazi,andasecondFASTplatoon,alsostationed inRota,Spain,topreparetodeploytotheEmbassyinTripoli. 2) AEUCOMspecialoperationsforce,whichistraininginCentralEurope,to preparetodeploytoanintermediatestagingbaseinsouthernEurope. 3) AspecialoperationsforcebasedintheUnitedStatestopreparetodeploy toanintermediatestagingbaseinsouthernEurope. Duringthisperiod,actionsareverballyconveyedfromthePentagontothe affectedCombatantCommandsinordertoexpeditemovementofforcesupon receiptofformalauthorization.

~6:30pm//12:30am AsixmansecurityteamfromU.S.EmbassyTripoli,includingtwoDoD personnel,departsforBenghazi.

 ~7:30pm//1:30am ~8:30pm//2:30am TheAmericansecurityteamfromTripolilandsinBenghazi. TheNationalMilitaryCommandCenterconductsaBenghaziConferenceCall withrepresentativesfromAFRICOM,EUCOM,CENTCOM,TRANSCOM,SOCOM, andthefourservices. AsorderedbySecretaryPanetta,theNationalMilitaryCommandCenter transmitsformalauthorizationforthetwoFASTplatoons,andassociated equipment,topreparetodeployandfortheEUCOMspecialoperationsforce, andassociatedequipment,tomovetoanintermediatestagingbaseinsouthern Europe. AsorderedbySecretaryPanetta,theNationalMilitaryCommandCenter transmitsformalauthorizationtodeployaspecialoperationsforce,and associatedequipment,fromtheUnitedStatestoanintermediatestagingbase insouthernEurope.

8:39pm//2:39am

8:53pm//2:53am

~11:00pm//5:00am Asecond,unmanned,unarmedsurveillanceaircraftisdirectedtorelievethe initialassetstilloverBenghazi. ~11:15pm//5:15am ThesecondfacilityinBenghazicomesundermortarandrocketpropelled grenadefire. Wednesday,September12,2012 12:05am//6:05am AFRICOMordersaC17aircraftinGermanytopreparetodeploytoLibyato evacuateAmericans. ThefirstwaveofAmericanpersonneldepartBenghaziforTripoliviaairplane.

~1:40am//7:40am

~4:00am//10:00am ThesecondwaveofAmericans,includingthefallen,departBenghaziforTripoli viaairplane. 8:15am//2:15pm 1:17pm//7:17pm TheC17departsGermanyenrouteTripolitoevacuateAmericans. TheC17departsTripolienrouteRamstein,GermanywiththeAmerican personnelandtheremainsofAmbassadorStevens,SeanSmith,TyroneWoods, andGlenDoherty. TheEUCOMspecialoperationsforce,andassociatedequipment,arrivesatan intermediatestagingbaseinsouthernEurope. TheFASTplatoon,andassociatedequipment,arrivesinTripoli. ThespecialoperationsforcedeployedfromtheUnitedStates,andassociated equipment,arrivesatanintermediatestagingbaseinsouthernEurope.

1:57pm//7:57pm

2:56pm//8:56pm 3:28pm//9:28pm

4:19pm//10:19pm TheC17arrivesinRamstein,Germany.