University Union

University Union, IVMF to host “12 Strong” screening

Courtesy of Black Label Media

"12 Strong" will be screened at Syracuse University on April 13, in a partnership between University Union and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

University Union and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families will host a movie screening event on April 13 as part of the D’Aniello Speaker Series. The movie, “12 Strong,” features Chris Hemsworth and is about an army commander who leads a team on a covert mission in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“12 Strong” is based on true events. Chris Hemsworth plays Green Beret Commander Mitch Nelson, based off Mark Nutsch, who led a 12-person United States Special Forces team on a covert mission in October 2001. They rode horses “side by side with their Muslim counterparts” to successfully capture the militarily strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif and overthrow the Taliban in a matter of weeks, according to a UU press release.

The mission is widely considered the most successful “unconventional warfare campaign in modern history” and changed the course of the U.S., according to the release. The story is also recounted in the New York Times bestselling book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton.

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University is co-sponsoring the screening. Through policy evaluation, research and education, IVMF works to improve the lives of veterans and their families. Since 2011, the institute has provided services for more than 90,000 individuals.

As a result of the mission, Nutsch earned a Bronze Star. After the movie screening, Nutsch, who is currently a consultant to Special Operations Command, will speak about the experience, how it affected the world and his perspective on “guerrilla diplomats.” The speech will be followed by a Q&A session, per the release.



The screening will take place in HBC Gifford Auditorium at 5:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. Tickets are $5, and open captions will be provided.





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