SOFX The Crossroads of Special Operations
In 2001 a team of 11 other Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group’s Operational Detachment Alpha 595 were inserted into Afghanistan to liberate the region from the Taliban without tanks, trucks, or preparation. Just horses.
The team had a lot to learn upon their arrival.“ We’re figuring out, how do you carry your rifle? What gear do I keep on my body? What can I put on the horse? What do I leave behind? You know, can I trust the guys next to me? Is there an ambush up ahead?” Nutsch said. “There’s a whole lot of things going on besides having this half-wild animal that you’re trying to figure out how to ride. There were a lot of unknowns. That’s being gentle.” The horses allowed them to cut the Taliban off from retreat and ultimately win. The city was liberated and the Taliban was forced to surrender.
