Everything changed when two 82nd Airborne Paratroopers tragically drowned in the muddy Bala Murghab River while trying to retrieve vital supplies from an airdrop that had gone terribly wrong. In that one moment, the focus and purpose of the friendly forces at Forward Operating Base Todd changed for good. When this type of tragedy occurs, all hell breaks loose. No more games.
With the assistance of U.S. Marine Special Operations (MARSOC) Team 8222, a massive clearing operation was initiated to break the Taliban’s stranglehold on the valley and its people. Bala Murghab had been a Taliban stronghold since the war began in 2001. Murghab is a village in the Badghis Province in northwestern Afghanistan. It is the center of the Murghab District which is nearby the ruins of the medieval town of Marw al-Rudh. More importantly, it was home of Forward Operating Base Todd.
It took over seven months of fighting, but in the end, American Special Forces couldn’t be denied.
Here is some footage of the intense firefights that took place between U.S. forces and insurgents:
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