The Only Thing Worth Dying For (21 page)

JD, flanked by Victor (L) and Brent (R), presents a toast to the Kazakhs on behalf of ODA 574 later that evening. (
ODA 574 archives
)

Dan (R) shakes hands with a Kazakh lieutenant pre-9/11. (
ODA 574 archives
)

Colonel John Mulholland, commander, Fifth Special Forces Group (
Kelley family archives
)

Major Chris Miller, ODA 574’s company commander who was sent to SOCCENT on September 17, with instructions from Mulholland to “Get Fifth Group into the fight.” (
Miller family archives
)

Chief of plans at SOCCENT in 2001, Major Bob Kelley, who with the other “True Believers” pushed for unconventional warfare in Afghanistan from the first crisis action planning meetings.(
Kelley family archives
)

From Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the team deployed to this “isolation” facility at forward operating base “K2” in Uzbekistan. (
ODA 574 archives
)

The last photo of ODA 574, taken upon arrival at K2, before the team went to war. Top row: Victor, Mike, Dan, Wes, JD, Ken. Front row, kneeling: Ronnie, Brent, Amerine, Mag. (
ODA 574 archives
)

J-Bad, Pakistan: the aircraft hangar where the AFSOC operations center was located. The larger building to the left was the Pakistani general’s headquarters. The building in the center background was the “safe house” where ODA 574 planned the bulk of the insurgency with Karzai. (
USAF/TSgt. Scott Reed
)

Amerine with Lieutenant Colonel Steve Hadley at J-Bad, a few days into the planning. (
Hadley family archives
)

Hamid Karzai, a former Afghan statesman, still relatively unknown on the international stage, during the planning of his insurgency, early November. (
ODA 574 archives
)

During the infiltration, each team member was given a “Blood Chit” similar to this, which read in seven local languages: “I am an American and do not speak your language. I will not harm you! I bear no malice towards your people. My friend, please provide me food, water, shelter, and necessary medical attention. Also please provide safe passage to the nearest friendly forces of any country supporting the Americans and their allies. You will be rewarded for assisting me when you present this number to American authorities.”

The men of ODA 574 on November 15, the day after the infiltration at Haji Badhur’s Cove, with their CIA counterparts, including Casper, Mr. Big, Charlie, and Zepeda (faces blacked out).(
ODA 574 archives
)