According to the docs, the scene was turned over to investigations department after Corporal Carey, who was one of the officers to arrive at the house, questioned why some of the blood evidence at the scene could not be explained initially. The brotherhood between Nutsch and the other men he served with has continued since the members exited the service. Once the ODA 595 linked up with Dostum, they were to "render the area unsafe for the Taliban and terrorist activity," says Green Beret Mark Nutsch, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the movie. No. Although Nutsch said they werent all expected to survive the mission, the team had earned a reputation as an experienced group familiar with combat. Standing ovation. On 3 December 1992, U.N. Security Resolution 794 authorized the U.S. led intervention "to use all necessary means to establish a secure environment for humanitarian relief operations in Somalia as soon as possible. [28] Known by the callsign Jawbreaker, the team linked up with Northern Alliance commanders and prepared for the introduction of Army Special Forces into the region.[29][30]. Two decades ago, Nutsch was an Army captain, leading a team of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, or Green Berets, assigned to Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595 on a mission to help a . We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. Dubbed "The Horse Soldiers" by the media, the Green Beret team's exploits have been portrayed in the Hollywood movie "12 Strong," the Emmy-nominated documentary "Legion of Brothers," and various books and monographs. [7], General Norman Schwarzkopf described the Special Forces as "the eyes and ears" of the conventional forces and the "glue that held the coalition together."[21]. However, at least 3 false starts delayed their deployment for almost a month. The Northern Alliance totaled about 1,500 cavalry and 1,500 light infantry. We knew nothing about these guys, retired Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, former U.S. Army Special Operations Command commander said, according to the Associated Press. ", "We think they got it, they got the spirit of the Special Forces team in the post-9/11 moment in American history," said team leader Mark Nutsch, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the movie. At certain altitudes, the troops had to use single-use "bailout bottles" because of the lack of oxygen. This is considered one of the most successful Unconventional Warfare campaigns in modern history, a victory that inspired our nation and the peoples of Afghanistan; changed the course of a country and the world. Oct 18, 2019 Then-Capt. "They weirdly are a formidable force that will continue to fight, no matter what. Following the dedication there will be a meet and greet at the fairgrounds, open to the public. [14] Chuyen was working with the 5th on Project GAMMA when the Green Berets learned he might be a double agent. Required fields are marked *. Johnny Micheal "Mike" Spann (March 1, 1969 - November 25, 2001) was an American paramilitary officer in the Central Intelligence Agency 's Special Activities Division. "We slept on the ground the first couple of nights." Mark D. Nutsch had any significant experience on horseback, but all readily accepted. $20.28 . Mitch Nelson in the film about a team of Green Berets on a strategic mission in Afghanistan in the days immediately following 9/11. In the event of injuries or retreat, any possible extraction would take hours or days to arrive. [36], Captain Nutsch soon requested replacements for the traditional small, hard, wooden saddles used by the Afghanistan soldiers. On 23 March 2016, the 5th Special Forces Group once more changed over to the Vietnam-era flash to pay respect to the unit's history and the Green Berets of the past who are part of the unit's history. Their story is told from their point of view for the first time, with never-before revealed details and insights of the campaign, their struggles, and how close they came to failure and death. Additionally, Nutsch and ODA 595s story is the subject of the book, Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan that was published in 2010. We approached it like a special operations mission, Nutsch said. [3] As of 2016, the 5th SFG(A) is primarily responsible for operations within the CENTCOM area of responsibility as part of the Special Operations Command, Central (SOCCENT). You could do a whole series of books on those guys from that 595 team, Nutsch said. In the movie, Chris Hemsworth's character's wife is not pregnant. captain mark nutsch deathx100f street photography settingsx100f street photography settings Assisted by the remaining ODA 586 soldiers, with reinforcements from ODA 750 and ODA 524, Karzai was able to negotiate the surrender of Taliban forces