. >> reporter: gant got around red tape to head out automatic weapons to the tribal police unit.idn't always fill out the paperwork to provide fuel for their vehicles or account for the cash payments for afghan gunmen he tired for extra security. and gant and his men rarely wore their official body armor or even army boots. >> when you're carrying a 70-pound kit and helmet and trying to chase down insurgents who are in flip-flops and pajamas, you can't fight like that. >> reporter: it was safer being dressed in afghan clothes? >> absolutely. even the tactics, you could move further and faster, you could take cover more quickly. you could carry more ammunition and water. it was an absolute no-brainer. >> reporter: and in a short time, his strategy began to pay off as the tribe's code of honor required them to protect the americans as their welcome guests. when the taliban opened fire on this small compound, the villagers joined the americans in returning fire with a vengeance. [ gunfire ] >> you cannot let violence go unanswered. you have to be prepared to be more violent than the