12 Strong

Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) (ODA 595's commander), a U.S. Army captain with Green Berets Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595, is moving into a new home with his wife and daughter on September 11, 2001, after receiving an assignment to staff duty under Lieutenant Colonel Bowers (Rob Riggle) (Commander of 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group). The US know that the attack was sponsored by Al-Qaeda, who has sanctuary in Afghanistan.

As news of the devastating terrorist attacks that daybreak, Nelson volunteers to lead 595 into Afghanistan. Bowers initially refuses, but veteran soldier CW5 Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon) (a Chief Warrant Officer 5 and ODA 595's assistant team leader), previously scheduled to retire, persuades Bowers to give Nelson command of 595 again (Hal takes back his retirement papers & Stands up for Nelson, who has never been in combat and has only led the team in training for 2 years), as well as volunteering himself for the deployment. After leaving their families, 595 travels to Uzbekistan on October 7, 2001. After being briefed and evaluated by COL Mulholland (William Fichtner), Commander of 5th Special Forces Group, Nelson and 595 are picked to fight alongside Northern Alliance leader Abdul Rashid Dostum (Navid Negahban). Their mission is to help Dostum take over Mazar-I-Sharif and put a serious dent in Taliban's ability to prop Al-Qaeda. Mulholland gives Nelson 6 weeks, but Nelson retorts that in 3 weeks the harsh winter will shut down all mountain passes. So, they have just 3 weeks. Mulholland is impressed with Nelson's smarts and picks his group from the 6 team options available at his command.

Ben Milo (Trevante Rhodes), a Sergeant First Class in ODA 595. Sean Coffers (Geoff Stults), member of ODA 595. Vern Michaels (Thad Luckinbill), member of ODA 595. Scott Black (Ben O'Toole), member of ODA 595. Bill Bennett (Kenny Sheard), a Sergeant First Class in ODA 595. Fred Falls (Austin Stowell), a Staff Sergeant in ODA 595. Pat Essex (Austin Hébert), a Master Sergeant in ODA 595. Charles Jones (Jack Kesy), member of ODA 595. Kevin Jackson (Kenneth Miller), member of ODA 595.

ODA 595 is inserted covertly in Afghanistan aboard an MH-47 Chinook flown by 160th SOAR on 19 October 2001 (The Chinook must fly at 25K ft to avoid missiles that can be fired by Taliban forces from mountains that are as high as 10K ft. There is no oxygen on board and the team can go Hypoxic). They land 40 miles south of Mazar-i Sharif, the country's fourth-largest city and a long-time stronghold of the Taliban, where they meet Dostum. Their CIA contact informs them that the Northern Alliance is split into 3 militias who are rivals and don't coordinate with each other. If they meet in battle, they will forget the Taliban and fight each other instead. Dostum is an Uzbek and was fighting Russian since he was 16. He is 55 now and is now fighting the Taliban.

Six of the 12 members, led by Nelson, leave with Dostum to the mountains (as Dostum had only 6 extra horses), while the other six remain in a fortified camp nicknamed "The Alamo" under Spencer's command.

Dostum is attempting to capture the northern Afghanistan city, while battling Taliban leader Mullah Razzan (Numan Acar), who rules local communities brutally under strict Sharia law (killing women who encourage their girls to study), and has murdered several people, including Dostum's family.

Although the warlord is initially skeptical of Nelson's abilities (Nelson and his team are also suspicious of Dostum as the camps he picks for rest are in a GPS and radio dead zone. Nelson fears Dostum might be setting them up to be sold to the Taliban for bounty), Nelson gradually earns Dostum's respect (Nelson gets close to Taliban forces (even face of a firefight) to give exact GPS coordinates to the bombers to drop their loads and cause heavy casualties). In one battle, however, Dostum makes a tactical error (he attacks a heavily fortified Taliban town without US air force support. The bombers were out of fuel and were heading back but Dostum didn't bother to check with Nelson before attacking), costing several casualties. Dostum is not willing to put US army soldiers in harm's way as if even one of them dies, the US forces leave, and they lose the war against Taliban.

Meanwhile Mulholland has doubts about the route Nelson is taking (and also because he can't speak to Nelson directly) and decides to introduce a 2nd team to advance on Mazar-I-Sharif.

Nelson accuses Dostum of acting carelessly with the lives of his men and of withholding valuable information, while Dostum retorts that he still feels that Nelson, and the U.S. are not willing to pay the potential price (blood) of the conflict and tells Nelson that he needs to use his heart and mind to "be a warrior" instead of a soldier. The two eventually reconcile, and, after splitting off a three-man element under SFC Sam Diller (Michael Peña) (ODA 595's intelligence Sergeant First Class) to strike a Taliban supply route and being joined by Hal Spencer's half of ODA 595, continue to work together. Hal has a slipped disc but continues to carry his own weight.

They win several victories with Dostum's leadership and manpower and American air-power, making significant progress towards Mazar-i Sharif. When Nelson informs Dostum that another ODA, 555, has been dispatched to support Atta Muhammad, another Northern Alliance leader, who is Dostum's political rival, Dostum is furious, and his men promptly abandon 595.

Following Dostum's departure, Nelson plans to continue operating against the Taliban with his Americans and the few Afghan fighters remaining with them. Encountering a large force of Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters and armored vehicles, ODA 595, re-joined by Diller and his element, uses air support to eliminate many of the fighters and most of the armor, but are discovered and attacked. Spencer is critically injured by a suicide bomber, and the team is about to be overrun under heavy Taliban and Al-Qaeda pressure when Dostum returns with his forces.

Carrying out the U.S. Army's first cavalry charge of the 21st century, the American and Northern Alliance forces disperse the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and Dostum tracks down and kills Razzan. After Spencer is med-evacuated, Nelson and Dostum continue to Mazar-i-Sharif but find Atta Muhammad has beaten them there. Against expectations, Dostum and Muhammad meet peacefully and put aside their differences. Impressed by Nelson and the Americans' efforts, Dostum gives Nelson his prized riding crop and tells him that he will always consider Nelson a brother and fellow fighter, at the same time bidding him remember that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. Spencer ultimately survives, and all 12 soldiers of ODA 595 return home after 23 days of almost continuous fighting in Afghanistan.

The film's penultimate moment shows a photo of the Horse Soldier Statue at the World Trade Center in New York City, based on the soldiers of ODA 595 and their victory in the early stages of the response to the September 11th attacks, dedicated to all United States Special Forces. The film then ends with a photo of the actual members of ODA 595, in combat fatigues, upon whom 12 Strong was based.