Battleground Afghanistan

★ 7.7 · 2013 · Documentary · Reality

A documentary series following a U.S. Marine captain and his team as they battle Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Episodes

▶1. First ContactCapt. Ben Middendorf must take his men into the most dangerous place in Afghanistan: the village of Keshmesh Khan in the Zamindawar region. Here, they must disrupt and destroy one of the last remaining pockets of resistance. Middendorf has not lost a single man, and he intends to keep it that way. Follow the 15-day operation that includes landing in the dead of night by helicopter with the Taliban waiting, and then patrolling the deadly open ground across the country's vast poppy fields.▶2. Bobby Traps and Poppy FieldsGolf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, under the command of Capt. Ben Middendorf, have 13 days for their mission of disrupting and destroying the Taliban, including destroying the Taliban's key funding sources: opium and heroin. Their next objective is Compound 10, a known drug baron's hideout. Capt. Middendorf splits his company into two squads and, accompanied by tanks, they enter the open fields of Afghanistan, totally exposed to fire and facing the even grimmer threat of IEDs.▶3. Fighting GhostsGolf Company is hard on the heels of a nearby Taliban command center in Zamindawar, one of the Taliban's last safe havens, which means they will do whatever it takes to defend it. Capt. Middendorf and his team manage weary and uncooperative citizens while battling ghosts mysterious Taliban fighters who evaporate every time U.S. forces approach. When the biggest firefight of their operation erupts, Capt. Middendorf finds his chance to outmaneuver the enemy.▶4. Trapped by the TalibanGolf Company, 14 days into their most grueling mission to date, have pinned down a Taliban command and control center. Taking it down means a night operation, and the threat of IEDs looms large. But before the mission is over, the men will still face a hair raising ride on an Osprey, and the challenge of keeping sharp in the face of exhaustion. And only weeks before heading home, they may have to face their worst nightmare.▶5. Homeward BoundGolf Company is on the verge of finally heading home after they clear a narcotics processing center, but they have one final operation to complete clear a nearby compound. The Marines are able to finish the job; however, on their way back to base, the men are separated by a fierce Taliban attack. As the assault increases in intensity, Capt. Middendorf's temporary HQ comes under heavy fire. Thankfully, Staff Sgt. Dusty Sampson comes to the rescue with his Javelin missile system.

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