Green Beret commander to speak at area university campus benefit
Tickets are now on sale for Green Beret Commander Mark Nutsch’s presentation at the 14th Annual Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series, to be held Sept. 20 at the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center at Southern Arkansas University.
Nutsch will share his story of helping lead what is considered to be the most successful, unconventional warfare campaign in modern history, a victory that changed the course of our country and the world. He is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth as Captain Mitch Nelson in the 2018 film “12 Strong,” based on the best-selling book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton.
A private reception with Nutsch will be held at 6 p.m. at the Farmers Bank & Trust main branch in Magnolia. The dinner and lecture follow at 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center.
Tickets are $100 for the dinner and lecture and $200 for the dinner, lecture and the private reception.
Sponsorship opportunities are also offered through the SAU Foundation. The Gold Sponsorship, $2,000, includes 10 tickets to the dinner, lecture and private reception. Gold Sponsor tables also enjoy premium seating and name displayed in the program and on the table. A Blue Sponsorship, $800, includes eight tickets for the dinner and lecture, two tickets for the private reception, a table in the Blue Section with the sponsor’s name displayed on the table and in the program.
Proceeds from the event provide scholarships to SAU students.
In October 2001, following the attacks on 9/11, Nutsch led a heroic 12-man team of U.S. Special Forces on a covert mission to Afghanistan, where they rode to war on horses to fight the enemy—side by side with their Muslim counterparts—capture the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif within a matter of weeks and successfully overthrow the Taliban. Now a consultant to Special Operations Command, he earned a Bronze Star with valor for his bravery.
Nutsch will give behind-the-scenes account of how this almost unbelievable event impacted the world and earned the gratitude of a nation.
He also shares perspectives on preparing his team of “guerrilla diplomats” for ever-evolving on-the-ground circumstances, and how resourcefulness, inventiveness and commitment, along with a diverse team and a capacity to persevere, enabled them to successfully accomplish their mission.
Tickets are available for purchase at www. saudevelopment.com/fbt, by calling 870235-4287 or at SAU Beyond the Campus after Aug. 22. Please mail checks/cash, made payable to the SAU Foundation, to: Office of Development, 100 E. University MSC 9340, Magnolia, AR 71753.