All language subtitles for Fighting Season s01e04 The Tiger of the Tangi

Previously on The Fighting Season. Just
south of Kabul lies the Tangi Valley, a

Taliban stronghold. The Afghan army will
go into the valley and they will secure

the insurgents. We're just there to
advise and assist.

The Afghans will have very limited
resources to exploit success up there.

That's the challenge.

Deputy Marty Fox, the shadow governor
for all of Zalman, is now tasked with

ensuring lethal aid makes its way into
Afghanistan.

I mean, there are motorcycles hauling
ass all over here right now. That's like

the fifth one I've seen here.

Motorcycles are directly associated with
the Taliban.

All of us have heard the statement when
we first came here.

All the Afghan army has to do is be a
little bit better than the Taliban.

Just a little bit better.

That's not true.

They've got to be a lot better.

Way better.

Today, Afghans are dying at a high rate
compared to our service members.

And that's a true testament of their
hard work and the ownership that...

They are the ones who will defend not
just Kabul, but keep Afghanistan safe

stable. And the people in Afghanistan
have to feel secure, they have to feel

safe, and they're not going to feel safe
and secure with American soldiers

patrolling. They're going to feel safe
and secure with their own soldiers

patrolling. So the Afghan National
Security Forces are just an extension of

Afghan government.

The rules of engagement are the rules of
engagement, and they're the rules of

engagement for a reason, because we
fight according to certain principles.

The second we violate those principles,
we are no different from the insurgents

that we are chartered with fighting
against.

Task Force White Devil is en route to a
high mountain pass on the border with

Pakistan.

Intelligence indicates that a large
shipment of lethal aid, explosives,

and fighters intended to derail the
upcoming elections will move through

pass in the next 24 hours.

We always got in the back of your mind,
it could be your time to

go, but it's your time to go, it's your
time to go.

I really don't dwell on the what if.

I mean, whatever happens, happens.

You know, I haven't seen anybody with
that look of fear in their eyes. You

they pretty much know that we're going
out there and we're going to get after

it. And whatever happens, happens.

So it is what it is.

Second, you get dropped off out in the
middle of nowhere.

You got to have your game face on.

Once you've brought this one fixed, once
they're in front of you, you can just

lead them to where we need to go.

You got to have that discipline or else
someone could get hurt.

Route Duck may be a dirt road, but it is
a highway for the transportation of

lethal aid from Pakistan.

Charlie Company will lock down Route
Duck and the surrounding trails.

First and second platoons will take
overwatch positions on opposite ridges.

while 3rd Platoon mans two traffic
control points on Route Duck.

The discharge with intel is 0 -1. We had
two ISAR platforms.

ISAR is Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance.

The intel indicates the Taliban are
present and active, and that enemy

can be expected.

2 -0 -6 -9.

Possible Taliban location.

They went back down the northern side of
the ridge.

On the way up, we saw two dudes. They
were right there, and they had a light.

Roger.

After they flashed the light, we have
not seen any backs over there.

I think when they saw lust, they decided
to roll out because they didn't want to

die.

There was a couple of spotters just
northeast of their location.

Henchmen wasn't able to acquire with
their FMV, but we picked up their

so we knew that they were talking about
us. They said, hey, the tanks are at the

gate.

As soon as they got off those
helicopters, as soon as they started

up to the high ground,

Taliban reconnaissance element bugged
out.

I

mean,

these guys were so confident, by the
way, that they are on the top of the

flying the Taliban flag.

But as soon as we started up, they left.
And we didn't get them, but they left.

They called their bosses, and their
bosses called their bosses, and so on

forth. And that area was shut down at
that moment.

Yeah,

they booby -trapped the flag.

Get the tappers up there and get your
boys spread out.

Let's talk to Sergeant Reynolds. There's
a potential IED up here.

It's 1 -6.

We're up at the grid for our OP.

The ANA are saying there's an IED
directly in front of the formation

Sending staffers up right now to check
it out over.

Where at? Over here?

Yeah. All right.

