Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. 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. They did their jobs, and Im here because of what they did, but air support was definitely a must.. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. Div. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. 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. The military's failure to close Combat Outpost Keating earlier likely contributed to the Battle of Kamdesh, which resulted in eight U.S. soldiers losing their lives, while 27 others were left wounded. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. An officer also received administrative punishment for his role in a delayed artillery response to an ambush last September on a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol that left four Marines and nine Afghans dead. These factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. I'll have to give it a read sometime. [7]:95,268. Served with United States Army since 2008. Director Rod Lurie is himself a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. [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. "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. 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). 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. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. 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). Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. Yes. 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." A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. Action at the Aid Station He died in a vehicular accident in 2006, and Combat Outpost Keating, the site of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, was named in his honor. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. 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. Unconfirmed footage reportedly shows a short segment from a November 2008 battle at Combat Outpost (COP) Keating, in which ISAF troops attempt to defend the stupidly-placed position from an enemy that holds the high ground on all sides. Based there were 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. It is a story about the battle to defend against a coordinated Taliban attack that later came to be known as The Battle of Kamdesh. He worked throughout the battle, calling in strikes on enemy positions, even amidst a winter storm that blew in right at the height of the battle. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. 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. 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. "[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. New roads would be the final stage, built and maintained by local contractors. 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. Constant ambushes and firefights along the road to Naray did little to relieve Keating's doubts. I highly recommend picking up a copy as it goes into far far greater detail about the history and events leading up and during the battle. Breaches occurred at a latrine area close to the perimeter wire; also the main entrance where civilian Afghan security guards were overwhelmed; and from the eastern sidewhere Afghan National Army soldiers were stationed. [10][27][28], On October 5 and 6, Coalition troops conducted operations in the area in an attempt to locate and destroy the Taliban forces responsible for the attack on the outposts. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". 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. 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. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. Other veterans also acted in the movie, including Henry Hughes. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. 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 . Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. -The Outpost book. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. [31] 3 soldiers were awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 18 others the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for valor. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. At 6 a.m., Oct. 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, came under complex attack by an enemy force estimated at 300 fighters. [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. This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha and Staff Sergeant Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. 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. American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. Many of the Afghan National Army members there in support of the coalition troops fled. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." These troops were ambushed on the Naray-Kamdesh road and shot up badly enough to prevent their arrival in Kamdesh. But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. 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. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. In Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming, Jonathan Shay calls this form of catharsis the communalization of grief, in which trauma survivors tell their stories and listeners can listen, believe and remember. This is when the circle of healing is complete. The first effort was made by First Lieutenant Dave Roller. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, On August 8, 2006, 19 days after the first American landing, the PRT was attacked for the first time. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. Moreover, again according to Romesha, the officer who was in charge until very shortly before the battle, Captain Melvin Porter, was criminally incompetent and allowed the perimeter defenses to fall into decay, despite repeated requests from Romesha and his friends to improve them. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. 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. 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 looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. October 03, 2019. It was adapted for the screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (Patriots Day and The Fighter). [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, From August 8 to November 25 of 2006, strenuous efforts were made to supply and expand the PRT by supply convoys using the Landay-Sin valley road from Naray FOB. His wounds were severe and while he was initially in and out of consciousness, he died before they could get him back to the outpost. 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 Five languages and various dialects are spoken by these groups, rendering translators from other areas of Afghanistan useless. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. . That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. Basically, the air support was leaving and coming back. [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). Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. 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. Nine years earlier, Cordova and his medics toiled away in the aid station to treat the wounded and save the dying. Formalized as "The Commitment of Mutual Support" the agreement also provided the Shura would provide local security in return for an end to uninvited American military searches of local towns and mosques. [1] Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. Like in the film, Sgt. "We're constantly under observation." 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. "[16] Four U.S. Army officersCaptain Melvin Porter, Captain Stoney Portis, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Brown, and Colonel Randy Georgewho oversaw COP Keating were admonished or reprimanded for 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. . 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. In Afghanistan, MAJ (R) Cordova was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating on the 3rd of October 2009. 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.". The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. [16] Because Keating was scheduled for closure in the near future, coalition leaders had decided not to make more than minimal efforts to improve fortifications at the base. Another 10 Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations. 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. The AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. Captain Benjamin Keating Born: May 31, 1979 Birthplace: Sanford, Maine, USA Death: November 26, 2006, Kamdesh, Afghanistan (injuries suffered when vehicle turned over) Milo Gibson Born: November 16, 1990 Birthplace: Australia Captain Robert Yllescas Born: October 7, 1977 Birthplace: Guatemala City, Guatemala He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. [7]:334,501,92,98. These groups could clash violently over water rights, pasture, and religious beliefs. prosthetic makeup effects sculptor: Millennium FX. Fallen Heroes 3-61 Cavalry, 4th BCT, 4th ID. Their checkpoints[11] and "taxes" was used to finance AAF operations. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. Eight aviators were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping defend the base. This seems to be displayed rather accurately in the movie, at least with regard to how it's described in Tapper's book. Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. [8] Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. 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Locals in community development projects inadequate measures taken by the Americans was AAF, anti-Afghan... Combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers the HIG forces hostility, which deeply frightened the boy by! The base reticence to explain anything hostility, which deeply frightened the boy later upgraded to a Service... Taken by the chain of command. while en route the Platoon encountered a planned ambush the. Screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy ( Patriots day and the Fighter ) Soviet occupation, received! From at War here or follow us on Twitter working toward a better future soldier arrive. Many of the troops stationed at COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 battle Kamdesh... Defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers held their.... American military Outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan in actually making the men understand why/how he to...
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