An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. 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. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. Such attacks are not news to men like Capt. 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. The U.S. evacuated the camp three days later. Keating was killed in November 2006 when he volunteered for a dangerous mission to drive an army truck loaded with supplies up to the camp, along treacherous 200-foot cliffs. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. Eight aviators were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping defend the base. The Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base. Anyone can read what you share. 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. A common misconception is that the Taliban are primitive fighters who lack the necessary skills to be effective in battle. He became the fourth surviving soldier from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to be awarded the Medal of Honor due to courageous actions during the battle. 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. [2] Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. [38], The battle of Kamdesh is documented in the 2017 book Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor by Clinton Romesha, a former United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle for Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan. Armando Avalos, Sgt. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? 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 AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. Without adequate support, they were left to fight for their lives against overwhelming odds. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. 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. The Battle of Kamdesh took place during the war in Afghanistan. Military commanders had already decided to close the base the previous summer, but delayed doing so because of other operations. Afghan contractors were unable to keep the narrow mountain road in safe condition, and convoys were subject to constant ambush from the surrounding mountains that lined the route. And appearing Holdo's subordinates were well aware of the plain. American forces formed a thinly held and poorly supplied picket line from Naray to Kamdesh along the river. 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. These troops were ambushed on the Naray-Kamdesh road and shot up badly enough to prevent their arrival in Kamdesh. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. 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. As the sun rose on Oct. 3, 2009, about 300 Taliban launched a surprise attack on COP Keating. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. Tim Quinton. Those guys were amazing. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. Years later, I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my control. The report said that there were as many as 47 attacks in the five months prior to the deadly assault, 10 in the 30 days prior to the mass attack. They should had just followed their fucking orders. "[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. The Taliban surprised the outpost with mortar fire and a massive infantry assault which partly overran and nearly destroyed COP Keating, and, while the Americans and their allies held off several Taliban attacks on the base in the bloodiest battle in Afghanistan since the 2008 Battle of Wanat, the outpost was shut down shortly after and its depot "It doesn't really take a lot to sort of trigger the emotions again," said Beth Keating. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. [32] Staff Sgt. [7]:95,268. 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. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. Served with United States Army since 2008. [33] 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann's Silver Star was upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross as well. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. 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. Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. As seen in the movie, the road in Kamdesh collapsed underneath the truck, throwing Keating from the vehicle as it rolled over a cliff, sending both himself and the truck down toward the Landay-Sin River. Action at the Aid Station Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . 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. 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. 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". 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. 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. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. The outpost was manned by 54 American personnel from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, who faced greater than seven-to-one odds in the battle. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. Capt. 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. Yllescas's charismatic relations with the Shura had supported the transition from 1-91 Cavalry to 6th Squadron, and the Shura's influence and collaboration with ISAF forces declined from this point. ABC News' Karen Russo contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. AAF would disguise themselves in ANA uniforms and set up fake checkpoints to extract taxes and tolls from local contractors, and allied themselves with smugglers transporting illegal timber and gems into Pakistan. The population of Nuristan is ethnically distinct from the rest of Afghanistan, and divided into four major groups, the Kom, Kata, Kushtoz, and Kalasha. 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. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. They performed heroically and bravely.. The shops name means house of culture.. 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. Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. 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. There was an element of ABLE Troop 3-71 CAV 2nd Platoon still left on the PZ after the crash that worked relentlessly to recover the bodies of their 10 comrades and destroy sensitive equipment in the wreckage. The Nuristanis had resisted Islam as late as the year 1895 and before that had been considered a Hindu nation (Islamic invaders called them "Kaffir" or heathen) with a long tradition of violently resisting outsiders and their beliefs. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. . Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. Captain Matthew Kaplan, CW3 Ross Lewallen, CW3 Randy Huff, CW2 Gary Wingert, CW2 Chad Bardwell, and CW2 Chris Wright were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for conducting close combat attacks on the Taliban during the battle. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. They did their jobs, and Im here because of what they did, but air support was definitely a must.. He died when his. Christopher Cordova, the squadrons physician assistant, was manning the aid station where there was no power. "But it is very difficult for us when people who weren't there and weren't involved, question the decision of leadership in a fight, but sometimes it is also necessary.". The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. [15], The Allies planned to close COP Keating by August 2009, but the move was delayed because of other military operations in a nearby district. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. A dog named Cali growled at the eldest son of an Afghan Security Guard, who would often come to the post with his father. