Operation Phantom Fury, a second battle for Fallujah, Iraq, fought between U.S.-led coalition forces and insurgents in late 2004, is examined in the premiere of a series that chronicles modern military conflicts using interviews with combatants, CGI animation, and reenactments. Fallujah, Iraq's most volatile city, has become a haven for radical Muslim fighters from around the world. To root them out, the U.S. soldiers and Marines engage the enemy in brutal urban combat.

Elite Special Operations troops attempt to rescue helpless civilians after a Viet Cong invasion force overwhelms their town.