Okay, I decided to watch 12 strong because I am interested in the war's early days. My ex roomate is no in a Special forces ODA group. (Operational Detatchment A) The smallest SF team. This one had 12. According to this feel good action story. "Declassified". This movie was good but the story is public domain and the movie is just inaccurate. It passes these events off as if this is exactly what happened but only to further the courageous heroes' credibility and awesomeness before you watch.
Overall a good pump you up movie feel good about our country type ut wit inaccuracies, I'll go into just a few.
Anyway, the plot is simple but Ill analyze it just a bit. 12 soldiers, ODA 595, is harded but have an untesguntested leader. They prove tneir the best for the job a d are pick to go to Afghanistan, meet a contact, and fight with a man named General Dostum. Then they must fight alongside his militia while providing air support.
No big deal, but that means the team most likely, and did, have an Air Force Combat Controller with them. He would be the one who would organize the planes and call in almost all of them. The scence where the captain calls in the targets 'too far away' and moves up is true.
Anyway I believe at one point they had more than one CIA officer with them. They probably had a couple delta guys, plausably a sniper team near/with them. We know there were more than 12 Spec ops personnel and it was more likely ups to maybe 20 men, although half were intially split up.
Dostum was one of the most powerful warlords in arms. He probably had more than horses (and he had trucks). The decision to split up was probably made by the A Team, or ODA. While on the subject of the General, Ne did lead beautiful cavalry maneuvers and Attacks from the front. He did not shoot his rival in the head. He was actually listed as wounded in action.
Also, there were two other teams in the country at the same time. That not even mentioning dozens of CIA SAD personnel, even 2 FBI agents later (one of wnich was a woman). Tnere were team ODA 555 "Triple Nickle" and ODA 574 in the south. They may have had the hardest job, and accomplished it. .ated they literally had a bomb dropped on them by a mistaken Air Force pilot. You can read all about their story in the book "The Only Thing Worth Dying For", written by the captain on the ground, one of the survivors.
The purpose of the above is to show that the film may be 'declassified' but years earlier. Also that the scene where they have a dozen teams being interviewed to see who'll get the assignment is bogus 100%.
The team did spilt up into 4 groups towards the end and one man was wounded. It was a great American Afghani victory, but the city of Mazar-I-Sharif was not taken in the movie though you're given the impression it was. Gen. Dostum let the warlord led by ODA 555 take the City and Dostum even tried to take it from them at one point. Tnis is what we were calling the "Northern Alliance"
Ok, since this is turning into a history lesson I'll wrap it up. I wouldn't waste my money on this. I actually think there will be a wave of movies like this whose ultimate goal is to pump up Americans...and recruit.
With and uncertain future regarding North Korea and the Syrian and I S I L bloodshed, I believe the military is trying to bolster its ranks, just in case. Or for something planned.
Let's discuss it. We can keep it light and discuss our favorite scenes. I liked the obviously fake kid they put in the movie to guard the black soldier. I like the part where he pees.
We can go much deeper here and discuss foreign policy, the Afghan surge recently, your impressions of the film, ticket prices, Trump, Kim Jong Un, I S I L, movies as propoganda, etc. Thanks for Reading!