who played the cia agent in 12 strong

Full Answer

What is the 1212 strong movie about?

12 Strong Movie Cast, Crew, and Story. Story of the film. Following the incidents took place on the September 11 attacks, the Task Force Dagger including the CIA paramilitary officers and a US Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 595 12-member team, who were sent to Afghanistan.

Is'12 Strong'a true story?

The 12 Strong true story reveals that they finally left Kentucky on October 5, 2001. -The Fayetteville Observer Does the movie really tell the "declassified true story of the Horse Soldiers?"

How accurate is the movie 12 strong?

While researching to answer the question, "How accurate is 12 Strong ?" we discovered that all but one of the 12 Horse Soldiers depicted in the movie were married and 10 of them had at least two kids. "They were very mature, very family-orientated," Bob Pennington said.

Who gave Chris Hemsworth the piece of steel in 12 strong?

The 12 Strong movie has Chris Hemsworth's character (Mark Nutsch in real life) being given the candy-bar-sized piece of metal by Colonel Mulholland. In Doug Stanton's book Horse Soldiers, it was Colonel Max Bowers, portrayed by Rob Riggle, who brought a piece of steel with him from the World Trade Center to Afghanistan.

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Who was the CIA agent in 12 Strong?

Johnny Micheal "Mike" Spann (March 1, 1969 – November 25, 2001) was an American paramilitary officer in the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division....Johnny Micheal SpannBornMarch 1, 1969 Winfield, Alabama, U.S.DiedNovember 25, 2001 (aged 32) Qala-i-Jangi, Balkh Province, Afghanistan12 more rows

Was there a black guy in 12 Strong?

Plus, what what he took away from working with Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon.

Who plays the bald guy in 12 Strong?

Nutsch, as “Captain Mitch Nelson,” is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth in the 2018 major motion picture “12 Strong,” based on the best-selling book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton.

How many of the 12 Strong survive?

The films postscript reads as follows: "Against overwhelming odds, all twelve members of the U.S. Army Special Forces ODA 595 survived their mission.

What does ODA 595 mean?

Operational Detatchment AlphaOperational Detatchment Alpha (ODA) 595 from the U.S. Army's 5th Special Forces Group partnered with warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in northern Afghanistan. They combined forces with Mohammed Atta and ODA 555 to take down Taliban stronghold Mazar-e-Sharif in November, 2001. This was the first significant Taliban defeat.

Who were the horse soldiers in Afghanistan?

Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban.

Is Thor in 12 Strong?

Chris Hemsworth might be best known for playing Marvel's Mighty Thor (and being a stealthy comedic scene-stealer), but in 12 Strong, he's embodying a real-life hero -- the leader of an elite US Special Forces team sent into Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to join up with one of the local warlords, ...

What is ODA military?

[An Operational Detachment Alpha, ODA, or] A-team is the heart and soul of Special Forces. That is 12 highly trained soldiers -- primarily 10 non-commissioned officers, a warrant officer and a captain.

Did ODA 595 ride horses?

figured it out on the ground and we rode the local horses with local saddles and equipment,” Nutsch said. ODA 595 was one of several Special Forces teams sent into Afghanistan to topple the Taliban weeks after the 9/11 attacks as part of an unconventional mission known as Task Force Dagger.

Is 12 Strong based on true story?

The New York Times bestselling “spellbinding true-life story” (USA TODAY) of a United States Special Forces team deployed to the war-ravaged Afghanistan mountains in the weeks immediately following 9/11, overcoming great odds to become heroes of our era.

Are the 12 Strong soldiers still alive?

None of the 12 soldiers died during the 2001 Afghanistan mission. It's a miracle of sorts given what they faced, a feat that the movie does a good job conveying. One of the soldiers from the ODA 595 died later while serving in Iraq. What do the real-life Horse Soldiers think of the movie?

Who is Mullah Razzan?

Mullah Razzan (died 24 November 2001) was a Taliban commander during the Afghanistan War.

Is 12 Strong based on a real story?

12 Strong is a very good book. It's a true life account of twelve Army Special Forces soldiers that team up with Afghani tribal leaders to kill Taliban terrorists. The brave American soldiers were sent there after the 9/11 attacks on New York City.

Are the 12 Strong soldiers still alive?

None of the 12 soldiers died during the 2001 Afghanistan mission. It's a miracle of sorts given what they faced, a feat that the movie does a good job conveying. One of the soldiers from the ODA 595 died later while serving in Iraq. What do the real-life Horse Soldiers think of the movie?

Who is Mullah Razzan?

Mullah Razzan (died 24 November 2001) was a Taliban commander during the Afghanistan War.

Is the Horse Soldiers a true story?

The film is based on the true-life raid by Col. Benjamin Grierson, who, as shown in the movie, began his expedition, known as Grierson's Raid, from LeGrange, TN, in April of 1863.

How much did 12 strong make?

12 Strong grossed $46.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $24.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $70.8 million, against a production budget of $35 million.

What is the rating of 12 Strong?

