However that road itself was pretty poor in of itself. The brigade was busy guarding another village, and numerous other resources had been consumed looking for Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier who was held captive by the Taliban after he deserted his post on June 30, 2009. Between each take, the director and actors paused and turned to Cordova, who offered feedback to make the scene match his memory. The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. The PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. [5][7]:53141 Observation Post ("OP") Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}352523N 711944E / 35.4231N 71.3289E / 35.4231; 71.3289 (Location of Combat Outpost Keating). As Cordova worked to stop the bleeding, five injured Afghan soldiers and another American who suffered a chest wound were brought in. [19] At 6:00 a.m, the fighters opened fire from all sides of the outpost with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades,[10] immediately putting the Americans' mortar pit out of action. When I learned that my U.S. Army cavalry troops war story was being made into a major motion picture, I worried that a Hollywood account of the battle would be inaccurate. Christopher Cordova, the squadrons physician assistant, was manning the aid station where there was no power. Stoney Portis, an officer in the Army and a Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, is a guest contributor to the At War newsletter. "As evening fell on the night of 3 October 2009, COP Keating remained solidly under US control, and enemy forces had suffered severe tactical defeat," according to the Army report, although "eight American soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice defending their outpost and their fellow soldiers." Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . [7]:28,41,908,123, The Kamdesh village and most of Nuristan is located in the Hindu Kush. The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. These groups could clash violently over water rights, pasture, and religious beliefs. | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. The Outpost is a 2020 war film directed by Rod Lurie, based on the 2012 non-fiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper, about the Battle of Kamdesh in the war in Afghanistan.It stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict, Milo Gibson, Jacob Scipio, Will Attenborough, and Taylor John Smith. Capt. Served with United States Army since 2008. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. Understandable discrepancies emerge when a book that covers four years at a remote mountain outpost is compressed into a two-hour production, but the film unquestionably captures the essence of the soldiers sacrifices, as well as the love we feel and the sorrow we share. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. I'll have to give it a read sometime. While en route the Platoon encountered a planned ambush on the side of the mountain resulting in three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm. [7]:21530, The closeness of the action, and coordinated fire from both sides of the valley indicated that the attackers in this ambush were different from the groups that had been using sporadic, long range, harassing fire. On the whole the AAF was a broader based and more formidable force in 2007 than before the American invasion, and represented a significant escalation. One of the casualties was a bright young specialist named Stephan Mace, whom Cordova kept alive for nine hours by transfusing fresh blood from other soldiers, himself included. Aaron Dove, pilot and weapon systems officer of one of the F-15E aircraft coordinating close air support, were also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. Not an Ordinary Engagement The true story confirms that the Afghan National Army soldiers, who were fighting alongside the U.S. troops, either fled the outpost after the attack began or hid in cowardice. During this battle Taliban members outnumbered US forces in a staggering 5 to 1 ratio and was considered one of the bloodiest battle of the War. I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. (U.S. Army) The Counterattack: "We're Taking this Bitch Back" With more and more Taliban soldiers now inside the base, an important decision was needed. Armando Avalos, Sgt. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Basically, the air support was leaving and coming back. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. It occurred on October 3, 2009, when a force of 400 Taliban assaulted the American Combat Outpost ("COP") Keating near the town of Kamdesh in Nuristan Province in eastern Afghanistan. The village leaders elected a representative council of 100 members to form a shura that would produce a regional security plan and obtain an agreement with the American military and the Afghan Karzai government. JavaScript is disabled. Brown would also note that it was a failure of leadership on Porter's part because of Porter's absolute refusal to explain to his troops why the mortars were being limited. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. To avoid damaging the trust they had established with the Afghans, Cali and another semi-hostile dog named Willie Pete were shot by Staff Sergeant Ian Boone and another soldier. "The investigation concluded that critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets which had been supporting COP Keating had been diverted to assist ongoing intense combat operations in other areas," the report said. Within the first hour, the American and Latvian defenders had collapsed to a tight internal perimeter, centered on the two buildings that were not burning. "whatever you think of their ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. [4] She noted two claims the military put forward in its report: first, the resources to relocate the base had not been available because the brigade was concentrating on guarding a village that Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, considered strategically important. These troops were ambushed on the Naray-Kamdesh road and shot up badly enough to prevent their arrival in Kamdesh. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. The report found that a "mindset of imminent closure" led the unit to not improve the outpost's defenses despite intelligence reports that warned of a possible attack by "a large enemy force.". The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. I have my own war stories from that day, but watching one of my best friends relive his on set was the closest I could come to fully understanding his heartache and pain. Yes. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies.On July 2, 1812, Porter hoisted the banner "Free trade and sailors' rights" as captain of USS Essex. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. Despite some condensing with regard to the timeline and a fictional character or two (Pfc. In this December 2012 interview, MAJ Melvin Porter, US Army, Signal; discusses his deployment to Afghanistan as a company commander for 3-61 Cavalry (CAV) in 2009 through 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. As a result, the depot was looted by the Taliban. "Needed force protection improvements were not made because of the imminent closure of the outpost. In May 2016 CBS News profiled Staff Sergeant Romesha, after he published an account of his experiences at the base, entitled Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor. aircraft.[5]. The attack was the bloodiest battle for US forces since the Battle of Wanat in July 2008, which occurred 20 miles (32 km) away from Kamdesh. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. A dog named Cali growled at the eldest son of an Afghan Security Guard, who would often come to the post with his father. