Few communities were more deeply affected by the collapse of Afghanistan in 2021 than the Afghan Special Operations Forces that fought alongside U.S. SOF units for two decades.
Afghan Special Operations units, including commandos and special mission elements, were among the most capable forces fielded by the former Afghan government and frequently operated alongside U.S. Army Special Forces, Rangers, SEALs, and other coalition SOF elements.
On Tuesday evening, May 6, 2025, a preview of a documentary – Noori – about an Afghan special operator who is now living in the U.S. was provided to SOF Week 2025 attendees. The documentary focuses on the post-war experiences of former Afghan SOF personnel rebuilding their lives in the United States.
Honor the Promise, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting Afghan special operators who now live in the United States, is assisting in the making of the documentary. The film, is produced in cooperation with Dulcinea Productions and it is planned to be complete in 2026. Ahmad Khalid Noori, a former Afghan Special Operations soldier is featured in the documentary.
The evening program began with Dr. Lyla Kohistany, the Chief Executive Officer of Honor the Promise, providing details on the purpose of the documentary and introducing Ahmad Khalid Noori – the topic of the documentary. Lyla is a former U.S. Naval officer and a former Afghan refugee of the Soviet-Afghan War.
The documentary is about Mr. Noori. He was a veteran of the Afghan special operations community who was a Captain and led a company of Ktah Khas – the Afghan National Mission Unit. He was evacuated in August 2021 from Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) along with his wife during the Kabul non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO).
Mark Rosengard, a retired Special Forces officer, followed Lyla with an impassioned address to the audience of how Afghan special operators – from the Afghan Army Special Forces, Ktah Khas, and Afghan Commandos – worked side-by-side in Afghanistan with U.S. SOF for many years. He eloquently stated the moral obligation that U.S. SOF has to assist those Afghan special operators in their transition to life in the United States. Mark was the director of operations for Task Force Dagger in the early days of the U.S. involvement in the Afghan conflict.
Several other speakers provided an endorsement of the documentary project and stressing the importance of supporting the Afghan special operators who have come to the United States during and after the Kabul non-combatant operation (NEO). These included several former SOF general officers. One was General (Ret.) Austin “Scott” Miller – former JSOC, CFSOCC-A, and ISAF commander. Another was Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ken Tovo, former commander of USASOC and currently Chairman of the Green Beret Foundation. Several other retired SOF general officers were present and provided their comments in support of the documentary project as well.
Towards the end of the evening Mr. Noori addressed the audience, described his life in Afghanistan, his evacuation from Kabul, and his current life in the United States. He stated that the purpose of the documentary was to highlight the situation of former Afghan special operators who are transitioning to life in the United States and to generate support for these U.S. SOF allies.
The film will serve as a reminder of the enduring relationships forged between U.S. and Afghan SOF personnel during two decades of war — relationships that continue long after the final American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
