Following the September 11 attacks, Captain Mitch Nelson leads a U.S. Special Forces team, consisting of 12 soldiers, who are deployed to Afghanistan as the first American troops to take on the Taliban. Their mission involves teaming up with General Dostum of the Northern Alliance to take over the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif from the Taliban's control. Facing challenging terrain, they must make a treacherous journey on horseback, adapting quickly to unfamiliar guerrilla warfare tactics while fostering a fragile alliance with Dostum, who has his own methods and motivations.

As the soldiers advance, they engage in deadly combat with the Taliban fighters and navigate the complex political landscape of their involvement. Their resolve is tested by immense danger and the cultural divide between them and their Afghan allies. The team’s strategy relies heavily on coordinating airstrikes while relying on horseback mobility to overcome numerically superior Taliban forces. The soldiers witness the harsh realities of war and the resilience required to endure in such an environment, realized through a compelling combination of action and emotional intensity.