Operational Detachment Alpha 574

Operational Detachment Alpha 574 is a part of the United States Army's Third Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. At the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom it operated in Afghanistan to help defeat the insurgent Taliban and create conditions for the establishment of a democratic government in Afghanistan. Jason Amerine was noted for leading the group in several battles of the Invasion of Afghanistan.^[1]

Invasion of Afghanistan

ODA 574 from Alpha Company, 3rd Btn, 5th SFG^[2] deployed from Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (nicknamed K2 by the Special Forces) just outside of Tarin Kowt on 14 November, accompanied by Pashtun militia leader, Hamid Karzai, who was returning from exile.

Friendly fire incident

As Karazai’s forces pushed south towards Kandahar, a possible error by an attached United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party on 5 December Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) fell short of its intended target, 100 yard from their position. It killed Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald "Donnie" Davis, Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, and Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory and twenty members of Karzai’s militia. Five other members of ODA 574 and Karzai were wounded. Five minutes after the friendly fire incident, Hamid Karzai was notified by a satellite phone call that he’d been selected to lead Afghanistan’s new interim government.^[3][4]

Capture of Kandahar

Assisted by ODA 586 soldiers from Bravo Company, 3rd Btn, 5th SFG, with reinforcements from ODA 750 (Bravo Company, 2nd Btn, 7th SFG) and ODA 523 (Bravo Company, 1st Btn, 5th SFG), Karzai was able to negotiate the surrender of Taliban forces around Kandahar. ^[5][6]

Nicknamed "Texas 12" (Texas One-Two), the group comprised 12 U.S Green Berets under command of Captain Jason Amerine. They worked side-by-side with the militia, who were led by Hamid Karzai. Their primary objective was to capture the Islamic spiritual center in the city of Kandahar. To capture the province. it was necessary to first capture the town of Tarin Kowt. The civilians of the town overthrew the Taliban governor, so Karzai and Amerine moved in to help defend it. The 12 Americans of ODA 574, assisted by U.S. close air support and 35 Afghans, successfully defended Tarin Kowt against 1,000 Taliban insurgents delivered by 100 trucks.

Assisting the local militia, they helped to defeat the Taliban further along the Arghandab River and at Shawali Kowt and Sayyd Alma Kalay. These victories were the key to the Kandahar Campaign, ending when Kandahar fell to US Marines. When Kandahar fell, Karzai became the interim president of Afghanistan, so Alpha 574's goal was complete.

Awards

For their bravery in Afghanistan, Operational Detachment Alpha 574 was awarded three Silver Stars, four Bronze Star Medals for Valor, three Bronze Star Medals, and eleven Purple Hearts. Amerine himself was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.^[7]

References