around Kandahar and go on to become the first Afghan president. Each team of NCOs advised senior Northern Alliance commanders and called in airstrikes and resupply for their forces. On the afternoon of January 11 2018 I was privileged to interview by telephone Major Mark D. Nutsch. On Oct. 19, 2001, Mark and his unit were helicoptered into Uzbekistan. They sometimes called in airstrikes danger close to stop Taliban attacks. TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Nutsch, Horse Soldier Team and 9/11 Monument Dedicationwill be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 19 on the courthouse lawn in downtown Washington, Kansas. Mark was recently named by the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation as National Honorary Campaign Chair for the Foundations Next Vistas fundraising campaign to benefit the Flint Hills Discovery Center. [48], During Operation Iraqi Freedom 5th SFG(A) assisted in the capture of Saddam Hussein and was deployed throughout Iraq as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP). Mark Nutsch's team, ODA 595, was dropped in Dehi, roughly 100 miles from the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Specifically, Nutsch said the team identified the anti-Taliban leaders of the Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras who ultimately formed the Northern Alliance. -The Fayetteville Observer, The movie finds the soldiers being told that there is a good chance they won't survive the mission. "When I went to Afghanistan, I reported to Lieutenant Colonel Max Bowers. I am so saddened to hear of Captain Mark Howards passing. The dedication ceremony will include many Kansas civic and military speakers. "There was nothing built up," Mark Nutsch said. He deployed repeatedly with multiple combat tours to the Middle East and former Soviet Asian states. However, he had been deployed in the Middle East and around the globe. In August 1990 the group was called upon to conduct operations in Southwest Asia in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Made into a record-breaking blockbuster movie of the same name (2015) starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood. News broke on October 29 that the season 1 Below Deck Mediterranean captain, who led the Ionian Princess, had died. Below Deck 's Captain Mark Howard's death sparked an investigation following the discovery of "suspicious" evidence on the scene. The 5th SFG (A) traces its lineage to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organization which was constituted on 5 July 1942. "I need to be back on my team. Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! [45], ODA 586 from Bravo Company, 3rd Btn, 5th SFG[47] was in Farkhar supporting General Daoud Khan in the Takhar province, who took the capital city of Taloqan on 11 November. The late Bravo personality had blood coming from the area of the right side of his face and appeared to have died several days prior. Mark, Bob, and their business partners operate a nationally growing, craft distillery brand, American Freedom Distillery, featuring their double gold award-winning Horse Soldier Bourbons. Each member had an average of eight years experience and most had combat experience in either Desert Storm, Kosovo or Somalia. The Northern Alliance followed this with a horse cavalry charge. The Green Berets and CIA counterparts worked to unite these groups to form a militia with nearly 5,000 fighters. [10], The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was unique in the Vietnam War for its heavy usage of watercraft, particularly Hurricane Aircat airboats. He has written over fifty fiction and non-fiction books, including sixteen on theNew York Timesbest-seller lists. During this crisis, the Army's First Special Operations Task Force consisting of elements of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), comprising 106 special operations teams, performed a wide variety of missions. They helped General Dostum outside Mazar-i-Sharif. Thoughts and love to his family and friends. 5th Groupas it is sometime calledis designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance. The high-level command of Task Force Dagger remained in the country until the unit was finally redeployed to the United States in April 2002. In 2017, a documentary called Legion of Brothers was released, which was inspired by his role in Afghanistan war. With the help of his troops and Muslim counterparts in Afghanistan, he not only captured the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif, but also topple the Taliban. The Green Berets advised Afghan militia commanders and directed a massive air campaign to rout the Taliban from power -- considered the most successful unconventional warfare campaign in modern history. We accepted a huge amount of risk." For an exact