Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Chris Evans, CHAIN OF COMMAND is an eight-part documentary series that provides an intimate portrait of the war against violent extremism, and the men and women devoting their lives to it. With groundbreaking and unprecedented access granted to the U.S. armed forces, the series records the fight against radical threats in every corner of the world as it unfolds over one full year in hot spots like Iraq, Afghanistan, West Africa, and Latin America. At a time when the stakes could not be higher, the series captures Gen. Joe Dunford and the Joint Chiefs of Staff creating policy and strategy that is then executed on the battlefield, revealing firsthand how the decisions made at the Pentagon have a direct impact on our service members fighting on the front lines. Plus, the series paints an intimate portrait of how men and women handle authority and responsibility and the sacrifices they make in their personal lives.

In a command post sheltered inside a school in Mosul, Iraq, Capt. Quincy Bahler of the 101st Airborne Division works hand in hand with Iraqi Security Forces on a range of issues. Together, they monitor live camera feeds from U.S. combat aerial drones, deciding when to drop missiles on ISIS fighters while also figuring out ways to stop ISIS-flown camera drones from dropping bombs on U.S. and coalition forces. Meanwhile, on the streets in Mosul, Iraqi forces undertake a civilian rescue, getting families out of the combat zone on foot and under enemy sniper fire. In a quieter moment, at the end of his nine-month deployment, Capt. Bahler savors the simple pleasure of a well-brewed espresso as he prepares to hand over the reins to Capt. Mark Zwirgzdas of the 82nd Airborne Division and return to his wife and civilian life.

Over a thousand miles away at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian leads a coalition of 20-plus nations with their own internal chain of command. The commander of Air Forces Central Command, he is the first pilot ever to let a media camera inside the cockpit of his F-22 stealth fighter while on a mission. This hands-on combat mission is in addition to his role overseeing an ultra-secure facility that tracks every plane in the sky over the Middle East, including American, Iraqi, Syrian, Russian and civilian. His direct report, Lt. Col. Gregory Wintill, keeps him appraised on the progress of enemy weapons being loaded into trucks. They must wait for visual confirmation on the remote surveillance feed before they can act to disrupt the deadly supply chain.

To fully comprehend the threat these soldiers face alongside their comrades and allies, Chain of Command also goes deep into the mindset of what makes a radical extremist tick. Umar Abdullah, who heads the Islamic Front in Trinidad and Tobago and previously encouraged armed resistance, reveals the emotional triggers and hooks ISIS recruiters use on a daily basis to attract fighters to their mission to establish a caliphate in the Middle East. Touting a new civic, economic and religious reality via web-based propaganda, recruiters decry American intervention in the region as a disruptive and invasive force in the lives of Muslims. Deterring recruits from this call to arms is something Abdullah struggles with -- as does the U.S. military -- despite his having formerly encouraged jihad.
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On Monday, February 26, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT, National Geographic Channel premieres "Part 8: Why We Fight," the finale of CHAIN OF COMMAND. U.S. Marines prepare to return home from Afghanistan, but they are still surrounded by reminders of the dangers haunting the country.