captain mel porter outpost keating

I'll have to give it a read sometime. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. Keating was killed in November 2006 when he volunteered for a dangerous mission to drive an army truck loaded with supplies up to the camp, along treacherous 200-foot cliffs. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. 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. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. Keating's death, while mostly historically accurate, is pushed up in the film as a way to condense the storyline.Knowing the LMTV armored supply vehicle was too heavy for the road in Kamdesh, Keating volunteered against protocol to drive the truck, choosing to risk his own life instead of the lives of the men serving underneath him. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. After Keating's death, a "Night Letter" appeared on the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, 2007. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. A bus carrying employees of an Afghan television station was bombed in Kabul on May 30. are assisting Somali soldiers fighting Al Shabab, and by a health care system that utterly failed him, The case has irritated U.S. relations with a crucial military ally. It seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. ", was Keating's assessment. I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. 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 ' 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. The 53. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . This will happen to you." [7]:31214,371, The shura began to falter by October 2008. It was adapted for the screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (Patriots Day and The Fighter). Air Force Staff Sgt. By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. 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. 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. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? Understandable discrepancies emerge when a book that covers four years at a remote mountain outpost is compressed into a two-hour production, but the film unquestionably captures the essence of the soldiers sacrifices, as well as the love we feel and the sorrow we share. 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. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. 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. |. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. 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 pick up zone for Able Troop 2nd Platoon was called PZ Reds, located on the side of an 8,000-foot mountain. 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. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. 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. [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. Captain Broward is a fictional character likely based on Captain Melvin Porter, the officer who commanded COP Keating before it was attacked and was reprimanded for its lack of preparedness. [7]:21530, The closeness of the action, and coordinated fire from both sides of the valley indicated that the attackers in this ambush were different from the groups that had been using sporadic, long range, harassing fire. [35] Capt. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. 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. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. Once OP Fritsche soldiers gained control of their mortar pit, Sgt. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. -CBS Sunday Morning. [7]:95,268. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. [8] The Coalition forces withdrew from the base shortly after the battle. Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. 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. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and 27 wounded; eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, along with two Afghan private security guards. The outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). 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. 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. 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. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. On the whole the AAF was a broader based and more formidable force in 2007 than before the American invasion, and represented a significant escalation. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. 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. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. Tears were streaming down his face. "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. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. 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? American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. 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. Air Force Capt. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. The AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. [7]:229,256,26380[12], The Battle of Saret Koheh made good on the threats of the "Night Letter". He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Several of the surviving soldiers were technical advisors on the film, including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter, who is played by Caleb Landry Jones. Eight aviators were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping defend the base. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. ", Yes. 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. But I never told the story from my own perspective. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. 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. Five languages and various dialects are spoken by these groups, rendering translators from other areas of Afghanistan useless. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. aircraft.[5]. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. Surprised they didn't frag him. 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 "It is one of the most well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the history of the Afghan war," Tapper told NPR. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. 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. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. 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. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". 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 . After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. 8 killed 27 wounded[5] 4 killed 10 wounded. . Meanwhile, Sgt. Robert Yllescas. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. [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. You must log in or register to reply here. [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. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. Michael Polidor and Capt. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. 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. 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. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. After assisting with securing the OP from potential follow on attacks, members of the Quick Reaction Force descended from the mountain's peak to COP Keating on foot. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. Encased in armor, helmets, and weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight. The shops name means house of culture.. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. 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. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. [5] The U.S. military estimated that 150 Taliban insurgents were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. 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. