Embracing Unconventional Warfare: Special Forces Opening The Iraqi Northern Front With The Kurds In 2003

This interview is tightly focused on the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group operation in northern Iraq in March 2003, with the mission of fixing Iraqi units in the north to prevent them from redeploying to the south and challenging the conventional forces invading southern Iraq. Mark Grodovic was the S3 for 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group and describes his battalion’s efforts in that fight, starting with the infiltration into northern Iraq, linking up with Kurdish allies, defeating Ansar-al-Islam along the Iranian border, and reorienting the Special Forces and Kurdish elements to engage Iraqi forces in the vicinity of Kirkuk and liberate that town. Mark was born in 1967 in Queens, New York, and grew up with his sister. Mark describes it as a great and ethnically diverse place to grow up. His mother, a first generation American, met Mark’s father at a Croatian dance. He had been conscripted into the Yugoslavian Army in 1951-1952 but later fled the country. Mark enjoyed swimming and being outdoors, and he gravitated towards the military as a boy. In high school, he was an average student and swam on the school’s team. For financial reasons, he picked a SUNY (State University of New York) school, ending up at Cortland for their geology program and participating in ROTC. He loved ROTC and completed Airborne and Ranger (honor grad) as a Cadet. He did well in ROTC and was able to branch Infantry, earning an Regular Army commission. He briefly describes his career from the summer of 1989 to the summer of 2002. He remembers that “it was devastating to be left behind and watch the Gulf War.” He recalls his transition to Special Forces in December of 1995, and the period following the Cold War where the Army’s mission seemed unclear. Deploying to Bosnia was rewarding, and he loved his first exposure to a multi-national environment. Whenever there was a crisis in African embassies, he conducted NEO (Noncombatant Evacuation Operations) notably in Liberia and Guinea-Bissau. He felt like he was “doing good and saving lives.” 1998 was the first time he was aware of Al Qaeda. He recalls becoming a Special Forces team leader before 9-11 and some of the leadership and training opportunities he had, including being an instructor at the SF Course. He really enjoyed being able to think about insurgency and counter-insurgency operations. In early 2002 (six months after 9-11), as the S3 of 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, he remembers a CENTCOM planning conference beginning to discuss a potential invasion of Iraq. As the planning began to take shape, it appeared that 3/10 Special Forces would enter northern Iraq and engage with the Kurdish population in an attempt to tie down Iraqi forces. Mark describes the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and the Kurds the Special Forces would partner with, including a discussion of the rival factions within the Kurdish population. With the nature of operations in Afghanistan, it became imperative that Saddam be removed from power because containing him had become too resource-intensive. As planning for the operation began in earnest, Mark began developing a good working relationship with CIA teams who were tied to the Kurds. In August 2002, 3rd Battalion began the process of isolation planning, where every team member analyzes the problem and recommends solutions, and each team’s personality brought different talents to the table in an environment of trust. The operation they were planning focused on unconventional warfare, the original mission of Special Forces. In the October / November time frame, the Pilot Team went in to Iraq, and the Advanced Party deployed to Germany and later Romania while their equipment was being prepositioned in Turkey. Eventually 5 ODAs and a B Team infiltrated into Iraq from Turkey in February 2003. Mark describes the hectic nature of their deployment into Iraq and meeting their Kurdish counterparts for the first time. As they developed a relationship with the Kurds, they began focusing on their first mission, eliminating Ansar-al-Islam along the Iranian border. Mark remembers hearing on a BBC radio broadcast that the air campaign in southern Iraq had started on March 19, 2003. On March 22, 2003, the rest of the Special Forces teams flew in on 6 MC-130s (the Ugly Baby mission), evading Iraqi Air Defense (some of the best in the world). That was a chaotic night operation, and getting the teams, ammo, and equipment unloaded and dispersed was extremely challenging. Mark then discusses the very conventional fight against Ansar-al-Islam, with 10 Special Forces teams advancing towards the Iranian border with 10,000 Kurdish fighters. He highlights the professional competence of his Green Berets and the tenacity of the Kurdish troops. Additionally, the arrival of lethal aid and close air support from the Air Force helped too (C-130 gunships hit a lucrative target when the Ansar-al-Islam fighters were caught in the open eating chow). In a captured foreign fighter camp, they discovered a chemical plant and evidence of torture. After defeating Ansar-al-Islam, the Kurds and Special Forces were able to turn their attention to Kirkuk. Mark describes the operation to capture Kirkuk and drive the Iraqi forces out of the town (and discovering concealed equipment of the Nebuchadnezzar Republican Guard Division). Once the town was liberated, restoring services and power while demonstrating that someone was in charge really helped calm the civilians. Eventually, the 173rd Airborne Brigade moved in and relieved 10th Group. Mark noted that it was important for “every citizen in Kirkuk to see an American every day” to impart a sense of security. Throughout the interview, Mark highlights both the positive and negative aspects of planning, coordinating, and executing this mission. He reflects on challenges and successes, including working with Kurdish allies. He concludes by briefly describing the path his career took after this operation, including a second tour to Iraq with 5th Group. Finally, he reflects on what his service to the nation means to him. Please note – at the beginning, the interviewer incorrectly cites the date as 20 February 2024 – it was actually recorded on 20 February 2026.