ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the first-hand account of Special Forces officer Mark E. Mitchell, one of the “horse soldiers” who deployed into Afghanistan only weeks after the 9/11 attacks. It details the successes and challenges encountered by this vanguard group of American soldiers who played a critical role in routing the Taliban and al-Qaida. The chapter reveals how the Central Intelligence Agency and Special Operations Forces—supported by U.S. airpower—stunned the Taliban and sent them into retreat, allowing the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance and other resistance forces to take power in Afghanistan.
