Operation Red Wings was intended to disrupt local anti-Coalition Militia (ACM) activity, thus contributing to regional stability and thereby facilitating the Afghani Parliament elections scheduled for September, 2005.
At the time, anti-Coalition Militia activity in the region was carried out most notably by a small group led by a local man from Nangarhar Province, Ahmad Shah, who had aspirations of regional Islamic fundamentalist prominence. He and his small group were among the primary targets of the operation.