quote, please contact your Keppler Speakers representative. They called in airstrikes that dropped 15,000-lb BLU-28 'Daisy Cutter' bombs on Taliban troop positions with devastating effect along the Shomali Plain. Mark Nutsch shares the true-life story of helping lead what is considered the most successful unconventional warfare campaign in modern history, a victory that changed the course of our country and the world. The Direct Action Penetrators were forced to turn back when they were unable to negotiate a pass. United States Army Special Operations Command. A monument and 9-11 memorial that will be constructed on the Washington County courthouse lawn will honor not only Mark and his team but all . [24], The first group of Task Force Dagger included seven members of the CIA's Special Activities Division and Counter Terrorist Center (CTC) led by Gary Schroen, who formed the Northern Afghanistan Liaison Team. We had a great amount of experience on that team, Nutsch said. SUPERGIRL SEXY Original Color DCU Art by MARK BEACHUM Hand Embellished Giclee. Fearing the growing threat of the Viet Cong insurgency to the South Vietnamese government, President John F. Kennedy began activating special forces units in anticipation of their insurgency combat expertise in 1961. WireImage Captain Mark Howard's cause of death has been revealed nearly two months after the "Below Deck Mediterranean" star passed away . The display of coordinated airpower by 585 earned General Burillah's respect and proved their value to the Afghans. He died at the Qala-i-Jangi fortress during an al-Qaeda prisoner uprising . However, the mission quickly changed and became about convincing ethnic leaders (some were more similar to warlords) to join forces with them to fight their common enemy: the Taliban and its Al Qaeda allies. -ABC News. May he RIP. And Im proud to say that 18 years later, those groups are still united and trying to be part of the political solution.. Copyright 2022 Swords of Lightning - All Rights Reserved. [32] After refueling, they flew into a sand storm and heavy fog which created near-zero visibility conditions. Another user tweeted: Oh no how incredibly sad. Broken stirrups were repaired with parachute cargo straps. Chris Hemsworth's character's real-life counterpart, Mark Nutsch, had worked on a cattle ranch when he was younger and was one of the few members of the 12-man team who had experience riding horses. The team rode horses as they worked with militia allies to liberate Afghanistan from the. When it looked like Dostum's cavalry charge would fail, several members of ODA 595 rode into action and helped win the battle. An international blockbuster with over 5 million sales,AMERICAN SNIPER(2012) detailed the life and service of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. John Walker Lindh was among those who surrendered in the battle for Mazar-i-Sharif and his story is included in the Horse Soldiers book but not in the movie. Our list is sortable by ring name, real name, date, age, and cause of death. New military relationships were forged between the U.S. and the Arab states. He told them his name was Abdul Hamid. Major Navy Exchange and Coast Guard Exchanges also carry the bourbon, along with Army-Air Force Exchanges in Florida. #BelowDeckMed.. [7] The 6th SFG at Fort Bragg was reflagged as the 5th SFG with the transfer of colors. The leader of the dozen-man 595 was Capt. NOTE: We cannot processrequests for media interviews, podcasts or other non-speech related inquiries of a personal nature. ET on October 27 of a deceased person, stayed at the scene to help the investigators finish documenting the area with photos before uploading them to the evidence server. Thoughts and love to his family and friends. ODA 555 was inserted next in the east in the Panjshir Valley, with the mission of working with ethnic Tajik fighters. They rode trails alongside cliffs which dropped off nearly 1,000 feet (300m), often at night. Thats being gentle.. Now a consultant to Special Operations Command, he earned a Bronze Star with valor for his bravery. The 583 set up observation posts overlooking Kandahar International Airport and over the next few days, called in ongoing air strikes on the Taliban positions. What can I put on the horse? It was indeed as much of a surprise to the real team as it is in the movie. Infiltrate the 12 Strong true story further by watching the documentary and videos below. When Army Capt. We didnt know horses were going to be involved until about 48 hours prior to our insertion when we were given the phrase be prepared to use indigenous animals for transportation, Nutsch told Military Times. The responding officers, who received a call around 9:00 p.m. [23], By 18 November 2001, 10 ODAs from 5th Special Forces Group were operating in Afghanistan. They were with the Northern