Special Forces Combat Outpost Pirelli

When the U.S. military officially departed Iraq due to the Status of Forces Agreement deadline, a little known part of the handover included leaving behind secret Special Forces' 'Team houses' - or 'safe houses' - hidden around the country. One was built by Green Beret Staff Sergeant Rob Pirelli and his Operational Detachment Alpha -072, or 'A-Team.' Pirelli, of the Army's 10th Special Forces Group, built the combat outpost in a remote part of Diyala Province, near the Iranian border, in 2007. As a lone reporter, Alex Quade was there at the combat outpost's beginning stages, then spent 2-years covering these same, secretive Special Forces 'A-Teams' on multiple deployments. During one combat mission, Green Beret Staff Sgt. Pirelli was killed in action during an ambush. His heroism saved his 12-Special Forces teammates, and the Iraqis his unit was advising. As a reporter, I made the commitment to follow Pirelli's 'A-Team' and his 'Gold Star Family' for 5-years after he was killed; Alex Quade also went back to Combat Outpost Pirelli repeatedly over the years