Mark Nutsch, Horse Soldier Team and 9/11 Monument Dedication.

• Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 10 a.m. Public ceremony on the Washington County Courthouse lawn, 214 C St. Washington, KS, 66968
• Honoring Kansas native of Washington County, Mark Nutsch, leader of the post 9/11 2001 - Special Forces team known as the famed "Horse Soldiers" who fought alongside Afghanistan's Northern Alliance against the Taliban.
• A monument comprised of native limestone and sculpted brick will be dedicated to Mark Nutsch, the Special Forces Team, ODA – 595 mission participants and 9/11.

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Nutsch, Horse Soldier Team and 9/11 Monument Dedication will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 19 on the courthouse lawn in downtown Washington, Kansas. The monument recognizes the work of Washington County native Mark Nutsch. Special guests and veterans from the Horse Soldier team, mission participants and several Kansas dignitaries will be in attendance.  The 9/11 memorial has been placed to the east of the Horse Soldier monument and features a piece of steel excavated from the World Trade Center. The dedication is open to the public, to be followed by a public reception at the Washington County Fairgrounds.  

The dedication ceremony will include many Kansas civic and military speakers.  The Fort Riley Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard will be in attendance.  There is also a planned flyover during the ceremony.  Music and pre-dedication events will begin approx. 9am at the courthouse lawn.  The official dedication program starts at 10am.  Attendees are asked to bring chairs.  Following the dedication there will be a meet and greet at the fairgrounds, open to the public.  Skydivers will jump in from aircraft at the Fairgrounds.   

Following the attacks of 9/11, a 12-man team of U.S. Army Green Berets inserted deep into northern Afghanistan to aid local partisans in their unconventional war against the Taliban. Together with officers from the CIA's Team Alpha, the Special Forces soldiers, under the leadership of Captain Mark Nutsch and Chief Warrant Officer Bob Pennington, helped raise an army of some 5,000 militia fighters, in a campaign across some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world, while mounted on horseback. The Green Berets advised Afghan militia commanders and directed a massive air campaign to rout the Taliban from power -- considered the most successful unconventional warfare campaign in modern history.

Dubbed "The Horse Soldiers" by the media, the Green Beret team's exploits have been portrayed in the Hollywood movie "12 Strong," the Emmy-nominated documentary "Legion of Brothers," and various books and monographs. The "America's Response Monument", to honor Task Force Dagger, was erected near Ground Zero, in Liberty Park, New York City.  In overwatch of the National 9/11 Memorial fountains, where it is viewed by thousands daily.

Swords of Lightning: Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America's Response to 9/11 is co-authored by Mark Nutsch, Bob Pennington, with bestselling author Jim DeFelice (American Sniper) is their own recently published bestselling account of their incredible experiences in, Swords of Lightning: Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America's Response to 9/11.  Their story is told from their point of view for the first time, with never-before revealed details and insights of the campaign, their struggles, and how close they came to failure and death.

About the Co-Authors:  Mark Nutsch, Former U.S. Army Special Forces Major A native of Kansas, served for 24 years in the Army, as an Infantry, 75th Ranger Regiment; and Special Forces officer with unique combat and leadership experiences. As America's response to the attacks of 9/11, Captain Nutsch led one of the first "Task Force Dagger" combined teams of CIA, Special Forces A-team (ODA-595), and Combat Controllers into Northern Afghanistan. Advising the armed resistance leadership against the Taliban and al Qaeda they spearheaded unprecedented Unconventional Warfare operations, while mounted on horseback. The "Campaign for Mazar-e Sharif" resulted in the liberation of 6 Northern Afghanistan Provinces within weeks. Recognized as the catalyst for the collapse of the Taliban Regime and expanded pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists.  Mark is a sought-after motivational speaker with Keppler Speakers, sharing insights from his combat leadership experiences, team building, collaboration, and resilience.  Mark is currently involved in efforts to evacuate American citizens and his team's Afghan allies, aiding their resettlement. Featured in various books, museums and as a guest speaker. Mark, the ODA-595 team and their wives are featured in the Emmy nominated documentary film "Legion of Brothers". Mark is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth in the feature film by Jerry Bruckheimer Studios entitled "12 Strong". Mark, Bob, and their business partners operate a nationally growing, craft distillery brand, American Freedom Distillery, featuring their double gold award-winning Horse Soldier Bourbons.

Bob Pennington, Retired Senior Warrant Officer served in the Army for thirty-plus years and is a Georgia Native. He's commanded Green Berets in combat and trained candidates attending the Special Forces Qualification Course. Pennington has written military doctrine, as well as lectured and consulted on film, books, and military monographs. He was recently inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment and the Georgia Military Veterans' Hall of Fame. Bob is the recipient of many combat and peacetime awards, to include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and two oak leaf clusters. He is a recipient of the 2018 Major General Shachnow Award (Special recognition for combat actions), and the 2014 Bronze Order of Saint Philip Neri (20+ years outstanding achievement in Special Forces). He also received a Special Commendation from the Governor of Georgia and honored through a State Resolution by the Georgia House of Representatives for his military service.  He is a lifelong member of the distinguished Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.  Bob, Mark, and their business partners operate a nationally growing, craft distillery brand, American Freedom Distillery, featuring their double gold award-winning Horse Soldier Bourbons.

Jim DeFelice, Author, or Co-Author of sixteen New York Times bestselling books, including American Sniper and Everyman a Hero.  He has written over fifty fiction and non-fiction books, including sixteen on the New York Times best-seller lists. Among his recent nonfiction works are EVERY MAN A HERO, a memoir based on the World War II service of Combat Medic Ray Lambert, which won the 2019 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award. An international blockbuster with over 5 million sales, AMERICAN SNIPER (2012) detailed the life and service of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Made into a record-breaking blockbuster movie of the same name (2015) starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood. Sniper was followed by two more NY Times best-selling non-fiction works, CODE NAME JOHNNY WALKER (2014) and AMERICAN WIFE (2015) with Taya Kyle (now under development in Hollywood.) His newest, written with Country Western recording artist and US Special Forces Army Veteran Craig Morgan, is God, Family, Country.  Jim lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

SOURCE Horse Soldier Bourbon