ODA 3113: Afghanistan

A friend of mine picked this patch up for me at FOB Salerno, Afghanistan in February of 2010.  It is from Special Forces ODA 3113.  In normal people words that means Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (i.e. "A-Team") #3,  A Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group.

A quick look through ebay shows that modern SF ODA patches are already becoming the minefield of fakes and knock-offs that Vietnam era SF insignia have been for decades.  But this one is real and I even know the exact shop it was made in.  By the way, I have no clue what the "VBD" means.

While the exact missions of ODAs are not overtly publicized, it is most likely that these guys were partnered with (i.e. working with and training) Afghan Army Commando's operating in Khowst province near the Pakistani border.  Below is a photograph found at militaryphotos.net showing part of an ODA from 3rd Group at FOB Salerno in April 2010.  Are they ODA 3113?  Who knows.

Note the modified BDU's worn with Afghan Army insignia, including the Afghan National flag and the Afghan Commando patch.  An example (which my wife begged off of a Special Operations medic for me while we were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009) is shown below.