It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. [35] Capt. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. 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 Area of 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. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. This had the potential to boost the local economy, which had seen few civic improvements. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. [30] In the report released to the public, the U.S. Army concealed the names of the four disciplined officers. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. 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. 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. 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. Like in the film, Sgt. 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 I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. 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. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. Given its proximity to Pakistan, Combat Outpost Keating was part of a counter-insurgency strategy. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. 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. It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. 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. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. 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. 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." 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. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan's Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. The Outpost real story confirms that COP Keating was evacuated two days after the battle. [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. 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. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. Michael Polidor and Capt. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. 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]. Captain Sylvanius Broward (Kwame Patterson), whom the men refer to as "Broward the Coward," shoots the dog to appease the elder and calm the situation. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. It's a solid 10/10 read: No hot food, No fire support. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). He assumed command of CO Keating following the death of Captain Robert Yllescas in a Taliban IED attack in December 2008, and he almost immediately acquired a negative reputation among his new command, who called him "Broward the Coward" for planning . These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? The 53. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. The Battle of Kamdesh took place during the war in Afghanistan. [8] Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. Not an Ordinary Engagement On Oct. 3, 2009, the camp and its 53 soldiers were attacked by some 400 Taliban fighters. [32] Staff Sgt. Furthermore, Camp Keating's location, surrounded by mountains on three sides, exposed helicopters and the outpost's garrison to insurgent fire. "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 New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. 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. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. 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. Defense officials confirm that two senior officers who oversaw the forces at COP Keating have received administrative punishments that could impact their careers. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. 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. 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. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. 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 real life, Keating had served with the 3/71 CAV, not the 3/61 CAV (the unit he's part of in The Outpost movie). "As evening fell on the night of 3 October 2009, COP Keating remained solidly under US control, and enemy forces had suffered severe tactical defeat," according to the Army report, although "eight American soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice defending their outpost and their fellow soldiers." 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. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . 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 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. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. 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. 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. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. [14] At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. Anthony Parker. ", was Keating's assessment. The camp was originally constructed to be a PRT (i.e., Provincial Reconstruction Team), called PRT Kamdesh, but due to extremely high levels of fighting in the area it remained a fire base instead of a PRT. The report found that a "mindset of imminent closure" led the unit to not improve the outpost's defenses despite intelligence reports that warned of a possible attack by "a large enemy force.". He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. -CBS Sunday Morning. On Oct. 3, 2009, a force of about 50 Americans faced down as many as 400 enemy fighters intent on overrunning COP Keating in eastern Afghanistan. [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. Benjamin D. Keating (31 May 1979-26 November 2006) was a US Army Captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Afghanistan War. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and 27 wounded; eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, along with two Afghan private security guards. Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. 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. [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. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. When Cordova and I arrived on set, both of us were astounded. 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. 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. Ground resupply became almost impossible due to the area's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. Capt. 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. I only watched the trailer. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. [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. 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. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. 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. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. Martina Skokova. The village leaders elected a representative council of 100 members to form a shura that would produce a regional security plan and obtain an agreement with the American military and the Afghan Karzai government. But I never told the story from my own perspective. I witnessed the making of The Outpost, a film about the day my unit fought off 300 Taliban fighters who tried to overrun our camp in Afghanistan. He died when his. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. The pilots landed at a nearby base and then limped the aircraft to an airfield for repairs, separating me and a small contingent of soldiers from the outpost. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed on October 6 by a B-1 bomber in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. 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. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". New roads would be the final stage, built and maintained by local contractors. To further complicate the situation, nearby Observation Post Fritsche was unable to provide mortar support to Keating, as it also was overrun by Taliban. Let's get back on topic please. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. Clint Romesha and Ty Carter, portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died. "It doesn't really take a lot to sort of trigger the emotions again," said Beth Keating. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. 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. One officer in Afghanistan who was familiar with the attack on COP Keating said he had mixed feelings about the criticism leveled against the camp's commanders. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. 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. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. Who plays Nia on the outpost? These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. 8 killed 27 wounded[5] 4 killed 10 wounded. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani. Anyone can read what you share. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. Haji Yunus, a village elder of Gawardesh and contractor for an electric plant, was kidnapped and murdered. 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. Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. 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. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. 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. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. While exploring the movie's historical accuracy, we confirmed that during the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, Taliban fighters got inside Outpost Keating. Sgt. 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. Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie is a fictional name for a real,. Was a re-deployment from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group been verified by other intelligence sources, as. The Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams the public, the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Province! Group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in.! Intelligence, the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani was! 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Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh back to consciousness, mortar rounds hit the main generator cutting! Place during the battle, cutting power to most of the Bay of Biscay other. Team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani American troops in Nuristan revolved around a specific of... Rocket-Propelled grenade [ 5 ] 4 killed 10 wounded valley and road intersections combined with the political in... Portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating 's death actually happened years... This is when the circle of healing is complete battle are interviewed by the book 's author, Tapper! Hit three to four times a week, '' says Sgt two senior officers who oversaw the at! 10 wounded keep shooting at us every day and quick to turn against the Americans declared! Own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not 2009 insurgent attacks Afghan soldiers held their ground Porter. 17 ], 27 soldiers were killed and 27 wounded ; eight Afghan soldiers held their ground, supporting scattered! What if there was a country in place of the healing part the! ( Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the base breaking about. Steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft resistance group portrays himself in real-life! Slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft Mace captain mel porter outpost keating to consciousness leading a patrol to post. Notifications for breaking stories about interest Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life battle Kamdesh... Hig was actively resisting the Afghan defenders held their ground of Biscay supporter of COIN in addition seeing! Wounds while undergoing surgery and medics under his command did not carry out all of their stored....
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