| abstract | - Led by the United States and composed of special operations forces from eight nations, Task Force K-Bar (originally Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - South (CJSOTF-SOUTH)) was the first major ground deployment in the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, operating from October 2001 to April 2002. Originally operating out of Oman's Masirah Air Base before deploying themselves directly in southeastern Afghanistan, K-Bar was under the command of then-Captain Robert Harward, a US Navy SEAL. Harward was full of praise for the troops under his command, and later stated that the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 team was his first choice for any direct action mission. In total, K-Bar ran 42 reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and an unreported number of combat missions that resulted in the capture of 107 Afghans and the deaths of at least 115. In 2004, the units participating in Task Force K-Bar were each awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by George W. Bush for their service in Afghanistan. The Task Force was composed of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft crewmen, U.S. Army Special Forces, U.S. Air Force Combat Controllers, and Coalition special operations forces from Canada, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.
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