I spent over two decades in service—23 years in the U.S. Army, with 19 of those years in the Special Forces. I’ve been a commander, an instructor, and an operational leader on some of our nation’s most sensitive missions. One of the most significant roles I ever held was as the Operations Officer during a mission in Northern Iraq that very few people even know happened.
That experience gave me a view few others had—from initial planning, to building partnerships with local militias, to navigating geopolitical landmines, and ultimately to execution under high-stakes pressure. What drives me now isn’t recognition. It’s making sure the story—the operation, the strategy, and most importantly, the people—aren’t forgotten.
I'm Mark Grdovic — Former Special Operator, Strategist, and Storyteller
Why I Wrote The Book
Some Stories Deserve to Be Told
"This isn’t a memoir. It’s not my story, I’ve just been the keeper of it. This is the story of an incredibly daring and high-risk special operation.
I wrote this book to fulfill a professional and personal responsibility. As the operations officer, I was a part the inception of the concept, I personally oversaw the planning and preparations and participated in its execution. I watched it come together—and I witnessed the bravery, the tension, the setbacks, and the breakthroughs that defined it.
This book isn't about elevating myself. It's about elevating the operation—about bringing to light a historic, high-risk mission that nearly went undocumented. I owe it to the men who conducted it and the next generation of Special Forces and national security professionals, in the hopes that they can learn and benefit from what we lived through.
While much of this book is based on my own experiences and observations during the operation, I spent considerable time and effort interviewing numerous participants, reviewing documents and scrolling over sketchy maps with a magnifying glass in an effort to ensure all accounts were corroborated and accurate.
Their actions deserve to be remembered. The lessons deserve to be studied. And the truth deserves to be told.
