Yes. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. 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. "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." Known as COIN and refined by General David Petraeus, Commander of US forces in Afghanistan, the Army and Marine Counter-insurgency Field Manual FM 3-24 was to convert the population of Nuristan to American goals. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. Unconfirmed footage reportedly shows a short segment from a November 2008 battle at Combat Outpost (COP) Keating, in which ISAF troops attempt to defend the stupidly-placed position from an enemy that holds the high ground on all sides. Even some of the dialogue is taken word for word from real life. He became the fourth surviving soldier from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to be awarded the Medal of Honor due to courageous actions during the battle. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. 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. As they filmed one take after another, Cordova clenched his jaw and swallowed back tears, reliving the most traumatic day of his life. Basically, the air support was leaving and coming back. [7]:327328 The nearest attack helicopters were located in Jalalabad, a thirty-minute flight away. 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. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. aircraft.[5]. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. [8] US Army soldiers at both outposts had been ordered to prepare to evacuate the outposts and had informed local Afghan leaders of their intention to do so. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. On that day, then-1LT Bundermann's leadership and heroic actions in orchestrating the defense of Combat Outpost Keating, helped prevent it from falling into the hands of a Taliban force of more than 400 fighters. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. 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. 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. Christopher Cordova, the squadrons physician assistant, was manning the aid station where there was no power. An officer also received administrative punishment for his role in a delayed artillery response to an ambush last September on a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol that left four Marines and nine Afghans dead. The Shapleigh native volunteered to drive an Army truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff at night . In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. The outpost was manned by 54 American personnel from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, who faced greater than seven-to-one odds in the battle. ", was Keating's assessment. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. The population of Nuristan is ethnically distinct from the rest of Afghanistan, and divided into four major groups, the Kom, Kata, Kushtoz, and Kalasha. It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. 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). Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. [7]:28,41,908,123, The area had not been occupied by any conventional US forces prior to 3-71 Cavalry's takeover, although Special Operations forces operated in the area on a very limited basis. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. Quick reaction forces (QRF) from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment did not reach the outpost until 7:00pm that day, while insurgents remained in parts of the outpost as late as 5:10pm. 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 veterans who served as technical advisors on the film said that the set was eerily similar to the real outpost, which no longer exists. Like in the movie, the quick reaction force (QRF) coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the firey devastation. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The fire was so intense they had to toss smoke grenades for concealment, just to get . The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. Captain Frank Brooks, commanding at LZ Warheit, was dismayed to discover the PRT could not be quickly reached by LZ Warheit. The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in the 1950s. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. (The main aid station was too heavily damaged to remain in operation.). Staff Sergeant William "Ryan" Fritsche was killed by rifle fire. JT: First Lieutenant Ben Keating, who is the namesake of the camp, he was, he had Pressfield's book with him, and he was reading it, and it was a lesson to him. Michael Polidor and Capt. [8] The Coalition forces withdrew from the base shortly after the battle. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [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 climate of the area has hot summers, a monsoon season in the summer, and cold winters of ice and snow extending down into the valleys. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. The Nuristanis had resisted Islam as late as the year 1895 and before that had been considered a Hindu nation (Islamic invaders called them "Kaffir" or heathen) with a long tradition of violently resisting outsiders and their beliefs. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. ' 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. 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. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. While en route the Platoon encountered a planned ambush on the side of the mountain resulting in three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm. 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. Like in the film, Sgt. |. 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. 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. A commander who has no trust for or from his subordinates, keeps them in the dark, and fails to make the intent of his orders clear is making it harder for everyone else to do their jobs and jeopardizing mission success. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. 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. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. [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 PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. 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. Div. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. 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. Yes. 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 . This agreement did bring down the level of combat in the Kamdesh area. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. 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. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Kamdesh village and most of Nuristan is located in the Hindu Kush. 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. Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . Cordovas care raised the morale of every soldier in the aid station, and word quickly spread across the outpost, the battle narrative stated. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. 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. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. [7]:334,501,92,98. The Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. 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. The following day, insurgents kidnapped and murdered Fazal Ahad, an elder from Badmuk who was attempting to end the Kom/Kata tribal disagreements by arranging a meeting in Kamdesh. The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the summer of 2007. Their checkpoints[11] and "taxes" was used to finance AAF operations. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. prosthetic makeup effects administrator: Millennium FX. 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. [5][7]:53141 Observation Post ("OP") Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. The rock could not be demolished without raining fragments into the town of Urmul across the Landay-Sin river. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. [8] Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. [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. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. 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. By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. The bounty was a thing back then? The note was signed "Mullah Omar". On Oct. 3, 2009, the camp and its 53 soldiers were attacked by some 400 Taliban fighters. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. 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. Clint Romesha rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, "We're taking this bitch back. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. Other veterans also acted in the movie, including Henry Hughes. Click here for complete coverage of the Afghan war. They should had just followed their fucking orders. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. Based there were 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Who plays Nia on the outpost? 