Alliance militia when they captured Mazar-i-Sharif on 9 and 10 November, and with the assistance of ODA 595 and Jawbreaker, accompanied the militia when they captured Kabul on 13 and 14 November. The bottle features an image of a soldier mounted on a horse with glass molded in steel from the World Trade Center to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11. ODA 595 was one of several Special Forces teams sent into Afghanistan to topple the Taliban weeks after the 9/11 attacks as part of an unconventional mission known as Task Force Dagger. Mark Nutsch, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the movie, had recently been promoted out of the job he loved, serving in the field as a Special Forces team captain. Mitch Nelson, a character based on Nutsch. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. Additionally, Nutsch received a Bronze Star with valor for his courage and leadership in the mission. The insurgent group had provided a safe haven for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Soon after, Tyler Garner came on board. Mark Nutsch and 11 fellow Green Berets jumped off their helicopter into the swirling dust of northern Afghanistan in October 2001, their Afghan partner informed them they would be . On Nov. 10, ODA 595 and militia allies liberated the city of Mazar-e-Sharif from the Taliban, marking a huge victory that paved the way for future success. Sixteen Soldiers assigned to or administratively assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) during the Vietnam War were awarded the Medal of Honor; making 5th Group the most prominently decorated unit for its size in that conflict. Like many people, Mark Nutsch watched it happen and tried to make sense of it all. Is there an ambush up ahead? Nutsch said. In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, the elite U.S. Special Forces unit, Operational Detachment-Alpha 595 (ODA 595 for short), was one of three teams of Special Forces soldiers sent into Afghanistan. The 5th Special Forces Group launched a wide-ranging campaign against Viet Cong forces in the Mekong Delta in July 1967. Yes, Bob Pennington, portrayed by Michael Shannon in the movie, had a herniated disc and suffered from excruciating back pain during the mission. During World War II, the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded on 5 December 1944 in Villeneuve-Loubet, France. TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Nutsch, Horse Soldier Team and 9/11 Monument Dedication will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 19 on the courthouse lawn in downtown Washington . In overwatch of the National 9/11 Memorial fountains, where it is viewed by thousands daily. Really liked him on below deck. The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a joint unconventional warfare task force created by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). "We dispersed the team at several positions along the ridges of the Tiangi." Pennington has written military doctrine, as well as lectured and consulted on film, books, and military monographs. The official dedication program starts at 10am. 5th Group teamed up with various National Guard support groups from many different states: Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin and others. It could have happened more quickly, but the Bush administration was fearful that without a provisional government to take over Kabul, the Northern Alliance would commit atrocities as they had when they had previously occupied the capital. He was later shot in the leg when the makeshift prison he was in became the scene of a violent Taliban uprising. Special guests and veterans from the Horse Soldier team, mission participants and several Kansas dignitaries will be in attendance. But they had set us aside and said start planning.. Nutsch was the commander of the 12-man Green Berets from 5th Special Forces Group on a mission to Afghanistanin the weeks after 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mark Nutsch is the former commander of the first Green Beret unit which went in to Afghanistan after the bombing of 9-11. -The Fayetteville Observer, Yes. And if they became overwhelmed by the enemy, little could be done to save them since they would be roughly nine hours away from help. major Mark Nutsch As America's response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, then Captain Nutsch led a heroic U.S. Army Special Forces 12-man team of Green Berets, designated Operational Detachment Alpha - 595 on an impossible mission into Afghanistan. Mark Nutsch is the former commander of the first Green Beret unit which went in to Afghanistan after the bombing of 9-11. Mark Nutsch led the 5th Special Forces Group's Operation Detachment Alpha 595. Members of the unit continued to conduct intelligence operations in Southeast