PCpl Mark Angelo Mata Serrano

Movie Review

12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after
9/11; under the leadership of a new captain, the team must work with an Afghan warlord
to take down the Taliban. The True Story of the Army's Special Forces "Green Berets",
who within weeks responded to the 9-11 attack. Green Berets, with the help of the
160th SOAR(A), took over the country and allowed other Special Forces and the rest of
the conventional military to begin the more publicly visible war.
Mitch Nelson, a U.S. 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 Lieutenant Colonel 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.
ODA 595 is inserted covertly in Afghanistan aboard an MH-47 Chinook flown by 160th
SOAR on 19 October 2001.[6] They land 40 miles south of Mazar-i Sharif, the country's
fourth-largest city and a longtime stronghold of the Taliban, where they meet Dostum.
Six of the 12 members, led by Nelson, leave with Dostum to the mountains, while the
other six remain in a fortified camp nicknamed "The Alamo" under Spencer's command.
Dostum is attempting to capture the northern Afghanistan city, while battling Taliban
leader Mullah Razzan, who rules local communities brutally under strict Sharia law, and
has murdered several people, including Dostum's family. Although the warlord is initially
skeptical of Nelson's abilities, Nelson gradually earns Dostum's respect. In one battle,
however, Dostum makes a tactical error, costing several casualties. Nelson accuses
Dostum of acting carelessly with the lives of his men and of withholding valuable
information, while Dostum retorts that he still feels that Nelson, and the U.S. are not
willing to pay the potential price of the conflict, and tells Nelson that he needs to use his
heart and mind to "be a warrior" instead of a soldier. The two eventually reconcile, and,
after splitting off a three-man element under SFC Sam Diller to strike a Taliban supply
route, and being joined by Spencer's half of ODA 595, continue to work together. They
win several victories with Dostum's leadership and manpower and American airpower,
making significant progress towards Mazar-i Sharif. Suddenly, however, Spencer
informs Nelson that another ODA, 555, has been dispatched to support Atta
Muhammad, another Northern Alliance leader, who is Dostum's political rival. When
Nelson is forced to tell Dostum, the furious warlord and his men promptly abandon 595.
Following Dostum's departure, Nelson plans to continue operating against the Taliban
with his Americans and the few Afghan fighters remaining with them. Encountering a
large force of Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters and armored vehicles, ODA 595, rejoined
by Diller and his element, uses air support to eliminate many of the fighters and most of
the armor, but are discovered and attacked. Spencer is critically injured by a suicide
bomber, and the team is about to be overrun under heavy Taliban and Al-Qaeda
pressure when Dostum returns with his forces. Carrying out the U.S. Army's first cavalry
charge of the 21st century, the American and Northern Alliance forces disperse the
Taliban and al-Qaeda, and Dostum tracks down and kills Razzan. After Spencer is
medevaced, Nelson and Dostum continue to Mazar-i-Sharif but find Atta Muhammad
has beaten them there. Against expectations, Dostum and Muhammad meet peacefully
and put aside their differences. Impressed by Nelson and the Americans' efforts,
Dostum gives Nelson his prized riding crop and tells him that he will always consider
Nelson a brother and fellow fighter, at the same time bidding him remember that
Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. Spencer ultimately survives, and all 12 soldiers
of ODA 595 return home after 23 days of almost continuous fighting in Afghanistan.

The film's penultimate moment shows a photo of the Horse Soldier Statue at the World
Trade Center in New York City, based on the soldiers of ODA 595 and their victory in
the early stages of the response to the September 11th attacks, dedicated to all United
States Special Forces. The film then ends with a photo of the actual members of ODA
595, in combat fatigues, upon whom 12 Strong was based.
The following are the Lessons From 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the
Horse Soldiers:
1. The Families Of Great Leaders Pay A Great Price As Well – Early in the movie,
the film does a great job showing the price the families of America’s elite special
forces play.  Because of their responsibilities and demands on their time, families
often pay a high leadership price as well.
2. Children Can Easily Be Marginalized In A Leader’s Life – Green Beret Sam
Diller’s wife said, “Spend time with the kids.  I know what I signed up for.  They
don’t.”
3. Captain Nelson, played by Chris Hemsworth, his wife said, “I’m a soldier’s wife.
I’m lucky... All I’ve had to worry about is malaria.”
4. There Should Be Nothing Better For Leaders Than Coming Home – His wife
added, “I don’t care how long you’ve gone as long as I know you’re coming
back.”
5. Calendars Can Create Urgency – When the team of Task Force Dagger arrived
in Afghanistan, they were given six months to complete their mission.  Because
of an incoming winter season, they were forced to complete it in three weeks.
6. Leaders Are Forced To Make Hard Decisions – Nelson was asked, “How do you
leave your family you love then go to war?”
7. Leaders Start With Why – Colonel Mulholland told Nelson, “The most important
thing a man can take into war is a reason why.”
8. Leaders Keep Things Simple – Nelson was told by his troops, “Your only goal is
keeping us alive.”
9. “The only way home is winning.”
10. Successful Leaders Have A Uniquely Positive Perspective On The Challenges
They Face – When facing what appeared to be an insurmountable Al-Qaeda
army, one soldier remarked, “Out-numbered 5000-to-1.  That’s a target rich
environment.”
11. Great Leaders Go First – Knowing they were the first ones into Afghanistan after
9-11, Nelson said, “We are the test flight.”
12. Lasting Leaders Have Integrity – Nelson said, “I made her a promise I’m coming
home.  I’m not writing her a letter telling her I broke it.”
13. Great Leaders Are Bridge Builders – “It’s good to know the language of your
enemies.”