I literally, like, I walked up and I put
my foot, like, right here and these,

like, those stacked rocks, there's IED
probably right there. I'm like, holy

shit. So I'm like, fuck, that's why I
tried to get everybody to stop and back

up, and then everybody kept coming to
me.

We found another fighting position.

Really? It's a possible IED, so we're
clear right now.

Yeah, that was just rock, man.

This is all clear up here.

Many rocks in this region have a high
metallic content, which makes for false

positives and slow going.

What do you do if you find an IED?

Blow it up.

3rd Platoon's mission is to set up
checkpoints along Route Duck, but first

must check the area for IEDs.

Roger, we're going to clear a path
across the wadi, and we're going to

that road that's on the far side. Over.

I'm getting a hit right here.

Back the fuck up.

All right.

If it is something, there ain't no
chance of two of you going out.

Might be a rock. It looks like rock
everywhere and shit.

As the sappers move forward, they mark
the safe path with chalk.

We're just about done with the first
spot for TPP -1, and then we're going to

head to TPP -2.

Convict 6, convict 1 -6.

You got one bike coming north on our
lead now?

Roger. Yeah, we got one motorcycle
moving north up Route Duck. We got a

motorcycle with two personnel on it.

Oh, I see him, I see him. You see the
motorcycle?

Yep, he's going the other way.

He turned around.

We had a motorcycle coming up.

He was about maybe a click, click and a
half.

And I think he spotted us on the
mountain. Something didn't look right to

so he turned his motorcycle around.

Roger, one moto, two pack.

In this area, motorcycles are illegal.

Only guys who ride on them are police.

Onlookers conducting IPB soak picked up
this motorcycle with two packs on it.

The passenger continues to just hang
around him with this long -barreled

Two men on a motorcycle with a weapon
are definitely suspicious, but the White

Devils need to confirm that they pose a
credible threat.

The henchman right now has eyes on. It
says it's a bolt -action rifle, so

probably not an AK.

Probably like a Lee -Enfield type.

And right now they're continuing on
north, which right now the rifle in and

itself does not meet the threshold of
hostile act, hostile intent.

I mean, the guy could be going deer
hunting for all we know. Exactly.

He just has a really sweet weapon.

You're not a real man if you get an AK.

But if the riders display hostile
intent, the white devils can use lethal

The Tangi Valley, an insurgent
stronghold.

The Russians lost two divisions here,
and the U .S. suffered its deadliest

attack of the Afghan war, when a Chinook
carrying 38 servicemen was shot down by

a Taliban RPG.

The Taliban control this valley, just 69
kilometers from the capital, Kabul.

The Taliban in the Tangi Valley are a
direct threat to the security of the

elections in the capital.

With a vote just five days away,
Clearing the Tangi is critical to

potential attacks.

But this time, the Afghan National Army
will go it alone.

The coalition will only provide support
and advice.

The Afghans will be the only force
clearing the valley.

General Haight of the 10th Mountain
Division flies over the valley on his

FOB Lightning, where he will meet with
his team to discuss the ANA's mission

to confirm the U .S.'s support.

Carry on, please.

Yes, sir.

I did get a really good brief back from
Major Glenn in terms of what the

operation the 4th Brigade is going to
conduct to clear the insurgents from the

Tangi Valley before their elections.

The only road in the Tangi Valley winds
through rural villages, and if the

Afghan 4th Brigade can control this
route...

They can help prevent potential attacks
in Kabul.

I think this will be a very critical
area because I believe the enemy will

here. If we see any movement in here, we
can help provide them with the ISR and

CAS. Yes, sir.

That would be the best way we can help
them. Air support will be coordinated

from the Tactical Operations Center at
FOB Lightning.

But the mission will stage from Baraki
Barak, an ANA tactical command post on

the east side of the valley.

Currently, they do have a joint tactical
operations center there in Baraki

Barak. I already talked to Major Glenn
in case we do have to provide them some

type of close air support or air weapons
team. And we'll be prepared when this

starts tomorrow morning. Sounds good,
Sam. Okay. Great.

Thank you. All right. Hold, sir.

Under the cover of darkness, the Afghan
National Army begins its mission to

clear the Taliban from the Tangi.

without U .S. military ground support.

