Those Who Face Death

Spring, 2003.

A small group of Special Forces and CIA operatives must establish a second front to tie down the Iraqi Army in the north to support the pending US-led invasion in the south.

The mission sounds simple. The reality is anything but.

The plan is to infiltrate into Iraq ahead of the invasion, link up with the Kurdish Peshmerga, and coordinate their efforts against the Iraqi Army.

The Peshmerga, which translates to those who face death, have risen up several times in the recent past, only to be abandoned by the US and subsequently slaughtered by the Iraqi army.

Before the Special Forces have any chance of posing a viable threat to the Iraqi Army, they must first convince the Kurdish factions to put their differences aside, resolve the issue of Turkey's wavering support, and neutralize an Islamist group that has seized Kurdish territory along the Iraq-Iran border.

The details of the invasion are classified. The clock is ticking, and time is running out.

Once in Iraq, there will be no extraction, medical evacuation, or air support until the war begins. The Green Berets will be on their own.

Those Who Face Death is the incredible true story of this little-known special operation and a testament to the courage, skill, and perseverance of the US Special Forces in the face of overwhelming odds.

LTC (RET) Mark Grdovic served with the US Army for over 23 years, including 19 years as a Special Forces officer. He served with the 10th Special Forces Group, the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) and the White House Military Office (WHMO). His experience includes multiple deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan and crisis response operations in Europe and Africa. Since retirement in 2012, he has served as a defense consultant and contractor supporting USSOCOM in a variety of capacities. LTC (Ret.) Grdovic holds a Master's degree in National Defense Studies from King's College London. He lives in Florida with his wife, Gretchen.