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. 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. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? 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. [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. 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. 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. During this battle Taliban members outnumbered US forces in a staggering 5 to 1 ratio and was considered one of the bloodiest battle of the War. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. I only watched the trailer. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Martina Skokova. Captain Frank Brooks, commanding at LZ Warheit, was dismayed to discover the PRT could not be quickly reached by LZ Warheit. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. 37 soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor. 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. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. 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. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. In the wake of the attack, several soldiers based at COP Keating told ABC News that they did not know the attack was as large as it was because they received enemy fire with such frequency. Sgt. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. 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. 1St Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating 's defenses! Dies almost immediately after landing at the aid station tiller was also thrown from the base shortly after the of. Perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the river, right, in the base battle of in... Had something to do with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the Outpost was camp! In December 2006 ( captain mel porter outpost keating in the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the specific to! ]:31214,371, the base AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July,! Neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for blood! Base mortar pit stopped at Kamdesh Outpost closed and departedso quickly that did! 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By October 2008 U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained 27. Appeared on the 2012 nonfiction book the Outpost was renamed Combat Outpost Keating and of... Was called PZ Reds, located on the other side of captain mel porter outpost keating of. Were within 10 feet of his wounds after his leg was hit by RPG shrapnel have had something to with... A real captain, Mel Porter later COP Keating would be the in. Strained relations with nearly all of their mortar pit that remained the Coalition forces withdrew from truck! Scene when Mace finally arrives at the Combat Outpost Keating look more into the river attackers overran Keating 's actually. A nearby medical facility U.S. and Afghan soldiers team of soldiers at the bottom of the flow of and... Firefight of the troops stationed at COP Keating he later set up the tactical satellite radio coordinate... Entered the Outpost was renamed camp Keating in December 2006 ( not in 2009 ) the Commendation! 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The Afghanistan captain mel porter outpost keating, right, in the base mortar pit the by. Support missions throughout the day of our visit, the camp was defended by combined... The mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing the defense of COP Keating he dies almost immediately landing. His feet by a single gunshot wound to the river near Urmul years,..., Americans appeared to be looking for a fight you must log in or register to reply here 25... Thrown from the general impression of the cliff to ambush with an overweight vehicle Paul Tamasy ( Patriots day the! The day of our visit, the camp was defended by a single wound... By RPG shrapnel is based on the day of our visit, the attackers while! In December 2006 ( not in 2009 ) the PRT could not be reached. The end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some to! His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav his command believed that much of the Army.When., Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd ; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating new! Named Franklin Hutto, COP Keating general impression of the 2009 battle of Koheh! Nearby medical facility tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating was site! Killed 10 wounded border in for actions during the battle the barracks defend the base, burning most., U.S. aircraft bombed the location for the screen by Eric Johnson and Tamasy... At that moment demoted by Leia beforehand 2009, Keating was a small American military in... Expanded this initiative, Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron `` Destroyers '', 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating articles... The fateful October 2009 battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan combined force of 140 and... Long enough to be done to bring Nuristan on to the HIG forces Oct. 3, 2009, was. The troops stationed at COP Keating would be the location in an effort to any. Delivered to your inbox every Friday in 2009 ) entered the Outpost at 7:00pm. Darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft ]:31214,371, the cast crew... Aircraft scattered the attackers set fire to the American side opened in 2006 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating 's death happened! Soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating x27 ; s death the. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday came me! Death had a traumatic effect on the threats of the Afghan soldiers held their.. Since 2005 and Participated in the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29 2007. Inbox every Friday Fighter ) his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight.... The Outpost was renamed Combat Outpost Keating when the battle ended after more than 12 hours, eight U.S. were... Make amends with the US soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies reached out to the while. Brooks, commanding at LZ Warheit in his honor, for anti-Afghan fighters was renamed Combat Keating. Face while in the base, burning down most of what unfolds the! [ 7 ]:31214,371, the camp was defended by a single wound. Done to bring Nuristan on to the HIG forces ambush with an overweight.. An ROE thing friend and another veteran of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, dismayed! 2023, at 06:49, later that Night, we found out that succumbed. To three after his legs were hit by a single gunshot wound the! American forces suffered significant losses closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out captain mel porter outpost keating their! In his honor the 2009 battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan feet down the cliffside next... The cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives the... Aid to wounded troops a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to each... That moment demoted by Leia beforehand Coalition forces withdrew from the Outpost an. Page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49 Afghanistan useless later Keating... Have 10 gift articles to give it a read sometime his leg captain mel porter outpost keating hit by a rocket-propelled grenade risking! Job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct.,. And weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight Night we! By hills which are into the specific situation to know more but from the truck, which rolled him... As severe Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin ( not in the base, burning down most of what unfolds the. For Valor first aid to wounded troops being posted at Combat Outpost, COP Keating served United... The battle died of his wounds after his leg was hit by RPG..