Asia until the collapse of the South Vietnamese government on 29 April 1975. "I was on his command element and worked with him in November of 2001 in Afghanistan. Later in November and December, further reductions in personnel and extraction of companies ensued, ending in a complete withdrawal of the group by March. [23] Task Force Dagger, established on 10 October 2001, was built around the 5th SFG with helicopter support from the 160th SOAR, and assigned to infiltrate northern Afghanistan in order to advise and support the commanders of the Northern Alliance. Finally in September 1969 Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor announced that all charges would be dropped since the CIA, which may have had some involvement, refused to make its personnel available as witnesses.[16][17][18]. In early September 2001, he joined the battalion staff. In the aftermath of 9-11, it was Captain Mark Nutsch from rural Kansas who led his team on that initial mission. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. He did have trouble getting off his horse, and like in the movie, the medic gave him something for the pain. Yes Nutsch was the commander of the 12-man Green Berets from 5th Special Forces Group on a mission to Afghanistan in the weeks after 9/11 terrorist attacks. The prisoners were not properly searched by members of the Northern Alliance before they were crammed onto trucks and the troops had not realized the American Lindh was among them. Star Chris Hemsworth got some guidance from the man he portrays in the movie 12 Strong (released Jan. 19). https://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/mark-nutsch. The book is the inspiration behind the Jerry Bruckheimerproduced film called 12 Strong that was released in 2018 and stars Chris Hemsworth as Capt. As America's response to the attacks of 9/11,Captain Nutsch led one of the first "Task Force Dagger" combined teams of CIA, Special Forces A-team (ODA-595), and Combat Controllers into Northern Afghanistan. But weeks later on Oct. 19, 2001, Nutsch and 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 or trucks. Rob Riggle, who portrays Lieutenant Colonel Max Bowers in the movie (the commander of the 3rd Battalion 5th Special Forces Group) served in Afghanistan as a Marine in 2001. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data. We hope that that movie sheds light on that historic mission and will shed some light on some of the other missions that happened during that time frame, Nutsch said. ODA 595 first headed to Uzbekistan on Oct. 5, 2001, before crossing into Afghanistan on Oct. 19 in an MH-47 Chinook helicopter and connecting with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum and his Uzbek militia. Images of them doing this can be seen below and in Alex Quade's short documentary Horse Soldiers of 9/11. [25] An initial insertion was tried on October 17 but was aborted due to weather conditions. "We knew nothing about these guys," retired Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland said. [46] During their infiltration, one of the helicopters experienced a mechanical failure and made an emergency landing. The 5th SFG (A) and two of its battalions spend roughly six months out of every twelve deployed to Iraq as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula. [12] The use of watercraft, increases in troop strength, and introduction of other tacticsdeploying more soldiers to Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) bases, distributing improved handbooks to commissioned and non-commissioned officers, etc. allowed the 5th Special Warfare Group to take the fight to the enemy, capturing large swaths of territory in the Delta, making the 50 percent of the territory and CIDG bases that were previously too overrun with Viet Cong to enter safe enough to operate in, and mounting operations and establishing CIDG bases deep in Viet Cong territory. Yes Nutsch was the commander of the 12-man Green Berets from 5th Special Forces Group on a mission to Afghanistan in the weeks after 9/11 terrorist attacks. Captain Mark Nutsch was the commander of ODA-595, a 12-man team of Green Beret Special Forces on a covert mission to Afghanistan following the attacks on 9-11. A photo of Ron Wilson is available at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/RonWilson.htm. In 1986, however, the Chief of Staff of the Army decided that the training environment should not be the principal factor in determining where to relocate the Group. Mark Nutsch's character, named Captain Mitch Nelson in the movie, is portrayed in the show by actor Chris Hemsworth who also plays Thor in the Avenger series. They were still close. The season 1 stew also tweeted the news, writing, RIP Captain Mark Howard. The mission of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development