Under General Razik's command, two
Afghan battalions will start from

ends of the tangy road and push towards
the center to clear the Taliban from the

valley until the two forces link up at a
spot marked by two antenna towers.

Back at FOB Lightning, U .S. forces
monitored the start of the mission.

Attention to the top. Attention to the
top. The ANA commandos, they're

moving to the support by fire position.

It would be a completely ANA -led thing
with their own intel.

They have their own intel. Yes, their
own intel that's saying there's like 200

bad dudes, Taliban, in all these various
pockets throughout Tangi.

Afghan Special Forces commandos provide
overwatch from the southern ridgeline as

the ANA pushes into the valley.

This is Tangi out of back.

General Razik's men work from opposite
ends of the Tangi Road.

clearing villages and establishing
checkpoints to maintain control.

And it's not long before the TAC gets
word of an attack.

This is the TAC. This is the Corps.

ANA is receiving small -arm fire.

A &A is still in contact, still pinned
down. They are receiving small arms and

now receiving heavy weapons fire.

The A &A commandos, the closest friendly
to the insurgents, they are currently

moving back to the support by fire
position.

The ANA regulars on the ground and the
commandos on the ridgeline push the

Taliban towards the center of the
valley.

But soon their forward movement grinds
to a halt.

But the

Afghans may have

created a problem.

We can't have them shoot right now
because of the helicopters around BBK.

Hey, this is Major John Rastel. Hey, so
you're tracking our rods right now,

correct? Yeah.

We've got CAS, we've got ISR overhead.

The Afghans have failed to coordinate
with FOB Lightning, which has attack

helicopters in the area. We're going to
stop the Afghans from shooting, but...

but I'm confused at where we're
conflicted.

This should be simple deconfliction, and
I think we're failing to meet it. So

we'll hold them from shooting right now.

If you guys get any more information on
that, if you could push it my way, it

would be much appreciated.

Okay.

Are they still looking at the enemy? Do
they still see the enemy?

But the Taliban regroup and fight back.

On the other side of the valley, IEDs
slow the progress of the Western

Battalion.

And without sophisticated equipment,
neutralizing IEDs is slow and tedious.

If

an

IED can't be disarmed, it must be
detonated.

This specialist has neutralized
thousands of IEDs.

Still,

every IED encounter threatens a sudden
and violent death.

Once the detonator is set and the area
around it cleared,

The battalion can move on. But just
another few yards.

Hey, Jurassic.

There's like an IED every fucking 50
meters.

Yeah. So we're not getting all those
reports of IEDs. They're just blowing

in place.

I'd be curious to see if we could get an
actual roll -up of at least how many of

them they just blew as they went.

Right now I'm tracking there's only
probably about 10. We're kind of running

own little body count and like results
that we'll roll up when we're finally

done with this thing.

No, I got you.

On the eastern side of the Tangi, the
firefight continues.

And so does the resistance to advancing.

And without artillery support or more
troops, General Razik's men come to a

standstill.

The gate commander, he said they should
push forward.

The candidate commander, he said, I'm
not going to push forward.

Okay.

All right, touch the core, my friend.

Hey, man, how's it going?

Right now I'm tracking a 7th candidate
has reached Ghost and Feared, but

gone. Yeah. They just don't have enough
elements to secure and keep going.

That's what I think General Hayden
Yatali is coming for.

All right, so bottom line, they're going
to stay there for the time being.

Whether or not they continue to clear
tomorrow, I'll be contingent on a

conversation between the 4th Brigade
Commander, General Rozik, and the 2nd

3rd Corps Commander, General Yiftali.

Roger. Yeah, General Rozik, what I'm
getting at, without any more forces,

operation is over.

Near the border with Pakistan.

Third Platoon Charlie Company is also at
a standstill as they clear a location

for the second traffic control point.

If it's a mosque, we can't go in it.

ANA can. We can't.

So they have to wait for the ANA to come
examine the building.

The building is not a mosque.

It's for burial?

For dead people?

Yeah. Yeah.

This is a cemetery.

Okay. Yeah.

This is a cemetery.

Somebody's in there. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

This is the second control point.

