MAJ George Lachicotte served as detachment commander for the 7th Special Forces Group (SFG), Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 7235 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan during 2009 and 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In this November 2011 interview, MAJ Lachicotte discusses the role and duties of an SF unit, the situation in Afghanistan when he arrived and some of his unit's more significant accomplishments. MAJ Lachicotte concludes his interview with the observation, "Just being flexible is the biggest thing; flexible and adaptable. We can plan for a situation but can't be married to it because it's going to change, especially in an environment like that. For SF guys, this is the most centralized environment we're ever going to work in. We have supplies everywhere, all around us. We have a MEDEVAC we can call if something goes wrong. Normally SF guys go into austere conditions with nobody around them and I've been there on other deployments. Guys are going to have to be able to think on their feet and that's speaking from an unconventional frame of mind. The biggest thing is to maintain that flexibility, know the purpose we're there for, know the environment we're operating in, and be able to understand it. We need to be able to solve the real issue that exists."

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