ATTENTION!! This translation has only 6 chapters, while the original has 22 chapters + epilogue. Please, whoever finds a translation of the missing chapters or does it yourself, complete the book. The most difficult thing I encountered when writing this book was trying to transfer the significance of those events onto paper and formulate their importance for the reader. This book is not only about a series of intense firefights that lasted for days, but also about the most strategically important battles in Afghanistan that you have never heard of, but the consequences of which had a direct impact on the war on terrorism. What was supposed to be a planned military operation designed by the International Assistance and Security Force to destroy known enemy hideouts soon turned violent A battle in which untested NATO troops played a central role pushed the Taliban and their foreign mercenaries to completely change the way they fight coalition forces. It was a difficult battle to hold the line against a resurgent enemy, and a catalyst for rethinking what it would take for the United States and its allies to continue fighting the war. The initial phase of Operation Medusa lasted for almost two weeks in late summer 2006. The operation itself and its subsequent phases eventually spread throughout the fighting of the next few months. My team was one of the five that were directly involved in all phases of this operation and decided to remain in the troubled Panjwai area after the conclusion of Operation Medusa. Designated ODA 331, my team was ordered to clear an area the size of Rhode Island of Taliban and foreign mercenaries, reduce their influence, restore legitimate authority, and assist in securing this rural area. This difficult task was entrusted to 10 people. Such were the vicissitudes of the war. This story is my memories of the events experienced by me and my Special Forces detachment from August to September 2006. It will be an honest portrayal of Special Forces soldiers facing the challenges of Afghanistan. The language and humor are real, not always innocent and politically correct. There are no ulterior motives or hidden subtext in this project; this is in no way a reason for disputes or searching for those responsible. This is just a story about ordinary people who did incredible things in the face of enormous difficulties. All legal and operational nuances were observed in writing this book. I used only names and call signs to describe the characters in the story, with the exception of those people who have previously been mentioned in open sources. Some call signs have been changed for security reasons. In writing this book, I have done my best to comply with the safety requirements of the United States Army Special Operations Command and the requirements of good old common sense. In writing this story, I did not intend to raise anyone's rating or make any political statements. In depicting events, I strictly adhered to facts and not opinions. They either happened or they didn’t. To those who decided that I am an “armchair” expert who decided write a book about the events described, I will simply say that the credibility of this story comes not only from me, but also from the nearly three dozen cameramen, ISAF special operations commanders and Afghan National Army soldiers who served with me and who were subsequently interviewed for of this project to ensure its accuracy. Conversations and dialogues were reconstructed from their interviews, reports, my own notes and memories. These people were my compass, my guide on the platform of truth for this project. The Afghans have a Pashto saying “Dagga tse dagga da” - it is what it is. This is the story. This is our story. De opresso liber. March or Die. Rusty BradleyApril 2009Kandahar, Afghanistan Page translation