[34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. Encased in armor, helmets, and weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight. 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. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. 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. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. 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 AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha and Staff Sergeant Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. Martina Skokova. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. It may not display this or other websites correctly. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. Sylvanius Broward (1972-) was a US Army captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.. History. The attack was the bloodiest battle for US forces since the Battle of Wanat in July 2008, which occurred 20 miles (32km) away from Kamdesh. The smaller U.S. force ultimately beat back the attack after a fierce hours-long battle where Apache helicopters, that raced to assist the besieged soldiers, made all the difference. Military commanders had already decided to close the base the previous summer, but delayed doing so because of other operations. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. Commanders of Camp Keating are disciplined for not taking proper measures that led to deaths of eight U.S. soldiers and the wounding of 22 others in a Taliban attack. In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. 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. According to one account, Hill without hesitation picked up a Latvian sniper rifle and eliminated the target at a distance of over 300 meters., 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann, de facto ground commander, worked to slow the fire in the operations center and salvage equipment. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . 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. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Despite recommendations not to drive the large supply vehicle, First Lieutenant Ben Keating took the wheel while returning an armored supply truck to the Naray FOB. 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. They should had just followed their fucking orders. [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. prosthetic makeup effects technician: Millennium FX. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. By all quantifiable metrics, my unit won the fight, but at a devastating cost: Eight soldiers died, 22 were wounded and our camp burned to the ground. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. A common misconception is that the Taliban are primitive fighters who lack the necessary skills to be effective in battle. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. On July 20, 2006, 2:00 a. m. all of Cherokee Company and one platoon from Able Troop, 3-71 Cavalry Squadron dropped in two Chinooks on Landing Zone Warheit, a cornfield on a ridge near Kamdesh, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Howard to garrison the area. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. Keating's story was in the news again earlier this year; he was portrayed in the movie "The Outpost," which tells the story of one of the bloodiest battles in the war in Afghanistan. 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. Nine years earlier, Cordova and his medics toiled away in the aid station to treat the wounded and save the dying. Troops", "Outnumbered and With Taliban Overrunning the Base, Clinton Romesha Was Awarded MoH at the Battle of Kamdesh", "4th ID Soldier awarded Distinguished Service Cross", "Army vet honored with Distinguished Service Cross for combat heroics in Afghanistan", "Pilots receive Distinguished Flying Cross for valor", "Airmen honored by college for heroism in Afghanistan", "Army veteran Clinton Romesha receives Medal of Honor for Afghan fight", "Obama awards Ty Carter Medal of Honor for Afghan battle", "US soldiers hold back Taliban attack on COP Keating", COP Keating Report at DefenseTech.org: After Action Report, before and after photos, maps, analysis, Executive Summary - AR 15-6 Investigation re: Complex Attack on COP Keating - 3 Oct 09, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Kamdesh&oldid=1135532495, Served with United States Army since 2003 and Participated in, Killed by a single gunshot wound in the head, Served with United States Army since 2004 and Participated in, Killed by multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body, Served with United States Army since 2006 and Participated in, Served with United States Army since 2005. Anthony Parker. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. (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. 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. 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. 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. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. 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. But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. The Shapleigh native volunteered to drive an Army truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff at night . Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. Lardner, Richard (Associated Press), "Command Failures". 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. It was only then that I truly appreciated how important the listeners role is in the healing process. [18], At about 3:00a.m. on October 3, over 350 Taliban backed insurgents ordered all Kamdesh villagers to leave the area. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. American forces formed a thinly held and poorly supplied picket line from Naray to Kamdesh along the river. These resources were limited by the fact that only 5,000 American troops were available to occupy a rugged area the size of Virginia that had little infrastructure. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. Email us at
[email protected]. In the process, the truck rolled over him and ended up almost fully submerged in the river. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. -The Outpost book. Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan", Attack on Afghan outposts kills 8 soldiers, "U.S. ignored warnings before deadly Afghan attack", "U.S. Military Faults Leaders in Attack on Base", "Courage at Keating: 2 Medals of Honor, 1 DSC, 8 Silver Stars for standout B Troop", "Army releases report on battle at Combat Outpost Keating battle", "Afghan insurgents pushed into U.S. base, official says", "Strategic Plans Spawned Bitter End for a Lonely Outpost", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualties", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualty", "Insurgents breached U.S. outpost in battle", The Gazette: Mom works to help Carson soldiers honor battle bonds, "They 'weren't going to get beat that day' the Medal of Honor recipients who held COP Keating against all odds", "US premiere of film about Battle of COP Keating and Latvian soldiers | Aizsardzbas ministrija", Latvijas Televzija: Videofilma "Afganistna. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. 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. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Combined with difficult conditions for air supply, and little support from the local population, supply to what was renamed Camp Keating on November 26, 2006, was wholly inadequate. Stoney Portis, an officer in the Army and a Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, is a guest contributor to the At War newsletter. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. 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. 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. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. The Battle of Kamdesh took place during the war in Afghanistan. Fallen Heroes 3-61 Cavalry, 4th BCT, 4th ID. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. [7]:228,249,469, At the end of May 2007, Bulldog Troop, 1-91 Cavalry Squadron, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, arrived at COP Keating. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. Joshua Hardt, who until this time had been MIA. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. |. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. This article is featured in the 2019 October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. To further complicate the situation, nearby Observation Post Fritsche was unable to provide mortar support to Keating, as it also was overrun by Taliban. At one point, he and his men came under heavy sniper fire. He was managing care for five Americans and seven Afghans, treating gunshot wounds, head injuries, shrapnel wounds, chest and abdominal wounds, eye injuries and broken legs, all in a makeshift station. 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. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. 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. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. 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. The 53. Portis had been in command of the platoon for less than two weeks when, on Oct. 3, 2009, the Taliban attacked Combat Outpost Keating while he was away visiting a mountain observation post. 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. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. The 48N6 missiles of the S-400 (and why they were designed by flat-earthers), WI: Instead of a NATO pull-out, the bases/forces in Afghanistan are handed over to the UN Peacekeeping. "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. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. 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]. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. ' 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. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. An after-action report stated that within less than a few minutes of fighting, the Afghan soldiers serving at Keating, as well as the Afghan security guards, had fled their positions, allowing the enemy to quickly overrun the post. It seemed that it would get extremely intense, with a lot of fire, a lot of RPGs hitting the wall, and then it would die, McMurtrey told Air Force Magazine in 2011. Despite some condensing with regard to the timeline and a fictional character or two (Pfc. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. 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. 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. During and after the battle, some of the Afghan soldiers stole items, including digital cameras and protein drinks, belonging to American soldiers at the base. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. Justin Kulish was conducting a routine patrol in his B-1 bomber about an hour away when he got the call that Keating was in trouble. Click here for complete coverage of the Afghan war. Members of 10th Mountain Division's 1-32 Infantry Regiment were air lifted to the nearest helicopter landing zone on OP Fritsche and arrived at approximately 2:00pm, as recalled by a soldier on scene. ", Yes. 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. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the summer of 2007. That process helped us heal, but a bad rendering of the battle would leave us talking about what the movie got wrong instead of what actually happened. Combat. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. 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