It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Army.When the battle ended after more than 12 hours, eight U.S. soldiers were killed and another 22 wounded. The high mountains around the camp provided the perfect perches for Taliban snipers to pick off the soldiers. [7]:31214,371, The shura began to falter by October 2008. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. The outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). Such attacks are not news to men like Capt. [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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. [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 soldiers left so quickly that they didn't take all of the ammunition. (The main aid station was too heavily damaged to remain in operation.). He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. 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. Military commanders had already decided to close the base the previous summer, but delayed doing so because of other operations. 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. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. 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. 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. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. 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. 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. "We're constantly under observation." Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. Area of Operations. Then tragedy struck again. For the most part, yes. 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. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. 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. Haji Yunus, a village elder of Gawardesh and contractor for an electric plant, was kidnapped and murdered. 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. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. The first didn't take place at the camp. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . [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. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. The outpost itself also needed to be accessible by road since most of the helicopters were being used in Iraq and were unavailable. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. 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. 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. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. [20] Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. A note was attached to his body which said: "Don't work with coalition forces. 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. Martina Skokova. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. [18], At about 3:00a.m. on October 3, over 350 Taliban backed insurgents ordered all Kamdesh villagers to leave the area. 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. Why would the U.S. military put an outpost at the base of three Afghan mountains that were teeming with Taliban fighters who were eager to kill U.S. soldiers? The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. Encased in armor, helmets, and weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. [14] At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. 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. Div., at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province on Aug. 6, 2009. 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. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. 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." [1] Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. 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. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. Nine years earlier, Cordova and his medics toiled away in the aid station to treat the wounded and save the dying. They should had just followed their fucking orders. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. -CBS Sunday Morning. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. 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 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. The attack on COP Keating resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered an estimated 150 killed. [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. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. Michael Polidor and Capt. Eight aviators were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping defend the base. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. 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. When it came to infiltration from Pakistan, and setting ambushes, HIG was regarded as the most skillful. 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. Yes. Combat. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. Given its proximity to Pakistan, Combat Outpost Keating was part of a counter-insurgency strategy. Unlike the movie, The Outpost true story reveals that Keating was not alone in the truck. Yes. 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. 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. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. Director Rod Lurie is himself a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. 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. The bounty was a thing back then? A deliberate withdrawal had been planned some time before the battle began, and the closing was part of a wider effort by the top commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, to cede remote outposts and consolidate troops in more populated areas to better protect Afghan civilians. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. 8 killed 27 wounded[5] 4 killed 10 wounded. [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. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. 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. From November through January 2008 members of the Shura traveled the villages of the Kamdesh area, informing the residents of the support agreement and stating that the era of holy war was over, and that local government would bring peace and prosperity. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. Robert Yllescas. The camp was constructed by 3-71 Cavalry, 10th Mountain Division (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition) in the summer of 2006 and was manned by their ABLE Troop element until June 2007. SHAPLEIGH, Maine It's been nearly 14 years since Ken and Beth Keating lost their son, Army Captain Benjamin Keating, in Afghanistan. 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. Capt. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. prosthetic makeup effects administrator: Millennium FX. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. 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. aircraft.[5]. 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. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. [7]:334,501,92,98. 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). And appearing Holdo's subordinates were well aware of the plain. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. 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. Originally built to engage the locals in community development projects, Combat Outpost Keating located at the bottom of three steep mountains just 14 miles from the Pakistani border faced . These bases were a key element of the American counterinsurgency strategy. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. Without adequate support, they were left to fight for their lives against overwhelming odds. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. [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. 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. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. 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. Above their paygrade. 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. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. According to army records, the Taliban commander of the attack on Keating, Abdul Rahman Mustaghni, was killed by the following drone strike along with thirteen other insurgents. 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. Yllescas' death happened when he was serving with the 6/4 CAV in 2008. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. 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. The Outpost real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. As we walked into the replica aid station, I looked at Cordova. They performed heroically and bravely.. 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. 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. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. "We're surrounded, and we're sitting in a bowl," Porter said on "Good Morning America" today. 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. 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. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. Armando Avalos, Sgt. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. The report, released to the public in June 2011, concluded "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command" facilitated the attack, but praised the troops fighting at the base for repulsing the attack "with conspicuous gallantry, courage and bravery. [7]:229,256,26380[12], The Battle of Saret Koheh made good on the threats of the "Night Letter". This is a lofty mountain range characterized by steep slopes of enormous granite boulders separated by fast moving rivers in deep narrow valleys. 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. Need to know. 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. ", was Keating's assessment. 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. 1.33 million dollars was budgeted for these projects. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. Anyone can read what you share. I am almost 100% certain it was deliberately placed in a shitty location to goad locals into attacking the base, allowing the US to attack the enemy directly. These factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. 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. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. Not an Ordinary Engagement "[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. 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. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. 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. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. Clint Romesha, portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the film. It also showed Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kolenda (commander of American forces in Naray) with a crisis. Many of the Afghan National Army members there in support of the coalition troops fled. This agreement did bring down the level of combat in the Kamdesh area. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. "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.". 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. Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. On that day, then-1LT Bundermann's leadership and heroic actions in orchestrating the defense of Combat Outpost Keating, helped prevent it from falling into the hands of a Taliban force of more than 400 fighters. U.S. air support directed by Sgt. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Not exactly, but in researching The Outpost's historical accuracy, we learned that a similar incident happened the year prior, in 2008, involving more than just one dog. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. On Oct. 3, 2009, the camp and its 53 soldiers were attacked by some 400 Taliban fighters. Once we got overhead the target, the biggest thing that struck me was how much of Keating was on fire. [7]:12930 1345,156. Air Force Staff Sgt. 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. Clint Romesha rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, "We're taking this bitch back. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. 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. [8] In addition, Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. 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. [29], Following the battle, the U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation on what had occurred, led by US Army General Guy Swan. Cordovas care raised the morale of every soldier in the aid station, and word quickly spread across the outpost, the battle narrative stated. Colonel Pat Donahue, the former commander of the 3rd BCT, believed that the Nuristani population was essentially neutral, hostile to any outside groups, and so isolated that resources allocated to the region would be wasted. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. As they filmed one take after another, Cordova clenched his jaw and swallowed back tears, reliving the most traumatic day of his life. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. Their checkpoints[11] and "taxes" was used to finance AAF operations. 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 Defense officials confirm that three other Army officers face disciplinary action for their role in the attack on the military outpost in Wanat in July, 2008 that led to nine dead U.S. soldiers and 27 wounded. But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. 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. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. 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