Right here? Yeah.

Anybody traveling in that area?

We stopped them and searched them to
make sure they're not trying to take out

weapons, take out explosives, take out
Taliban personnel.

Two packs on this motorcycle, they
stopped about seven times. And every

they stop out, the driver gets out,
tries to get comms on.

They make stops in each village. And in
the middle of town, and the guy driving

the motorcycle, when he hops off of the
bike in each of these villages, people

come out and greet him.

So that's a clear indicator that, A,
people know who he is, and, B, he's of

importance if people are coming to him
and he's not making his round to

individual compounds inside his village.

He's got PID on a push -to -talk system
with a large antenna.

What's interesting about these two
individuals is that ever since they've

moving for the past two and a half
hours, they've been hand rallying all

main routes. They've been driving, you
know, zigzagging back and forth. They

to avoid all the main routes.

Every place that he has stopped, he's
not dropped off.

It's not a resupply.

We can only believe at this time that
he's passing along information at each

those locations that has something to do
with something that he's trying to

organize. What that is.

We don't know.

For now, my platoon is just
overwatching, providing early

warning to third platoon, who's over
here setting up traffic control points

search and interrogate anyone using the
route.

And then second platoon is doing the
same thing as us, but over on the other

side of Route Duck.

We're sitting there, you know, it's been
a pretty quiet day.

One of the riflemen at one of the
blocking positions calls up to the

and is like, hey, like, there's this guy
just sitting down here.

Oh, did you see that guy pop up?

Yeah, they've been watching him, sir.

That's that same guy.

Yep, that was down here. Yeah.

Captain Adams sent me and one of the
linguists down there.

I'll tag along.

You can ask me questions if you want.

Why was he sitting here for so long?

You need the flashlight.

Well, but I can't willingly give him a
flashlight that has batteries.

You can use them for IEDs, for powering
devices.

I mean, they'll take eight dead
batteries, tape them together, wire them

together, complete the circuit, and then
connect it to an IED, and it's a solid

charge.

Just tell them we don't have any
flashlights here.

Yeah, bye -bye.

Can you speak more about Pakistani
influence in the valley?

The father, you know, proved to give us
some pretty good information.

He stated that the Taliban are
constantly coming through that area.

Are they spreading their propaganda?

He says that they try to, but the people
there are very proud, and they're not

going to be bought.

This is what Afghanistan really is. Not
Kandahar, not Kabul, but just farmers,

shepherds, doing what they have to do to
survive.

That's why I don't hold any grudges
against Afghani people.

As Sergeant Hall and his team climb back
up the hill, his squad mates have

spotted the motorcycle.

It's back on the move.

They look like they're both pushing
north now.

Same packs, PID.

We've got movement out of the compound.
Same two individuals that we were

tracking previously out of the
motorcycle and headed out. The overhead

have identified that at least one of the
individuals has an item swung on his

back, and right now they're attempting
to confirm what that item is.

Sir, one of you is carrying an RPG
weapon.

Pass the derby.

Pass the derby.

We continued to observe.

We were working the kinetic strike
piece.

Several factors went into play.

A, we had to confirm that the suspected
RPG launcher was in fact an RPG

launcher. All right, before taking again
the idea, second time in a row, RPG.

We also confirmed it through ANA
channels. You know, we had

confirmed with them that they didn't
have it.

any of their guys riding around in
civilian clothes with RPGs on their

they came back to us with, yeah, we're
hearing chatter on...

Taliban radio that this guy's on the
move and this is who he is.

ANA was just letting us know that the
guys we've been tracking, those guys are

definitely Taliban.

Basically, they set IEDs along the main
route there. So we should definitely

take them out if we have the chance.

They declared, yes, those are RPG
rounds. We've got an RPG launcher.

So at that point, the threshold was met
to engage based off of hostile intent

being established.

But just like in most matters of life
and death, There is a lawyer involved.

And the talk team must convince a JAG, a
judge advocate general, that they have

met the stringent requirements for a
lethal strike.

We talked to the ANS staff. They had
chatter about this guy's movement.