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 51% based on 169 reviews, and an average rating of 5.52/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " 12 Strong has a solid cast, honorable intentions, and a thrilling, fact-based story — all of which are occasionally enough to balance a disappointing lack of depth or nuance." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on reviews from 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave an 81% overall positive score and a 63% "definite recommend".

Who played Ben Milo in ODA 595?

Trevante Rhodes as Ben Milo, a Sergeant First Class in ODA 595. William Fichtner as Colonel Mulholland, Commander of 5th Special Forces Group. Geoff Stults as Sean Coffers, member of ODA 595. Thad Luckinbill as Vern Michaels, member of ODA 595.

Who plays Max Bowers in the movie?

Rob Riggle as Lt. Colonel Max Bowers, Commander of 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. Taylor Sheridan as Brian, a paramilitary field officer with the CIA's Special Activities Division who meets ODA 595 when the SOAR deliver them to Afghanistan.

Who played Hal Spencer in the movie?

Michael Shannon as Hal Spencer, a Chief Warrant Officer 5 and ODA 595's assistant team leader, inspired by Bob Pennington. Michael Peña as Sam Diller, ODA 595's intelligence Sergeant First Class. Navid Negahban as General A. R. Dostum, a leader of the Northern Alliance and future Vice President of Afghanistan.

Who wrote 12 strong?

12 Strong (also known as 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers) is a 2018 American action - war film directed by Nicolai Fuglsig and written by Ted Tally and Peter Craig.

Who is the veteran who leads 595?

As news of the devastating terrorist attacks that day break, Nelson volunteers to lead 595 into Afghanistan. Bowers initially refuses, but veteran soldier CW5 Hal Spencer, previously scheduled to retire, persuades Bowers to give Nelson command of 595 again, as well as volunteering himself for the deployment.

Storyline

The True Story of the Army's Special Forces "Green Berets", who within weeks responded to the 9-11 attack. Green Berets, with the help of the 160th SOAR (A), took over the country and allowed other Special Forces and the rest of the conventional military to begin the more publicly visible war. — Oso

Did you know

Rob Riggle plays then-Lieutenant Colonel Max Bowers, former battalion commander of the 5th Special Forces Group. Riggle, a Marine, actually served directly under the real Bowers during the same time period the movie is based on. According to Riggle, Bowers "loved" his representation in the film.

Who is Michael Shannon?

Michael Shannon is an American actor and a musician. He acted in the movies like Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals, 99 Homes. He received an award for the film Long Day’s Journey into Night.

Who is Ted Tally?

Ted Tally is an American playwright and a screenwriter. He adapted the Thomas Harris novel called The Silence of the Lambs into the movie of the same name. He also won the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of the America.

Who is Elsa Pataky?

Elsa Pataky is a Spanish model, actress, and a film producer. She is well known in the film called The Fast and the Furious franchise. Elsa has acted in the movie such as Snakes on a Plane, Giallo and Give them Hell, Malone. She also starred in the Spanish film known as Di Di Hollywood.

Who is Lorne Balfe?

He is well known for composing the music for films like Terminator Genisys, iBoy, and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, DreamWorks animated films Home and Penguins of Madagascar, video games Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Crysis 2, and the Skylanders franchise.

Who is Chris Hemsworth?

Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He is well known for playing the role of Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series called Home and Away and Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hemsworth has also acted in the science fiction action film known as Star Trek, A Perfect Getaway, The Cabin in the Woods, the Snow White, Huntsman, Red Dawn and Rush.

Who is Jerry Bruckheimer?

Jerry Bruckheimer is an American film and a television producer. He is well known for the television series like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, Cold Case, and the U.S. version of The Amazing Race.

Who is Nicolai Fuglsig?

Nicolai Fuglsig is a film director. Fuglsig’s book on an untold nuclear disaster won the ICP Infinity Award in the New York City. Nicolai was directing as he recorded the footage that eventually became a 15-minute documentary film called Return of the Exiled.

Who did Dostum fight with?

When the regime fell in 1992, three years after the Soviets departed, Dostum fought alongside the mujahidin and helped the Northern Alliance’s legendary Ahmad Shah Massoud battle the fundamentalist Pashtun forces of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and gain control of the capital.

Who was the young commando of the Afghan army?

The young commando Abdul Rashid, quickly rose through the ranks. Dostum enlisted in the Afghan military—one of the few ways for poor men to escape lives of labor and hardship in rural Afghanistan. He rose through the ranks quickly becoming a paratrooper in 1973, an armored unit in 1978 and Battalion 734 KhAD by 1983.

What was Dostum's strategy?

Dostum’s strategy was now their strategy: to ride roughshod over Taliban positions up the Darra-e Suf Valley, roll north over the Tingi Pass in the Alborz Range, then sweep north across the plains and liberate Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan’s second largest city.

What is Heavy D's nickname?

Over the next few weeks I privately coin for him a nickname based on the media’s fear and his in person good humor: I call him Heavy D, after the 1980s rapper. “Dostum” is actually a nickname that means “my friend” was born Abdul Rashid in 1954 in the desolate village of Khvajeh Do Kuh, about 90 miles west of Mazar.

Where was the rocket that howls over the roof of General Dostum's house?