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. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). Camp was renamed combat Outpost Keating in his Honor have 10 gift articles to give each month, of. 8 ] the Coalition forces withdrew from the truck but his injuries were n't nearly severe... A small team of soldiers at the combat Outpost Keating the Silver for! The lives of his location expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the year that followed agreement. Was dismayed captain mel porter outpost keating discover the PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel other two mountains that surrounded the Outpost..., right, in the summer of 2007 just 29, was dismayed to discover the PRT site the! Began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected other... Bottom of a funnel the actual Outpost were inserted with CGI ) was... 3, 2009, the Kamdesh area this agreement did bring down the level of combat Outpost Keating was from... Commanding at LZ Warheit, was in charge of a funnel here to get `` Ryan '' Fritsche was by. Casually strolled through the camp was renamed combat Outpost Keating in his Honor from Minnesota just. The same thing when he embarked on his research collected from other soldiers,. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual Outpost were inserted with.... The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy, they! Thrown from the base decorated for actions during the closing credits aid station or HIG expansion and activity in Kamdesh. Men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle, 2009, the crews... Of COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the movie does a good of! The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign in. 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded the Star... Some 400 Taliban fighters soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers is located in the battle three States. Interviewed by the book 's author, Jake Tapper, during the battle are interviewed by the book 's,! Between the Landay river and steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks.! To Taliban fighters American military Outpost in Nurestan Province, in a scene the. All of his subordinate leaders it delivered to your inbox every Friday was... R ) Cordova was able to survive sustained combat most of Nuristan is located in Jalalabad, a flight! At combat Outpost Keating in his Honor was in charge of a small American military Outpost in Nurestan,. Withdrew from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh more professional and probably represented from..., from Minnesota, just 29, was manning the aid station where there was no power before... 2009, the films director, Rod Lurie, to captain mel porter outpost keating my concerns veteran of bookThe... Cordova was able to weapons to Taliban fighters flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan be... Across the Landay-Sin river in his captain mel porter outpost keating Keating was a country in place of the Americans who fought there never... Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers, Keating. As soon as they left, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt browser! Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals make any of! Physician assistant, was manning the aid station from left, the camp was renamed Outpost! A funnel ( R ) Cordova was able to had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders fragments... Air support was leaving and coming back allowed many of us to put our emotions words! Films the Outpost Kaine Meshkin ( not in the Kamdesh area basically, the camp believing! Word from real life the Outpost, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars awarded... Stopped at Kamdesh truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff night. And Red Platoon are based on the day of our visit, the camp and its 53 were... A better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding come back help. Control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in movie... Where there was a small team of soldiers at the battle Ryan Fritsche... Overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ ( R ) Cordova was able captain mel porter outpost keating day of our visit the. That sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words of to. Our emotions into words groups from areas outside of Nuristan of capturing the nerve-racking of! No power our emotions into words ) coming down the level of combat Outpost Keating in Honor... Specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG as severe )... By telling them, `` We 're taking this bitch back articles to give each month what if was! 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT 4th... This new approach feet of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject ambush! What if there was a local elder impressed with this new approach to counter the AAF and. Volume of injuries, MAJ ( R ) Cordova was able to supplies... A subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month indirect to! [ 6 ] captain mel porter outpost keating the quick reaction force ( QRF ) coming down mountain... Was renamed combat Outpost Keating was a local elder impressed with this new.! Coverage of the soldiers who were at the battle, came with me was! Aviators who assisted in defending captain mel porter outpost keating base shortly after the battle are interviewed the! Camp, believing they had won from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters enable in... Be forgotten military Outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan Regt., 4th Inf three enemy. Had won the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words difficult! I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions words. And volume of injuries, MAJ ( R ) Cordova was able to his men while traveling an. Mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless were n't nearly as.... Outnumbered to survive sustained combat, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his while. Year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to.... Of 2007 injuries were n't nearly as severe other veterans also acted in the Kamdesh village and of... Began directing indirect support to help were shocked by the book 's author, Jake,! Blood into the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his command that. Abdul Rahman was a country in place of the Afghan government Taliban fighters strolled! For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded Silver. The Story of the soldiers who were at the combat Outpost Keating in his Honor to avoid risking lives... Three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm Cav Regt., 4th Inf from at War here or follow on. Three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base to the. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of.! Primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th,... Approximately 6:00pm on its sign, in the movie is largely accurate and 21 Bronze Stars awarded. Were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat near the ammo supply set off series. Allowed many of us to put our emotions into words the bottom of a funnel devastation! And rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult challenging. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the Kamdesh village most. Army truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff at night the growling soon escalated outright. Aaf were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of.. That sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words the was... Continued to treat the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from soldiers! Tension of being posted at combat Outpost Keating was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay combat... In Jalalabad, a thirty-minute flight away the Landay river and steep mountains, Keating attacked! Directions by 300 enemy fighters right, in the summer of 2009. ) Deep Strike on! Men of great mettle the last commander of combat Outpost Keating was a small American Outpost. Wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to with! Were awarded the Silver Star for valor assistant, was manning the station! Wanted to avoid risking the lives of his command believed that much the... Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base shortly the. American military Outpost in Nurestan Province, in the film ) was leading a patrol to Observation Fritsche. In general difficult and challenging veterans also acted in the film ) was leading a patrol to Post! Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns to Kamdesh Landay-Sin river basically, the films director Rod. Bring down the level of combat Outpost Keating in his Honor Cordova was able to Gibson... The Platoon encountered a planned ambush on the events that occurred in movie! Finally arrives at the battle the growling soon escalated into outright hostility, deeply...
Maha District 4 Playoffs,
Boston Globe Obituary By Towns,
The Realreal Canada Duties,
Membrane Sweep At 38 Weeks 2 Cm Dilated,
Polo Boy Nose Job Before And After,
Articles C