It's also a known bad guy area that the
ANA just passed off to us. The ANA are

saying, one, they're not ALP, two,
they're not ANA, and three, that they

Taliban.

And then the fact that it's a prestige
weapon system. Yeah, it's not like he's

just rolling around with an AK.

Yeah, it makes it a threat to ANA and
theft.

That RPG represents a clear threat to
the rotary wing aircraft that we have

operating in the area.

Is there a rotary wing aircraft
operating in the area right now?

Well, not this second, but they come and
go. They come and go pretty regularly.

You guys are building a perfectly fine
picture.

The biggest thing is you're not really
able to rely on the ANSF intelligence.

I mean, you have to kind of individually
verify pins.

Yeah, I think we just did. ANA just
verified what we already expected. Yeah,

actually established it first.

We directed the ISR asset that was
overhead, so followed that individual.

single village that he stopped in was
identified as a known bed -down location

for regionally affluent members of the
Taliban.

The paladin picture you overlaid, what
he's doing indicates that he has found

the Taliban.

Okay, yeah, no, I think we're all on the
same page. I appreciate it.

Certainly the rules of engagement were
clear that this is a Taliban fighter,

we are cleared to engage.

However, a lot of things have to line up
for us to do it safely and for us to

ensure that we don't create civilian
casualties and that we ultimately

and protect the populace.

They're going to make sure they clear
air safe, and then that way they'll be

able to strike once they're in no
collateral damage concern.

As we

were

sorting out the rules of engagement, we
were not able to clear the collateral

damage concern.

I made his way into the building.

He had gone into a house which we can't
engage because there's just a danger of

there being women and children there,
civilians.

And civilian casualties is not something
that's acceptable for us. It's

frustrating, but it's not wrong.

You don't want to be wrong about
something like taking a human life, you

We use a lot of restraint, and I'm
actually proud of that. I mean, we've

recognized over the years it is much
more detrimental.

to make a strike and to be wrong than to
allow a situation to develop and be

patient and monitor and make sure that
you're right.

Afghan General Razak's mission to clear
the Tangi Valley, a Taliban stronghold

just 69 kilometers from Kabul, has
ground to a halt.

If the Afghans cannot coordinate more
support and troops, the mission will

and the Taliban will retain a vital
stronghold for launching attacks against

elections.

With the mission in crisis, General
Haidt joins the commanders in Baraki

for an emergency meeting.

General Yaftali is the 203rd Corps
commander and General Razek's commanding

officer and is in charge of the ANA
brigades who are clearing the Tangi

We've had some reflections that they're
really starting to get into the

dangerous area of the valley right now.

Afghan meetings are confusing.

They're a little more emotional.

And every now and then, yeah, we double
our high blood pressure medicine for the

night before.

General Haidt's interpreter helps him
follow the conversation.

There is bad blood about the lack of
coordination.

the operation, you're going to see a lot
of commanders.

If you want me to stay for more days as
co -commander, sir, tell the commander

to show me your balls.

I like you guys, but I'm fucking pissed
off.

Be patient, General.

We're all one team, so we're going to
assist.

So that's why I came down here.

Very polite.

Don't piss me off.

If you're going to occupy all those high
grounds, have enough force to search

and all that, if I don't have these guys
with my current force, we're not going

to be effective.

We're going to take out you.

I have a question about the corps
commander and the other general officers

General Razik, when do you feel like you
have...

You will have completed the mission.
What conditions do you want?

If you want me to continue, if I get
more to work, I'm ready to continue the

operation. I would encourage you to
close that forward kilometer distance,

in the middle with the forces in the
west and the forces in the east.

Right now, it's briefly killed 15 enemy,
wounded 23.

capture 10 IEDs, two mortar systems. So
this is very possible to get through

this and get this done.

I mean, we have a strong enough team. We
just need to coordinate how we're going

to do it together.

All I'm trying to help you do is employ
the forces that you do have, both

efficiently and effectively, because the
tangy is tough terrain. I know that.

Okay, yeah, identify the problem. That's
really, really good. Now the second

part of the paragraph is, you know, what
force do we throw at that to remedy

that problem?

