General Miller spent nearly 40 years in uniform and is likely the most deployed leader in the Global War on Terror. An Airborne-Ranger Infantry officer, he commanded the TF Ranger assault force in Mogadishu during “Blackhawk Down.” In response to the 9/11 attacks, he deployed in pursuit of Osama bin Laden and other high value targets. Over 15 years in 1st SFOD-D, Miller continuously participated in combat operations, was wounded in action twice, and led “The Unit” as commander from 2005 to 2007 during some of the toughest combat operations while targeting Al Qaeda in Iraq. He also served as the Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command and as the final commander of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces – Afghanistan.

Medal of Honor Recipient

CSM Williams was honored for his actions while serving as a weapons sergeant with Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3336. On April 6, 2008, the ODA was on a mission to capture or kill high-value targets in Shok Valley, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. Williams repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire during an ambush, loaded numerous casualties into helicopters, and led the Afghan Commandos in a counterattack for several hours. Please visit his Medal of Honor page to learn more about the highest U.S. military decoration awarded for gallantry and bravery in combat at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.

Chris is a retired U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant and FBI agent, with over two decades of counterterrorism  experience alongside the U.S. Special Operations and Intelligence communities as well as numerous security services and foreign partners. He served in numerous critical leadership roles including Supervisory Special Agent of the Al-Qaeda Squad of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Unit Chief in command of the FBI’s elite Counterterrorism Fly Team, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York JTTF. Before leaving federal service, Chris served as a Senior Executive (SES) in the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI and as the U.S. Government’s Director of Hostage Recovery. He is currently the VP of Global Operations at The Soufan Group.

Scott served 25 years in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret. As Founder and CEO of Horse Soldier Bourbon, he has built an international award-winning, ultra-premium spirits brand whose story is woven into the fabric of one of America’s most historic moments. Days after 9/11, elite teams of Green Berets inserted into Afghanistan on horseback. Dubbed the “Horse Soldiers,” their story was retold in 12 Strong, Legion of Brothers, and memorialized by America’s Response Monument located at Ground Zero in New York City.

Stu is the President/CEO of the Global Special Operations Forces (SOF) Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for all aspects of SOF on a global scale.  He retired from the U.S. Army in 2014 after over 32 years of service. Stu’s Special Forces assignments include service with elements of Joint Special Operations Command, as Deputy Director of Operations at Special Operations Command Europe, and extensive service with the 7th and 10th Special Forces Groups (Airborne). He participated in Operation Just Cause, served tours as an adviser in El Salvador and Peru, and is a veteran of multiple unconventional and other special operations with 10th SFG(A) in the Balkans and numerous locations in northern and central Africa. In 2011, he served in Afghanistan as the Director of the Special Operations Fusion Cell.

Nate is an Army Green Beret, philanthropist, humanitarian, and former football player for the University of Texas Longhorns and later for the Seattle Seahawks, becoming the oldest rookie in NFL history at age 34. Being a member of both the military veteran and athlete community, he teamed up both populations to tackle their transition struggles through Merging Vets & Players (MVP), a charity he co-founded with Jay Glazer. Nate currently works in Film and TV as a producer, director, actor, and host. He recently directed his first feature film about the genesis of MVP, which was executive produced by Sylvester Stallone.

Zac is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, educator, and nonprofit leader committed to service through humanitarian action and educational innovation. He completed multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as serving in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. During the fall of Kabul, Zac designed and engineered the Pineapple Express, a volunteer effort that evacuated hundreds of Afghan Special Operations allies. Zac is a founding Board member of Honor the Promise and is the founder of Operation Socrates, a nonprofit that supports military veterans transitioning into education careers. He is currently finishing his first book about his experience during the Afghanistan evacuation.

Lyla Kohistany is the founder/CEO of Honor the Promise, a nonprofit she launched in 2021 to support our Afghan Special Operations partners as they rebuild their lives in the U.S. Born in Kabul and a refugee of the Soviet conflict, Lyla joined the U.S. Navy in 2001 as a Surface Warfare officer. The attacks on 9/11 prompted her to transfer into the Intelligence community where she served as a Counterterrorism analyst in Afghanistan working alongside U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Special Operations Forces (SOF) in 2005. With two additional SOF deployments to Afghanistan and tours in the Pentagon, she has enjoyed a distinguished career contributing to counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and all-source intelligence operations at the highest levels. She is the Producer of Noori and her advocacy for Afghan refugees has been featured in national media and on major platforms.