A Tampa stage is about to turn one of Afghanistan’s most frantic rescue efforts into a live account of loyalty, danger and unfinished promises. 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express will bring veterans’ firsthand perspectives to Team House Tampa later this month, with three performances focused on the final stretch of the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul.
Special Forces Association Chapter LX will host the production on Friday, August 28, and Saturday, August 29, according to the Osprey Observer. The schedule includes a 7 p.m. Friday performance, followed by 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows Saturday, including a matinee geared toward veterans and military audiences.
Three Performances Bring Kabul’s Final Days To Tampa
The Tampa shows will take place at Team House Tampa, where Chapter LX regularly gathers as part of its work supporting the Green Beret community. The Special Forces Association identifies Chapter LX as the Tampa-area alumni organization for U.S. Army Special Forces, with a mission that includes preserving Special Forces history and supporting veterans, active-duty soldiers and their families.
Written and performed by retired Green Beret Lt. Col. Scott Mann, 11 Days is described by Task Force Pineapple as a one-man production based on the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The play follows an improvised network of veterans, intelligence professionals, civilians and Afghan partners who worked to evacuate allies facing threats from the Taliban.
The real-life operation emerged during the chaotic August 2021 collapse of the Afghan government. ABC News reported at the time that an all-volunteer group of American veterans launched a mission to guide hundreds of at-risk Afghan special forces members and their families toward safety as the Taliban tightened control around Kabul’s airport.
A Military Story Framed For Civilian Audiences
Mann’s book, Operation Pineapple Express, became an instant New York Times bestseller, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. The author spent 23 years in the U.S. Army, including 18 years as a Green Beret, before turning to public speaking, writing and veteran-focused storytelling.
The Tampa production is not being presented as a policy debate so much as a human account of what happened after the formal mission began winding down. The Osprey Observer reported that each performance will be followed by a discussion with members of the production team and veterans, giving audiences a chance to ask questions and consider the lasting effects of the evacuation.
That post-show conversation is a major part of the production’s local appeal. Task Force Pineapple says the performances are designed to create a bridge between military and civilian communities, particularly for audiences who remember the images from Kabul but may not know much about the volunteer networks operating behind the scenes.
Tickets and event details are available through Task Force Pineapple’s event calendar. With a Tampa veterans organization hosting a play written and performed by one of the mission’s central figures, the weekend is positioned as both a theater event and a rare public conversation about what military service can demand after the official mission is over.
