An illustrated study of the development and operations of the special forces of the coalition's army and Afghanistan from 2009 until their withdrawal in 2021.

In late 2008, the clearly inadequate strength of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) prompted the deployment of troops in numbers that could not be sustained long-term. This gap was filled in 2009 when a newly established special operations command (ANASOC) within the Afghan military began working with ISAF to conduct counterterrorism operations against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIL-K.

However, while the scope of operations never diminished, many NATO countries decreased their contributions from 2012 onward, leading to an overly optimistic expansion of ANASOC and weaker relations between it and the US/NATO command.

In this compelling study, former US Marine Corps officer John Parkinson draws from his firsthand experience to examine how these series of events led to the final fall of Kabul and the tumultuous, hurried withdrawal of coalition forces in 2021.

Eight new full-color illustrations depict the wide range of equipment and uniforms used by special forces and are complemented by a series of previously unpublished photographs.