At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. If they shoot from the hills, US troops can shoot at them without fear of hitting civilians in town, and it makes an enticing target. 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. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. 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. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. The PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. 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. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. ", Yes. 2023 All rights reserved. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. 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. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. "[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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. 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. Director Rod Lurie is himself a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. The assassin was later found in Urmul and appeared to have the assistance of one of the Afghan day laborers at Camp Keating and the acquiescence of Urmul's elders. Above their paygrade. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? 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. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. 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. 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. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. 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. 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. 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. [1] Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. 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. 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. Then tragedy struck again. They were eventually repelled from the small base through the actions of what the investigation's report said were the camp soldiers who "fought heroically" and counterattacks by Apache helicopters and attack jets. 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). 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. They performed heroically and bravely.. The outpost itself also needed to be accessible by road since most of the helicopters were being used in Iraq and were unavailable. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. Once we got overhead the target, the biggest thing that struck me was how much of Keating was on fire. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. Let's get back on topic please. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. Meanwhile, Sgt. 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. Area of Operations. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. 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 . -The Outpost book. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. 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. |. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. 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. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. [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. Combat. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". ' The Outpost ' is a 2020 war drama which tells the story of 53 US soldiers who battled some 400 enemy insurgents in north-eastern Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. 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. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. I only watched the trailer. The wounded Americans condition immediately improved after the first unit of blood, as did the spirits of all those in the aid station. [35] Capt. The population of Nuristan is ethnically distinct from the rest of Afghanistan, and divided into four major groups, the Kom, Kata, Kushtoz, and Kalasha. 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 enemy was obviously superior in numbers but not superior in discipline, professionalism and fighting skill, Col. Randy George, of the 4th BCT told the Colorado Springs Gazette in 2011. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? The initiating ISAF forces of 1-91 Cavalry had returned home, replaced by 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . 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. Served with United States Army since 2008. 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]. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, On August 8, 2006, 19 days after the first American landing, the PRT was attacked for the first time. The first didn't take place at the camp. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. While this is indeed alarmingly frequent, the movie makes it seem like the attacks are happening daily. 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. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. I support this diversion into a discussion of the operational art and command structure as practiced by the New Resistance under Leia Organa. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. [32] Staff Sgt. American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. Capt. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. 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