Mitch Nelson (1963-) was a US Army captain during the Afghanistan War.
Biography[]
Mitch Nelson was born in Alma, Kansas, and he married a Hispanic woman and had a daughter. He went on to serve in the US Army, although he did not see combat until the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Nelson served in a staff capacity until after the 9/11 attacks of 11 September 2001, after which he demanded to become the Captain of a special forces team and take part in the frontlines combat. The former rodeo rider Nelson was assigned to help the Northern Alliance forces of Abdul Rashid Dostum in advancing on Mazar-i-Sharif, and Nelson rode on horseback and helped the anti-Taliban forces with obtaining air support. Nelson was given Dostum's prized riding crop as a reward for his services, and he returned home after 23 days of almost continuous fighting.