Following his last deployment in 2010–12, he was relieved of command and forced to retire after violating military regulations and conducting an extramarital affair with reporter Ann Scott Tyson at his combat outpost in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

[13] Gant first published the paper on the website of Stephen Pressfield, a historical fiction novelist who is popular in military circles.

[5] The paper received some criticism for promoting "nativist mythologies"[16] but, according to Paula Broadwell, it helped inspire Petraeus to create the Afghan Local Police.

[8] In September 2010, reporter Ann Scott Tyson took a leave of absence from The Washington Post and went to Kunar to live with Gant for nine months, in violation of military regulations.

[18] Gant and his unit built relationships with the tribes by wearing traditional Afghan clothing instead of uniforms and learning Pashto.

"[20] Petraeus made Mangwal a "showcase" for his counterinsurgency strategy, and congressional delegations such as those of Lindsey Graham and John McCain visited the village.

[8] In early 2012, as Gant was in the process of moving from Mangwal to the nearby village of Chowkay, he came in contact with First Lieutenant Thomas Roberts, a West Point graduate[21] who had recently arrived to Kunar.

[8] After the subsequent investigation Gant was relieved of command, demoted to the rank of captain, and given an official reprimand by Lieutenant General Mulholland.