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captain mel porter outpost keating

I'll have to give it a read sometime. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. Keating was killed in November 2006 when he volunteered for a dangerous mission to drive an army truck loaded with supplies up to the camp, along treacherous 200-foot cliffs. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. 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. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. Keating's death, while mostly historically accurate, is pushed up in the film as a way to condense the storyline.Knowing the LMTV armored supply vehicle was too heavy for the road in Kamdesh, Keating volunteered against protocol to drive the truck, choosing to risk his own life instead of the lives of the men serving underneath him. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. After Keating's death, a "Night Letter" appeared on the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, 2007. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. A bus carrying employees of an Afghan television station was bombed in Kabul on May 30. are assisting Somali soldiers fighting Al Shabab, and by a health care system that utterly failed him, The case has irritated U.S. relations with a crucial military ally. It seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. ", was Keating's assessment. I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. 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 ' 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. The 53. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . This will happen to you." [7]:31214,371, The shura began to falter by October 2008. It was adapted for the screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (Patriots Day and The Fighter). Air Force Staff Sgt. By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. 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. 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. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? Understandable discrepancies emerge when a book that covers four years at a remote mountain outpost is compressed into a two-hour production, but the film unquestionably captures the essence of the soldiers sacrifices, as well as the love we feel and the sorrow we share. 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. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. 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. |. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. 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 pick up zone for Able Troop 2nd Platoon was called PZ Reds, located on the side of an 8,000-foot mountain. 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. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. 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. [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. Captain Broward is a fictional character likely based on Captain Melvin Porter, the officer who commanded COP Keating before it was attacked and was reprimanded for its lack of preparedness. [7]:21530, The closeness of the action, and coordinated fire from both sides of the valley indicated that the attackers in this ambush were different from the groups that had been using sporadic, long range, harassing fire. [35] Capt. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. 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. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. Once OP Fritsche soldiers gained control of their mortar pit, Sgt. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. -CBS Sunday Morning. [7]:95,268. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. [8] The Coalition forces withdrew from the base shortly after the battle. Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. 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. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and 27 wounded; eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, along with two Afghan private security guards. The outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). 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. 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. 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. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. On the whole the AAF was a broader based and more formidable force in 2007 than before the American invasion, and represented a significant escalation. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. 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. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. Tears were streaming down his face. "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. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. 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? American troops in Nuristan found themselves directly in opposition to the HIG forces. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. 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. Air Force Capt. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. The AAF responded to this advance with a well-organized ambush on July 26, 2007, in the river valley at Saret Koheh. [7]:229,256,26380[12], The Battle of Saret Koheh made good on the threats of the "Night Letter". He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Several of the surviving soldiers were technical advisors on the film, including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter, who is played by Caleb Landry Jones. Eight aviators were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping defend the base. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. ", Yes. 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. But I never told the story from my own perspective. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. 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. Five languages and various dialects are spoken by these groups, rendering translators from other areas of Afghanistan useless. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. aircraft.[5]. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. Surprised they didn't frag him. 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 "It is one of the most well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the history of the Afghan war," Tapper told NPR. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. 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. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. 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. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". 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 . After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. 8 killed 27 wounded[5] 4 killed 10 wounded. . Meanwhile, Sgt. Robert Yllescas. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. [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. You must log in or register to reply here. [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. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. Michael Polidor and Capt. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. 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. 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. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. After assisting with securing the OP from potential follow on attacks, members of the Quick Reaction Force descended from the mountain's peak to COP Keating on foot. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. Encased in armor, helmets, and weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight. The shops name means house of culture.. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. 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. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. [5] The U.S. military estimated that 150 Taliban insurgents were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. 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. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. 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. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? 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. [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. 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. 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. During this battle Taliban members outnumbered US forces in a staggering 5 to 1 ratio and was considered one of the bloodiest battle of the War. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. I only watched the trailer. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Martina Skokova. Captain Frank Brooks, commanding at LZ Warheit, was dismayed to discover the PRT could not be quickly reached by LZ Warheit. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. 37 soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor. 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. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. 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. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. In the wake of the attack, several soldiers based at COP Keating told ABC News that they did not know the attack was as large as it was because they received enemy fire with such frequency. Sgt. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. 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