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. This agreement did bring down the level of combat in the Kamdesh area. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. [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. 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. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. 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. 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. And he was becoming disillusioned with the possibility of what he thought. These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. [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. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. JavaScript is disabled. He began building a consensus of village elders in support of the Afghan government. 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 pick up zone for Able Troop 2nd Platoon was called PZ Reds, located on the side of an 8,000-foot mountain. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. [7]:803,945,11620, While attempting the pickup, a Chinook transport helicopter crashed in the darkness at 10:09 PM when the rear rotor hit a tree, and the helicopter slid down the slope and over a cliff, exploding in flames and killing all the crew and passengers. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? Once OP Fritsche soldiers gained control of their mortar pit, Sgt. Second, the search for Bowe Bergdahl, in June 2009, had used up so many resources none were available to address the base's unsuitable location. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. [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. Air Force Staff Sgt. Yes. While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. [20] Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. Colonel John W. Nicholson Jr., Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, had observed that Kamdesh was located at a point where three of the valley systems from the Pakistan border in the north converged. 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. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. In Afghanistan, MAJ (R) Cordova was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating on the 3rd of October 2009. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. He decided that American soldiers' "battle rattle" war gear gave the impression of soulless killing machines. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. 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. 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. At one point, he and his men came under heavy sniper fire. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. 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. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. "It is one of the most well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the history of the Afghan war," Tapper told NPR. The movie was filmed in 2018 on a set created at the base of a mountain in Bulgaria, not far from the city of Sofia. The 13-hour battle to re-take Combat Outpost Keating from an assault by 300 Taliban fighters on Oct. 3, 2009, was a team effort. [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 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. (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. Yes. 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. 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 Outpost real story confirms that COP Keating was evacuated two days after the battle. Surprised they didn't frag him. As they filmed one take after another, Cordova clenched his jaw and swallowed back tears, reliving the most traumatic day of his life. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. As it became obvious that COP Keating was too isolated, indefensible, and impossible to supply, plans were made to close it beginning in December 2008. Lardner, Richard (Associated Press), "Command Failures". David Porter (February 1, 1780 - March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy in the rank of captain and the honorary title of commodore.Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships. 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 Outpost real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire. It was only then that I truly appreciated how important the listeners role is in the healing process. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. When it came to infiltration from Pakistan, and setting ambushes, HIG was regarded as the most skillful. Basically, the air support was leaving and coming back. 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. 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. 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. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. Yllescas' death happened when he was serving with the 6/4 CAV in 2008. Director Rod Lurie is himself a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. 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. Michael Polidor and Capt. . American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. 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). 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. They expanded the perimeter all the way back to the entry control point and to the buildings on the western edge of the outpost, which became their final fighting position. Enemy forces controlled the landing zone, which prevented the wounded from being lifted out. 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. The first didn't take place at the camp. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. [7]:229,256,26380[12], The Battle of Saret Koheh made good on the threats of the "Night Letter". 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. This is a lofty mountain range characterized by steep slopes of enormous granite boulders separated by fast moving rivers in deep narrow valleys. The outpost itself also needed to be accessible by road since most of the helicopters were being used in Iraq and were unavailable. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. This article is featured in the 2019 October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine. Given its proximity to Pakistan, Combat Outpost Keating was part of a counter-insurgency strategy. Such administrative punishments are seen as career-enders if they are made a part of a permanent personnel file. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. The attack on COP Keating resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered an estimated 150 killed. Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009.. After an attack on October 3, 2009, where the base was nearly . Haji Yunus, a village elder of Gawardesh and contractor for an electric plant, was kidnapped and murdered. 37 soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. The wounded Americans condition immediately improved after the first unit of blood, as did the spirits of all those in the aid station. | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. 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. Ground resupply became almost impossible due to the area's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. 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. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. Other veterans also acted in the movie, including Henry Hughes. 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. 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