Police, you can help. And this is where
General Roderick needs some more help.

First of all, he can't go into people's
houses and search.

He doesn't have arrest authority.

The police have to do it. So you've got
to provide him that.

I'm just going to order 200 very tough
fighters. So 200 additional force from

two different counties is going to show
up. Just go call them. The commander is

going to be with you, so they're going
to set the condition for you. This fight

is going to be much easier. It's not
going to be a problem. I want them all

just move forward, meet each other in
the middle, and finish this operation.

The purpose of this operation is to beat
the enemy and give freedom to our

people. Everybody works together in this
room.

The fact that they're kind of working
some stuff out, that's why we're here,

to try to help them employ their forces
well and keep advising them.

Winning is the government of
Afghanistan, taking the fight to the

moving forward.

Hey, everybody has problems. Not enough
ANP, not enough ANA, not enough

commandos. You told people what was
going on.

The good news is they've already
identified a fix to the problem. They're

to pull more forces, and they're ready
to go.

So that's the good news.

You are my brother.

Back near the Pakistan border, Task
Force White Devil's terrain denial

has shut down Route Duck.

RPG! Yeah!

There's a village up here to the north,
and there's a couple down here that they

may want to clear because they think
that there's some Taliban leadership in

these areas.

All right.

Good to go. Yeah. Go get them.

With the Afghan National Army gone, The
platoons keep a close eye on Route Duck

and wait. You guys got clear eyes all
the way down to that south village,

What we're waiting for is the motorcycle
with the RPG on it.

Or the donkey full of HME that's getting
moved.

Ask him if there's been anything going
on in either village, like anything

different.

Do they come from his village?

There's a pretty strong animal right
there.

I don't know. It's the local people who
say I don't have any information about

the Taliban.

But I can't believe it because they're
leaving this village and the Taliban is

scaring this village and I'm sure that
they have contact with the Taliban.

Right.

Back at the talk.

The White Devils maintain visual contact
with the confirmed Taliban.

Hey, what did he come back out with?

He just exited the building again. What
did he come back out with?

We continued to observe he and his
partner, got back on the motorcycle,

back in the direction of where they had
originated from.

So we had to ask that again.

Gained positive identification of the
RPG launcher, so we again went into the

drill of executing this kinetic strike.

Okay, so if they keep following down in
here, we've got another two and a half.

So you've got four take.

Before we could do that, they stopped
under a clump of trees. Several

individuals came from the local area,
linked up with the guys on the

They told me I got a nice little box
with sunburn.

I don't know if that's what it is.

Yeah Sunburn. Yep, nice sunburn. Sitting
on top of a mountaintop for, what, 20

hours?

Yeah.

90 % death.

10 % killing shit.

Yeah, sounds about right.

Whether you're moving or static, just
wearing all the equipment we have, you

sweat.

You can only carry so much water.

If you carry too much, that heavy load
causes you to sweat more, so, you know,

it's like self -defeating.

Hey, I'll get with Convict 5, but we're
going to do a drop at your location, and

we're going to do a drop in between
first and third.

ANA still hasn't come back from the
village. I don't think they're probably

going to come back until it's time to
go. Over.

Purple smoke marks the drop zone.

The ANA returned from the village empty
-handed and thirsty.

Back at the talk, all

eyes are on the trees where the Taliban
have stopped.

Once they hit the road, the TOC team
restarts the rules of engagement drill,

racing to get approval to strike before
the motorcycle gets to the next village.

All the athletes that we have on station
have to confirm that they're still

carrying the warheads and the RPGs.

Hey, of course there's a thing, the
weapon on the spag is a sling and a

magazine. You get the same thing?

Yeah.

They just came back and they TID'd that.
We're

going across the spag with the weapon on
the magazine.

They stopped 23 minutes ago. There were
two guys rolling wheelbarrows up to them

when they were stopping and moving the
tree.

What they're saying is they probably
could have stashed that RPG round or at

least something in the wheelbarrow.

We still have eyes on that individual,
but what they identified was that he no

longer had the weapon system that made
him a valid military target, according

the lawyers and us and everybody.

It's an easy answer.

