Mitch Nelson , a US Army Captain with Green Berets Operational Detachment Alpha ( ODA ) 595 , is moving into a new home with his wife and daughter on September 11 , 2001 , after receiving an assignment to staff duty under LTCol . Bowers . As news of the devastating terrorist attacks that day break , Nelson volunteers to lead 595 into Afghanistan . Bowers initially refuses , but veteran soldier CW5 Hal Spencer , previously scheduled to retire , persuades Bowers to give Nelson command of 595 again , as well as volunteering himself for the deployment . After leaving their families , 595 travels to Uzbekistan on October 7 , 2001 . After being briefed and evaluated by COL Mulholland , Commander of 5th Special Forces Group , Nelson and 595 are picked to fight alongside Northern Alliance leader Abdul Rashid Dostum
devastating terrorist attacks that day
September 11 attacks
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