Joshua Hardt, who until this time had been MIA. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. 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. 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. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. Fallen Heroes 3-61 Cavalry, 4th BCT, 4th ID. 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). Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. Despite the efforts of two Latvian military advisors, First Sergeant Jnis Lais and Corporal Mrti Dboli,[21] who tried to convince the Afghan National Army forces not to flee,[22] the Afghan defenders quickly broke and ran. 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. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. ", Yes. Several of the dogs that hung around the camp were with them, one of which supposedly bit an old woman working in a field. 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. These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. In 2018, I flew on my own dime to Sofia, Bulgaria, to witness the making of the film based on Jake Tappers book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Chris Cordova, an old friend and another veteran of the battle, came with me. Not an Ordinary Engagement 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. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. Then tragedy struck again. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. 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. [3] Romesha was critical of the choice of site for the base, describing it as "like being in a fishbowl or fighting from the bottom of a paper cup. Clint Romesha rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, "We're taking this bitch back. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. 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. A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. New roads would be the final stage, built and maintained by local contractors. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. "[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. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. 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". It also showed Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kolenda (commander of American forces in Naray) with a crisis. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. Lardner, Richard (Associated Press), "Command Failures". This will happen to you." It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. 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. He died when his. They performed heroically and bravely.. [7]:334,501,92,98. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. Capt. 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.". Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. (The main aid station was too heavily damaged to remain in operation.). 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. 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. aircraft.[5]. 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.". During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. 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. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. 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. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. 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. Clint Romesha, portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the film. For the most part, yes. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. [5][7]:53141 Observation Post ("OP") Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. I only watched the trailer. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. The shops name means house of culture.. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. 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. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. 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. [32] Staff Sgt. [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. AAF operations were expanding, supported by Taliban organizations in Pakistan. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. 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. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. 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