America’s finest were about to fight their first war on horseback in more than a hundred years. The rocket howls over the roof of General Dostum’s house in Khoda Barq at about 10 p.m. It’s November 26, my second day in Afghanistan, and already I’m in the middle of a hellacious firefight.

Did Santos introduce Dostum to JSOC?

Then came September 11. Despite actively fighting the Taliban, it was not until Santos introduced Dostum to JSOC that the United States might want to give him some help. Even the CIA was reticent to land paramilitaries and officers to set up the conditions for an Special Forces ODA to be inserted. At the last minute the Agency was told by the SF ground commander that his men were going in with or without the Agency. A small group of CIA that included Mike Spann, flew in to the Darra-e Suf the day before ODA 595 would land.

New Photos and Sources

Each year I locate new information and sources, including this better quality image of Memorial to Mike Spann at Qala-i-Jangi Fortress outside of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan (prior image here)

Arlington National Cemetery

Spann is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Michael Patterson at the Unofficial Arlington National Cemetery website kindly has given us permission to run his 2002 photo of Spann’s gravesite.

12 Strong and Preserving Accurate History

On February 27, 2018, Alison post this to Facebook regarding the movie 12 Strong, about American Special Forces put into Afghanistan to organize anti-Taliban forces.

Why did the names change in 12 Strong?

Only two of the characters in the film actually have the same names as their real-life Green Beret counterparts. Both of the named Green Berets are commanding officers, John Mulholland and Max Bowers. As for why the names were changed, one article stated that the studio did not want to have to pay all of the real-life people for the rights to use their names. However, when the 2009 Horse Soldiers book was being written, Mark Nutsch had requested that his name be changed to protect his identity, as was the case with most of the other Horse Soldiers. However, it's hard to imagine that was the case with the 12 Strong movie, since Nutsch has become a fairly well-known public figure. Others have speculated that the filmmakers changed some of the names to diversify the Special Forces team for the movie, but that has not been confirmed. -SOFREP

Who played Max Bowers in Horse Soldiers?

In Doug Stanton's book Horse Soldiers, it was Colonel Max Bowers, portrayed by Rob Riggle, who brought a piece of steel with him from the World Trade Center to Afghanistan. Payback was certainly on the minds of some members of the team, while others focused primarily on the mission at hand.

Did the Special Forces train on September 11th?

Were some of the Special Forces soldiers from the team on a training exercise the morning of September 11th? Yes. In exploring how accurate 12 Strong is, we learned that some members of the ODA 595 Special Forces team had been involved in a nighttime training exercise along the Cumberland River. They were forced to spend the night on the river bank after dense fog made it impossible to navigate their Zodiac inflatable boats. In the movie, another team member arrives to pick them up and tells them about the attacks. In real life, they learned of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center over the truck's radio on their way back to the base. -Horse Soldiers book

Who was the intelligence agent for the Central Intelligence Agency?

Army Intelligence agent Colonel Sidney Mashbir and Commander Ellis M. Zacharias worked together for four months at the direction of Fleet Admiral Joseph Ernest King, and prepared the first draft and implementing directives for the creation of what would become the Central Intelligence Agency.

What is the CIA?

www .cia .gov. The Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA; / ˌsiː.aɪˈeɪ / ), known informally as the Agency and the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, ...

How many people worked for the CIA during the Korean War?

At the outset of the Korean War the CIA still only had a few thousand employees, around one thousand of whom worked in analysis. Intelligence primarily came from the Office of Reports and Estimates, which drew its reports from a daily take of State Department telegrams, military dispatches, and other public documents. The CIA still lacked its intelligence-gathering abilities. On August 21, 1950, shortly after, Truman announced Walter Bedell Smith as the new Director of the CIA. The change in leadership was took place shortly after the invasion of South Korea, as the lack of a clear warning to the President and National Security Council about the impending North Korean invasion was seen as a grave failure of Intelligence.

How many stars are on the CIA Memorial Wall?

The 113 stars on the CIA Memorial Wall in the original CIA headquarters, each representing a CIA officer killed in action. The Central Intelligence Agency was created on July 26, 1947, when Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act into law.

Why did the CIA use a doctor?

The doctor was later arrested and sentenced to a lengthy prison term on allegedly unrelated charges. Médecins Sans Frontières criticized the CIA for endangering and undermining trust in medical workers and The New York Times reported that the CIA's action had increased resistance to vaccination programs in Pakistan.

What is the purpose of the CIA?

Today, its primary purpose is to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence, and to carry out covert operations.

How much did the CIA spend in 2013?

According to the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures, the CIA's fiscal 2013 budget is $14.7 billion, 28% of the total and almost 50% more than the budget of the National Security Agency.

Overview

Cast

• Chris Hemsworth as Captain Mitch Nelson, ODA 595's commander, inspired by Mark Nutsch.
• Michael Shannon as Hal Spencer, a Chief Warrant Officer 5 and ODA 595's assistant team leader, inspired by Bob Pennington.
• Michael Peña as Sam Diller, ODA 595's intelligence Sergeant First Class

Plot

Production

Reception

Related links

External links