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. The wounded Americans condition immediately improved after the first unit of blood, as did the spirits of all those in the aid station. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. It also said the commanders had become "desensitized" to reports of imminent large scale attacks because previous warnings had turned out to be on a much smaller scale. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Howard, Squadron Commander, saw COIN as a process of providing three services: This would improve the local economy while providing improved communications with the central government and the rest of the nation. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. Despite the efforts of two Latvian military advisors, First Sergeant Jnis Lais and Corporal Mrti Dboli,[21] who tried to convince the Afghan National Army forces not to flee,[22] the Afghan defenders quickly broke and ran. [2] A day after, on October 7, Taliban fighters were seen among the ruins of the outpost. The Allies hoped that extending these bases into Nuristan, one of the most remote and isolated eastern provinces in Afghanistan, they could demonstrate to the entire Afghan population the government's credibility and power. These factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. This separation of the landing zone, and the fact that the site was surrounded by mountains on three sides made the site unappealing because of the difficulty of mounting an effective defense. Combat. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha and Staff Sergeant Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. In 2006, Allied commanders identified the Kamdesh area to be key to denying anti-coalition militia the required access to supply lines crossing into and out of nearby Pakistan. ' The Outpost ' is a 2020 war drama which tells the story of 53 US soldiers who battled some 400 enemy insurgents in north-eastern Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. The basic approach to victory by the PRT involved three steps: Nicholson hoped the PRT would seed a process to be developed by the Nuristanis rather than imposed from the outside. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . Captain Broward is a fictional character likely based on Captain Melvin Porter, the officer who commanded COP Keating before it was attacked and was reprimanded for its lack of preparedness. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. I support this diversion into a discussion of the operational art and command structure as practiced by the New Resistance under Leia Organa. Area of Operations. To a man, they all felt they had an obligation to help out in those areas where they saw Portar as failing, but upon hearing their recommendations, the captain consistently told them, point blank, that he was the commander, not them. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, On August 8, 2006, 19 days after the first American landing, the PRT was attacked for the first time. In the wake of the attack, several soldiers based at COP Keating told ABC News that they did not know the attack was as large as it was because they received enemy fire with such frequency. On Oct. 3, 2009, a force of about 50 Americans faced down as many as 400 enemy fighters intent on overrunning COP Keating in eastern Afghanistan. Matthew McMurtrey a cyber systems operator was attached to the 61st Cav and woke at6 a.m. that day to the walls of his bunk shaking, alerting him to the attack. ", Yes. ABC News' Karen Russo contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. prosthetic makeup effects administrator: Millennium FX. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. Cordovas care raised the morale of every soldier in the aid station, and word quickly spread across the outpost, the battle narrative stated. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? prosthetic makeup effects technician: Millennium FX. Who plays Nia on the outpost? Capt. The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Jayson Souter, and 1st Lt. Cason Shrode, including attack helicopters, A-10s, a B-1 bomber, and F-15 fighters, destroyed the local mosque, where much of the insurgents' heaviest fire originated. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers fought. The first didn't take place at the camp. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in the 1950s. It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. Troops, Amazon.com: The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor eBook: Tapper, Jake: Kindle Store, Wehrmacht wins at Dunkirk: Description of the battle that never was. Porter had already done two tours in Iraq and even before he was deployed to COP Keating, his superior officer Lieutenant Colonel Brad Brown and the men of his company thought he was "spent". Above their paygrade. On October 28, the commander of COP Keating, Captain Robert J. Yllescas, was severely wounded in a targeted assassination attempt with a remotely detonated IED less than 400 meters from the outposthe later died from his wounds on December 1. The U.S. soldiers killed in the battle were: Amy Davidson Sorkin, writing in The New Yorker, tried to answer the question why the base had not been moved, when it was found to be unsuitable. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. In real life, there is no record of Porter shooting a dog.According to Jake Tapper's book, two real-life incidents inspired the scene in the movie. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed by American planes in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind."[10]. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. Such administrative punishments are seen as career-enders if they are made a part of a permanent personnel file. The pilots landed at a nearby base and then limped the aircraft to an airfield for repairs, separating me and a small contingent of soldiers from the outpost. Even some of the dialogue is taken word for word from real life. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. [32] Staff Sgt. American outpost in Nuristan, Afghanistan, List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients, "Latest Medal of Honor brings COP Keating battle back into spotlight", "A Medal of Honor recipient's ongoing burden", "COP Keating battle begins, Medal of Honor nominee Romesha takes action", "This Netflix series will tell the stories of Medal of Honor recipients", "The Battle of Kamdesh, which netted two Medals of Honor, is coming to the big screen twice", "Sony Enlists Director Daniel Espinosa, George Clooney's Smokehouse For 'Red Platoon', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Combat_Outpost_Keating&oldid=1137949129, Military installations of the United States in Afghanistan, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:20. [33] 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann's Silver Star was upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross as well. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. prosthetic makeup effects sculptor: Millennium FX. A note was attached to his body which said: "Don't work with coalition forces. "[5], On November 9, 2018, the Netflix series Medal of Honor featured two separate episodes for both Romesha and Carter's personal accounts of the events that took place at COP Keating during the Battle of Kamdesh. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The battle is also the main focal point of the 2020 film The Outpost, which was in-turn based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper. Located near the border with Pakistan in the Afghan province of Nuristan, COP Keating was the scene of a coordinated attack by as many as 300 Taliban fighters who stormed the exposed base. 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