Hammerhead Six: How Green Berets Waged an Unconventional War Against the Taliban to Win in Afghanistan's Deadly Pech Valley

by Ronald Fry, Tad Tuleja - contributor

The incredible story of the Green Berets' "hearts and minds" counterinsurgency in Afghanistan's notorious Pech River Valley, told by the unit commander who led Hammerhead Six.

In 2003, the Special Forces soldiers entered an area later called "the most dangerous place in Afghanistan." Here, where the line between civilians and armed zealots was indistinct, they illustrated the Afghan "I destroy my enemy by making him my friend."

Captain Ronald Fry recounts how they were seen as welcome guests rather than invaders. Soon after their deployment ended, the Pech Valley reverted to turmoil. Their success was never replicated. Hammerhead Six finally reveals how cultural respect, hard work (and the occasional machine-gun burst) were more than a match for the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Audible Audio

Published January 19, 2016

About the author

US Army Captain Ronald Fry was born in Diamond Bar, California. He attended Brigham Young University and served as a missionary in France and Switzerland for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Fry entered military service in 1996. Fry is a third-generation veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division and as a Special Forces team leader in Afghanistan. The mission to the Pech Valley of Afghanistan, the subject of "Hammerhead Six", would prove to be most unique and successful. The lessons learned on that mission would serve as a model for success in unconventional warfare. Fry currently lives in California with his wife and five children. Fry is an entrepreneur and public speaker.