THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Many weeks later, the objective remains: find Osama bin Laden, and bring him out, dead or alive.
Bill Hemmer is at our Big Board with help from a former tunnel rat. We look forward to what he has to say.
Thanks, Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, good morning again.
There is talk that U.S. forces may have to go cave to cave to ferret out Osama bin Laden. If it happens, it would not be the first time the U.S. soldiers went underground against an enemy in wartime.
Retired Army Sergeant Major Andy Neil was a tunnel rat in the Vietnam War. He's in Virginia this morning.
Sir, good to you.
COMMAND SGT. MAJOR ANDY NEIL, (RET.) U.S. ARMY: Good morning, sir.
HEMMER: Describe the obligations , the duties, the definition of a tunnel rat.
NEIL: The duty is to go underground and ferret out the enemy. The bottom line is you go in and root him out, because that's where they are hiding.
HEMMER: Ultimately, though, isn't the key here not to go in? You want to avoid as much as possible, correct?
NEIL: Yes, if it is possible. But in many cases, you have to do that to check out to see what they have in those holes, gather intelligence, equipment, what have you.
HEMMER: We're looking at one of those holes. I believe this is Ku Chi (ph) outside of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh city in Southern Vietnam. You were in these. Tell us what happened?
NEIL: It was a very nerve-wracking experience. You -- the air is bad. There's all kinds of critters. Nerves are very tense. You can't see. And it's very dangerous -- mines, booby traps.
HEMMER: You said critters. What kinds? All kinds?
NEIL: Snakes, scorpions, centipedes, fire ants, bees, hornets around the mouths of the tunnels. If it can sting or bite you, sometimes they will have them in there.
HEMMER: Let's go to Afghanistan, though, if we could. Tell us what the substantial difference is between the experience of Vietnam and what may be the experience in Afghanistan?
NEIL: The terrain. They will be in -- it will still be going down underground into tunnels or caves. That same experience, the factor will be there. I don't believe that this point they've been using the booby traps and the mines that they did in Southeast Asia, but they may have already prepared places like that will have the mines and the booby traps.
HEMMER: Let's go to map and show viewers to given a indication of what we believe to be the case for the majority of case. If we look at this area right here that we talked so much about, sir, do we know right now, number one how many caves are out there? And number two, how do you prepare, how do you get ready for a mission like this?
NEIL: It's untold how many caves and tunnels are in that area. Some of the intelligence reports reflect there's a lot of them. How do you prepare? Select the individual with the -- a small-statured person that has exceptionally good nerves. Hopefully one that is not claustrophobic. Preferably they will give them something, a weapon or weapons systems that will allow to with able to enter and not damage their ears, maybe a .22 caliber tunnel pistol rather than a nine millimeter or something.
HEMMER: Quickly, what kind of at slide would you sort out?
NEIL: Pardon me, sir?
HEMMER: What kind of advice would you offer?
NEIL: Be prepared for the adrenaline rush and the nerves to take over once you get in the holes. It's a very psychological disadvantage to the individual that is doing the crawling. You're on their territory and you can't see. And if you're using a light, a flashlight, for instance, you can only see a small distance where that light will reflect great distances that they can see.
HEMMER: That is tough, tough work.
Sergeant Major Andy Neil, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, a fascinating look at what may be ahead in Afghanistan. Many thanks, sir.
NEIL: My pleasure.
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