is to enhance rural development by helping rural people help themselves. He was very kind, one Twitter user wrote on October 29 in response to Tiffany Copelands confirmation of the former Bravo stars passing. The soldiers on the U.S. Special Forces teams were used to state-of-the-art warfare. [34] A picture of the soldiers on horseback was shown by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during a news conference on 15 November 2001. Interested in placing an order for books or videos by this speaker for your event? [42][37], On 21 October, the Northern Alliance led by General Dostum prepared to attack the fortified village of Bishqab. Dostum's forces were equipped with AK47s, light machine guns, and Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers (RPGs). Nutsch, who is portrayed by the film's star, Chris Hemsworth, in "12 Strong," had recently been assigned away from ODA 595. The actions of the ODA 595 helped lay the groundwork for that victory. Each one Teach One. I am so saddened to hear of Captain Mark Howards passing. Ironically, he actually served under the man he is portraying. [46], ODA 555 ("Triple Nickel") from Bravo Company, 2nd Btn, 5th SFG[47] was, with ODA 595, one of two ODA units inserted on 19 October. Were figuring out, how do you carry your rifle? ODA 595 needed Nutsch, and he was subsequently reassigned the commander of the team. [jwplayer NIknqCXt-zhNYySv2] By; June 14, 2022 ; washington county jobs . These spanned a wide scope of operations, including support to coalition warfare; conducting foreign internal defense missions with the Saudi Arabian Army; performing special reconnaissance, border surveillance, direct action, combat search and rescue missions; and advising and assisting a pan-Arab equivalent force larger than six U.S. divisions; as well as conducting civil-military operations training and liaison with the Kuwaitis. In real-life, Dostum became the Vice President of Afghanistan, as stated prior to the movie's end credits. Theres tough parts about this mission, Nutsch said. This included using horses to navigate the mountainous region. After 11 September attacks, the U.S. government acted quickly. Yes. [45], ODA 585 from Bravo Company, 3rd Btn, 5th SFG[47] inserted by helo on 23 October into Kunduz to support General Burilla Kahn. According to Nutsch, opening the distillery was their way of living the dream weve been defending.. The then-secret Uzbekistan air base, also known as K2, is depicted as a sort of tent city in the movie. After the files were declassified, the story was made into a movie named 12 Strong. Mark D. Nutsch, onto a farmer's field at 0200,[34] in the Dari-a-Souf Valley, about 80km (50mi) south of Mazar-i-Sharif. So we haven't even taken the southern part of the country and we're still working with the Northern Alliance. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy, Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American. brookstone therapeutic percussion massager with lcd screen; do nigel and jennifer whalley still own albury park The mission was also chronicled in Doug Stanton's 2009 book, Horse Soldiers, on which the movie is based. -SOFREP. On 7 December, ODA 583 helped Sherzai's forces capture the airport and very soon the city of Kandahar. Others have speculated that the filmmakers changed some of the names to diversify the Special Forces team for the movie, but that has not been confirmed. Medical examiners determined that the captain died naturally of hypertensive cardiovascular disease with chronic alcoholism listed as a contributory cause, E! Part of Operation Salam's agenda was also to impart mine awareness to Afghan refugees to identify mines and undertake due precautions. 5th Group was reactivated 21 September 1961 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Video shows teen who escaped from captivity in Nevada 2 hours ago It was put on display across from Ground Zero in 2012. Terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into New Yorks Twin Towers and the Pentagon. "They didn't expect us to survive," Mark Nutsch said. He's commanded Green Berets in combat and trained candidates attending the Special Forces Qualification Course. It took just a few months for American and Afghan forces to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan; thus ousting them from power. To prepare for Task Force Dagger, ODA 595 pored over National Geographic and tourist maps as they studied up on the regional personalities. When used in concert with armed helicopters, Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle hovercraft, and support from Air Force reconnaissance planes, Navy river patrol boats, and artillery, these watercraft enabled "telling victories over the Viet Cong" and turned the flood season into a significant tactical advantage for the United States.