If one thinks about key moments in President Barack Obama’s first term, none may stand taller than the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, and the corresponding national briefing that followed.

Americans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and find moral clarity following a 10-year manhunt that was only finished when Obama, as commander in chief, took over the efforts of the previous president’s war that remained wildly unpopular at home in spite of growing threats of global terrorism.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011.

The night of the raid, the president had monitored it in real time, through drone footage and radio communications as the operation went underway.

How it happened

An elite team of Navy SEALs began the covert operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan where CIA operatives had tracked Bin Laden’s personal courier to the compound where he was believed to have been hiding out.

Freelancer  was the first to recount what happened next. Writing for “The New Yorker,” three months after the success of the mission, he detailed the night drop of an elite team of camouflaged SEALs leaving traversing helicopters straight into bin Laden’s front yard.

U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters continue a mission after being aerially refueled. (Wikimedia Commons)

U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters continue a mission after being aerially refueled. (Wikimedia Commons)

“Special operations is about doing what’s not expected,” a spec-ops officer told Schmidle, “and probably the least expected thing here was that a helicopter would come in, drop guys on the roof, and land in the yard.”

Up to five adult males were living in the compound — three were killed, bin Laden’s son Hamza was absent. The final person was bin Laden, who SEALs worked their way to after collecting hard drives and files for intelligence, shooting him dead on the spot.

A Chinook helicopter waited to rescue the unit outside, and inside it contained a 3×5 American flag, which was framed and brought back and framed for President Obama.

The political aftermath

The prior image of Obama as an overthinking, cautious former law professor gave sway to one of a bold commander ready to make incisive decisions when the country needed him to most.

“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan,” the president said on live TV. “A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

Americans cheer the death of Osama bin Laden. (AP Photo)

Americans cheer the death of Osama bin Laden. (AP Photo)

That resulted in cheers from Times Square to Washington, D.C., and all over the country.

After deciding to go all-in on the mission, the actual operation lasted around 40 minutes total, according to CNN’s timeline of the vent.

The effect was a deliverance on a campaign promise that helped Obama win re-election in a tough contest against GOP candidate Mitt Romney. While Democrats continued to shed seats in Congress during mid-term elections and again in Decision 2016, Obama continues to enjoy comparatively high approval ratings.