ODA 3235 — Forward Team, Niger Deployment Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd SFG (A) Location: Diffa Region, Niger

SSG Alex Whitmore – 18B Weapons Sergeant Broad-shouldered and sun-darkened, Whitmore leans against a concrete barrier outside the team’s tent, sleeves cut off, revealing dust-caked tattoos and a lazy grin. His Crye G3s are bleached from sun and salt, with dirt-streaked kneepads and scuffed Salomons. His plate carrier sits nearby, loaded with PMAGs, smoke, and a tucked-in balaclava. A suppressed MK18 with a sling wrapped in electrical tape rests within arm’s reach. A quiet professional who does his talking through firepower, Bama is always working with the Nigerien troops on weapons drills or doing pushups during downtime.

CPT Ryan Dalton – 18A Detachment Commander Dalton wears his OCP top clean and tucked, patches squared away, Garmin on his wrist, and a soft-spoken tone that commands attention. A Glock 19 rides on his hip and a satellite phone is never far from reach. He splits his time between mission planning in the TOC tent and walking the compound, talking to locals or evaluating the team’s readiness. With a background in West Africa deployments, Dalton keeps a cool head even when comms drop or timelines shift. He’s the balance between politics and precision — knowing when to kick a door or shake a hand.

SSG Miguel Rojas – 18E Communications Sergeant Rojas is rarely without his radio pack — an AN/PRC-152 with extra batteries clipped to his belt, earbuds looped over his shoulder. A proud Texan with a sarcastic edge, he multitasks between live comms, satellite updates, and helping set up drone overwatch links with JSOC elements. His uniform is dotted with Velcro patches and stray wires, and he tapes his antennas down with camo wrap to keep a low profile. Off-mission, he tunes the team’s HAM gear to pick up civilian chatter, local FM, or U.S. news when the signal allows. He’s the team’s link to the outside — and a lifeline in a firefight.

SFC Eric Nash – 18Z Team Sergeant The senior on the team, Nash has that quiet, grizzled authority that doesn’t need a raised voice. His beard’s going gray, his plate carrier is stripped-down and brutally efficient, and he carries a SCAR-L with a simple optic and duct-taped sling. Nash writes mission briefings on a folded map across a Pelican case, checks in with Nigerien liaisons, and spots gaps in plans before anyone else does. He keeps the team tight and focused, reminding them when to push and when to breathe. At night, he walks the wire alone, boots crunching the gravel, watching the desert horizon in silence.

Life on Base – Diffa Region, Niger Your team shares a patchwork base made of GP tents, HESCO barriers, and converted shipping containers. The ground is red dirt, littered with shell casings and Gatorade bottles. Your aid station is a sunbaked Connex with a cot, trauma shears on the wall, and a wall of MRE boxes repurposed for shelving. The Nigerien soldiers bunk nearby, always curious, respectful — often trained by Whitmore or Nash in the yard using old plywood targets.

The team rotates between patrols, partner training, route recon, and medical missions to nearby villages. Dust chokes the air, and the sun makes your rifle too hot to touch. Still, you work — running drills, cleaning gear, treating heat casualties or infections, and keeping the team running even when supply drops get delayed.