And the Taliban know our rules of
engagement.

They know what they can do. They know
what they can get away with.

We're talking about human life.

We have this immense amount of power. We
have the ability to drop a bomb

anywhere we want to, at any time we want
to.

So, like Spider -Man says, with great
power comes great responsibility.

And the way you exercise responsibility
is through discretion.

At 1830, we're stepping.

With the mission ending, Charlie Company
prepares to return to base.

It seems like I've came to Afghanistan
and done a lot of waiting, waiting

for the Taliban to act up.

But today we have an achievement.

Bottom line, our mission was terrain
denial, and that's exactly what we did.

We did it so well that the enemy didn't
attempt to come down Route Duck.

For Route Duck, we hadn't committed any
forces. There were no SIGACs there for

around three years, which is saying
we're not observing it. There hasn't

force there to make contact.

There's no ISR flying over it. Well,
when we showed up that day, it was a big

red light to them to stop.

We took certain measures to make sure
that disrupt lasts after we're gone.

And what we've done is we've created
doubt.

There's probably a predator over there,
and if I send my guys out on a

motorcycle, they're going to get hit.

They're going to be neutralized, and
we're going to waste that asset.

Fear does.

I mean, it disrupts operations.

So we know. They don't know where our
forces are. And I imagine you felt the

fear as we were walking on patrol in the
middle of the night.

Are the enemy watching us?

Are they going to kill me now?

Well, they feel the same thing when
they're trying to pass stuff through a

valley and they just saw a huge company
sit down.

Imagine something coming out of the sky,
a Hellfire missile just taking you out.

That's what stops them from going
through that path.

So certainly, as the fighting season
progresses and they continue to take

losses, they are going to maybe get
sloppy, maybe get desperate, maybe look

places that they know they might not
want to go, and that just works in our

favor.

General Razik and his Afghan troops re
-engage the Taliban in a fight to clear

the insurgents from their stronghold,
the Tangi Valley.

As the ANA pushes through village after
village, the police clear the houses and

the IED specialists clear the roads.

Yard by yard, the two battalions push
towards the center of the valley.

Until finally, the two antenna towers
that mark the mission's primary

objective come into sight. And even more
welcome, the two battalions that have

fought from either side of the valley
finally link up.

All right, gentlemen, they're about a
half a click away from each other, so

they've just about linked up. Great job.
They couldn't have done it without you

guys.

We really see the fruits of the last 13
years of combat here. The Afghans found

numerous caches.

They destroyed from 15 to 20 IEDs. They
did kill 25 enemy.

They wounded around 30.

And our Afghan counterparts are really
out there doing most of the fighting

right now.

For now, the Taliban are cleared out of
the Tangi Valley, and the people come

out into the streets.

General Razik really understands the
environment and the people of

And he really could connect with his own
soldiers and the civilians. And that

charisma that he had was probably his
most powerful attribute that really

him an effective commander.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now that the Tangi Road has been
secured, the potential for peace is

here and in Kabul.

You can't kill your way out of this
place.

The only way you're going to win this,
or we're going to win this, is by...

assisting a government, and really that
government starts with the Afghan

military.

To celebrate the success of the mission,
General Razik invites Major Glenn to

share a meal. Tiger number one.

Why are you sitting down there? You're
sitting right here.

Security can take place, and the people
of Afghanistan respect their military,

they respect their police, they look at,
you know, a guy like General Razik, the

younger generation looks at him and
says, wow, I want to be like that guy.

I was telling my friends, one day I need
to get back to Kabul and see Kabul

again. It's the population deciding,
hey, these are the good guys. These are

guys that we want to be in charge.

That's what winning is.

Next time on The Fighting Season.

But we'd go in and get Arctic Fox off
the battlefield.

The white devils hunt Arctic Fox.
They're watching us.

Do you see any weapons or anything?

There you go.

But the fox makes the first move.

3 ,500 pounders. That's about the level
of this ship.

While in Kabul, hopes for a secure
election are tested.

Initial report of an explosion in a
hotel.

It hit Abdullah Abdullah's convoy.

It was big.

If they got him, this country will
fucking light the fuck up.