Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. It was only then that I truly appreciated how important the listeners role is in the healing process. -The Outpost book. My soldiers and I had been sharing stories since Oct. 3, 2009, when our 53 cavalry scouts fought off more than 300 Taliban fighters bent on overrunning Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan. 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. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. His actions saved the lives of several soldiers, and he alone accomplished the work of four medical professionals without stopping for food or sleep, the battle narrative aptly concluded. Yllescas' death happened when he was serving with the 6/4 CAV in 2008. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Yes. The logistical location of the outpost, which was located deep in a valley surrounded by three steep mountains, put the soldiers at an enormous disadvantage. Meanwhile, Sgt. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. Ground resupply became almost impossible due to the area's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Leaving aside the wisdom of a fictional admiral cutting her CAG and most experienced pilot out of the loop while she plans a small craft evacuation, the US Army follows a doctrine known as Mission Command, which relies on the commander keeping their subordinates informed not just of their orders but the. In Afghanistan, MAJ (R) Cordova was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating on the 3rd of October 2009. A commander who has no trust for or from his subordinates, keeps them in the dark, and fails to make the intent of his orders clear is making it harder for everyone else to do their jobs and jeopardizing mission success. [5][10] Two USAF F-15E fighter bombers circled overhead, led by Captains Mike Polidor and Aaron Dove and their wingmen, 1st Lt. Justin Pavoni and Captain Ryan Bone, for almost eight hours, helping coordinate airstrikes by 19 other aircraft. The bounty was a thing back then? It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. 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. On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan's Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. I stood silently in the corner and watched a rendition of the story I previously told through sympathy letters to the families of the fallen, in award write-ups for my soldiers and during lectures for military leaders. Known as COIN and refined by General David Petraeus, Commander of US forces in Afghanistan, the Army and Marine Counter-insurgency Field Manual FM 3-24 was to convert the population of Nuristan to American goals. But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. He decided that American soldiers' "battle rattle" war gear gave the impression of soulless killing machines. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. [33] 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann's Silver Star was upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross as well. Like in the film, Sgt. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. Captain Melvin Porter, 4th Infantry Division, US Army, said: "We're sitting in a bowl so we are constantly under observation." This is how the war went at COP Keating: a few pot shots from. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. Keating died while serving at the base in 2006 and it was . In December 2006, it was renamed Camp Keating after the death of ABLE Troop 3-71 Cavalry 10th Mountain Division's Executive Officer Benjamin Keating, who died November 26, 2006, while conducting combat operations south of the camp. Provide clean water by installing gravity fed pipelines. Above their paygrade. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. As with Captain Benjamin Keating, the movie pushes both of their deaths to 2009 and fictionally depicts both men as being part of the 3/61 CAV (3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment). The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. I'll have to give it a read sometime. Several of the surviving soldiers were technical advisors on the film, including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter, who is played by Caleb Landry Jones. 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. Much of this is the result of the real-life Battle of Kamdesh veterans who were involved in the film, both as technical advisors and actors. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. JT: First Lieutenant Ben Keating, who is the namesake of the camp, he was, he had Pressfield's book with him, and he was reading it, and it was a lesson to him. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. Like in the movie, the quick reaction force (QRF) coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the firey devastation. JavaScript is disabled. The climate of the area has hot summers, a monsoon season in the summer, and cold winters of ice and snow extending down into the valleys. 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. So if you see the film when it comes out over the Fourth of July weekend, know that you are not just watching a war movie. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. The Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base. The Outpost true story reveals that the soldiers were surrounded by more than 300 Taliban fighters, many of whom were rushing in from Pakistan, which was only 14 miles from COP Keating. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. 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. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. 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. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. [5] The U.S. military estimated that 150 Taliban insurgents were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. 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. After an attack on October 3, 2009, where the base was nearly overrun, and 8 Americans and 4 Afghan defenders were killed, the base was abandoned and demolished by a bombing from an American B-1 bomber on the night of October 6th, 2009. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. [32] Staff Sgt. [7]:28,41,908,123, The area had not been occupied by any conventional US forces prior to 3-71 Cavalry's takeover, although Special Operations forces operated in the area on a very limited basis. The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. 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. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. In the end, as part of an effort by General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, such remote outposts were closed so that more troops could be used to protect civilians in populated areas. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. When Captain Aaron Swain of Cherokee Co. had sounded out Afghan Border Police Commander Ahmed Shah about setting up near Kamdesh, he was told that HIG insurgents tried to blow up Shah's jeep on his last trip there and it was a bad place. The Outpost real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. October 03, 2019. The pick up zone for Able Troop 2nd Platoon was called PZ Reds, located on the side of an 8,000-foot mountain. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. The attack on COP Keating resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered an estimated 150 killed. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. Even some of the dialogue is taken word for word from real life. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. As they filmed one take after another, Cordova clenched his jaw and swallowed back tears, reliving the most traumatic day of his life. Capt. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. Enemy forces controlled the landing zone, which prevented the wounded from being lifted out. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. The first of these would be "Operation Mountain II", an effort to extend a series of observation posts west to control the villages between COP Keating and the Afghan village of Saret Koheh. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. This includes Scott Eastwood's character, Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, telling the men, "We're taking this bitch back," after the camp is partially overrun by Taliban fighters. [30] In the report released to the public, the U.S. Army concealed the names of the four disciplined officers. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. Unlike the movie, The Outpost true story reveals that Keating was not alone in the truck. The following day, insurgents kidnapped and murdered Fazal Ahad, an elder from Badmuk who was attempting to end the Kom/Kata tribal disagreements by arranging a meeting in Kamdesh. [8] In addition, Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. "Reviewing and examining and improving are part of our process and when we do it from within, it is embraced," said the officer who asked not to be identified. COP Keating, which was established in the summer of 2006, was put in the valley for the simple reason that it's where the roads are. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. Regrouping there, they pushed out teams to retake much of the outpost. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. When the battle was over, 16 tons of bombs had been dropped. ", Yes. 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. The fighting at COP Keating, which is also known as the Battle of Kamdesh, involved an attack by over 400 insurgents against the combat outpost, which was slated to be dismantled. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. Skola karalauk", "COP Keating Investigation Findings Released", "Afghan, US troops kill 40 militants in east", "Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. Lardner, Richard (Associated Press), "Command Failures". View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. I'll just quote this part from Staff Sergeant Romesha's Medal of Honor citation: Folks Media Madness is full of arguments over TLJ, we don't need to import that headache into the War Room. AAF forces involved fit the pattern of the improved force, in that they were uniformed and equipped as Afghan Army and police forces, with the latest weapons and radios issued to government Afghan forces, along with ski masks. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. American forces had already planned to pull out of the area as part of a plan to move forces to more densely populated areas, so closure of the base was imminent when the attack occurred. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. Keating's death, while mostly historically accurate, is pushed up in the film as a way to condense the storyline.Knowing the LMTV armored supply vehicle was too heavy for the road in Kamdesh, Keating volunteered against protocol to drive the truck, choosing to risk his own life instead of the lives of the men serving underneath him. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. The high mountains around the camp provided the perfect perches for Taliban snipers to pick off the soldiers. Meanwhile, back at the aid station, Cordova learned that the first medevac would not arrive until after 7:30 p.m. A critically wounded soldier needed a blood transfusion in order to survive. 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. Let's get back on topic please. Quick reaction forces (QRF) from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment did not reach the outpost until 7:00pm that day, while insurgents remained in parts of the outpost as late as 5:10pm. The entire Outpost Keating was recreated. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. Several of the dogs that hung around the camp were with them, one of which supposedly bit an old woman working in a field. It's a solid 10/10 read: No hot food, No fire support. Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. The 53. A dog named Cali growled at the eldest son of an Afghan Security Guard, who would often come to the post with his father. . While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. A press release issued by the NATO military command in Afghanistan said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the senior U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, had taken "appropriate action" against the officers after reviewing the report. The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. It looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. Then tragedy struck again. The soldiers heard over the radio, "Enemy in the wire The enemy is inside the camp." So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. This series of meetings over two days involved more than 800 representatives of the people of Nuristan, and had the goal of bringing order and economic development to the region. This will happen to you." 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. The AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. Div., at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province on Aug. 6, 2009. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. -CBS Sunday Morning. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the summer of 2007. [7]:334,501,92,98. 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. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." The letter stated: "At the present time for those who work and obey the American devils by taking contracts for building schools, road, and power plants: also those who work as police, district administrators, and commanders as well as sold-out mullahs who deny Allah's orders and holy war and deny the holy Quran: We are telling you that we are continuing our holy war in Allah's will Soon we will start our operations." His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. The elder considers this to be a bad omen and demands that there be retribution. Captain Frank Brooks, commanding at LZ Warheit, was dismayed to discover the PRT could not be quickly reached by LZ Warheit. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. aircraft.[5]. 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. Feb. 5, 2010— -- A military investigation of a Taliban attack last fall on a remote U.S. army outpost that left eight American soldiers dead and 22 wounded has resulted in administrative punishments for two commanders blamed for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command.". After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. You must log in or register to reply here. Based there were 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Of the 53 U.S. soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kamdesh at Outpost Keating, 45 survived, 8 lost their lives, and 27 were wounded. 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. One officer in Afghanistan who was familiar with the attack on COP Keating said he had mixed feelings about the criticism leveled against the camp's commanders. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. 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