While this is indeed alarmingly frequent, the movie makes it seem like the attacks are happening daily. 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. COP Keating, which was established in the summer of 2006, was put in the valley for the simple reason that it's where the roads are. In 2006, Allied commanders identified the Kamdesh area to be key to denying anti-coalition militia the required access to supply lines crossing into and out of nearby Pakistan. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. 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. The bounty was a thing back then? The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Kamdesh village and most of Nuristan is located in the Hindu Kush. Such attacks are not news to men like Capt. As with Captain Benjamin Keating, the movie pushes both of their deaths to 2009 and fictionally depicts both men as being part of the 3/61 CAV (3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment). Let's get back on topic please. 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. Another 10 Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations. The Outpost real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire. |. 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. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. [8] The Coalition forces withdrew from the base shortly after the battle. [7]:12930 1345,156. [29], Following the battle, the U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation on what had occurred, led by US Army General Guy Swan. Served with United States Army since 2008. The PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. 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. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Air Force Capt. The true story confirms that the Afghan National Army soldiers, who were fighting alongside the U.S. troops, either fled the outpost after the attack began or hid in cowardice. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". Five languages and various dialects are spoken by these groups, rendering translators from other areas of Afghanistan useless. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. Anyone can read what you share. [7]:803,945,11620, After marching into the proposed site for the Kamdesh provincial outpost, Captain Michael and Cherokee Company's second platoon were confronted by a large boulder in the middle of the site that made landing a helicopter in the PRT site impossible. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. 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. The 48N6 missiles of the S-400 (and why they were designed by flat-earthers), WI: Instead of a NATO pull-out, the bases/forces in Afghanistan are handed over to the UN Peacekeeping. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. This agreement did bring down the level of combat in the Kamdesh area. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers fought. 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. 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. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha and Staff Sergeant Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. The elder considers this to be a bad omen and demands that there be retribution. On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. That was our troopers advantage up there. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. The shops name means house of culture.. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. [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 U.S. evacuated the camp three days later. Enemy forces controlled the landing zone, which prevented the wounded from being lifted out. 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. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}352523N 711944E / 35.4231N 71.3289E / 35.4231; 71.3289 (Location of Combat Outpost Keating). Michael Polidor and Capt. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. This seems to be displayed rather accurately in the movie, at least with regard to how it's described in Tapper's book. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. [20] Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. [10][27][28], On October 5 and 6, Coalition troops conducted operations in the area in an attempt to locate and destroy the Taliban forces responsible for the attack on the outposts. His wounds were severe and while he was initially in and out of consciousness, he died before they could get him back to the outpost. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. On Oct. 3, 2009, the camp and its 53 soldiers were attacked by some 400 Taliban fighters. The movie details Keating's November 2006 death, which occurred when his truck fell from a clifftop road during a convoy run. prosthetic makeup effects technician: Millennium FX. In Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming, Jonathan Shay calls this form of catharsis the communalization of grief, in which trauma survivors tell their stories and listeners can listen, believe and remember. This is when the circle of healing is complete. The military's failure to close Combat Outpost Keating earlier likely contributed to the Battle of Kamdesh, which resulted in eight U.S. soldiers losing their lives, while 27 others were left wounded. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. October 03, 2019. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. [5][10] Two USAF F-15E fighter bombers circled overhead, led by Captains Mike Polidor and Aaron Dove and their wingmen, 1st Lt. Justin Pavoni and Captain Ryan Bone, for almost eight hours, helping coordinate airstrikes by 19 other aircraft. [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. 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.". 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. Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. The letter stated: "At the present time for those who work and obey the American devils by taking contracts for building schools, road, and power plants: also those who work as police, district administrators, and commanders as well as sold-out mullahs who deny Allah's orders and holy war and deny the holy Quran: We are telling you that we are continuing our holy war in Allah's will Soon we will start our operations." The report said that there were as many as 47 attacks in the five months prior to the deadly assault, 10 in the 30 days prior to the mass attack. "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. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. 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. Like in the film, Sgt. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. I witnessed the making of The Outpost, a film about the day my unit fought off 300 Taliban fighters who tried to overrun our camp in Afghanistan. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. When it came to infiltration from Pakistan, and setting ambushes, HIG was regarded as the most skillful. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. [5][7]:53141 Observation Post ("OP") Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. The entire Outpost Keating was recreated. 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. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. 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. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. 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. Then tragedy struck again. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. 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. 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". In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. I am almost 100% certain it was deliberately placed in a shitty location to goad locals into attacking the base, allowing the US to attack the enemy directly. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." [38], The battle of Kamdesh is documented in the 2017 book Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor by Clinton Romesha, a former United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle for Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan. [18], At about 3:00a.m. on October 3, over 350 Taliban backed insurgents ordered all Kamdesh villagers to leave the area. JavaScript is disabled. Clint Romesha and Ty Carter, portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died. Or invite someone to subscribe through this link. He began building a consensus of village elders in support of the Afghan government. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. 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. According to army records, the Taliban commander of the attack on Keating, Abdul Rahman Mustaghni, was killed by the following drone strike along with thirteen other insurgents. These bases were a key element of the American counterinsurgency strategy. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. Yes. And appearing Holdo's subordinates were well aware of the plain. This includes Scott Eastwood's character, Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, telling the men, "We're taking this bitch back," after the camp is partially overrun by Taliban fighters. [32] Staff Sgt. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. Tim Quinton. An after-action report stated that within less than a few minutes of fighting, the Afghan soldiers serving at Keating, as well as the Afghan security guards, had fled their positions, allowing the enemy to quickly overrun the post. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Without adequate support, they were left to fight for their lives against overwhelming odds. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. But I never told the story from my own perspective. Capt. 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. 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. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. It could not be seen or supported with indirect fire due to the multi-level and complicated terrain. So if you see the film when it comes out over the Fourth of July weekend, know that you are not just watching a war movie. Need to know. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. ", Yes. 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. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. [8] Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. 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. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. prosthetic makeup effects sculptor: Millennium FX. ' 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. In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. 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. Who plays Nia on the outpost? 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. [7]:327328 The nearest attack helicopters were located in Jalalabad, a thirty-minute flight away. 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? In my moment of being the listener to a war story I previously told, I realized that The Outpost was as honest as any war story. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. . Once we got overhead the target, the biggest thing that struck me was how much of Keating was on fire. The village leaders elected a representative council of 100 members to form a shura that would produce a regional security plan and obtain an agreement with the American military and the Afghan Karzai government. A common misconception is that the Taliban are primitive fighters who lack the necessary skills to be effective in battle. It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. Captain Sylvanius Broward (Kwame Patterson), whom the men refer to as "Broward the Coward," shoots the dog to appease the elder and calm the situation. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Combined with difficult conditions for air supply, and little support from the local population, supply to what was renamed Camp Keating on November 26, 2006, was wholly inadequate. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani. Encased in armor, helmets, and weapons, Americans appeared to be looking for a fight. [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. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. [35] Capt. Anthony Parker. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. "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." Provide clean water by installing gravity fed pipelines. 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 camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. Years later, I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my control. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. This separation of the landing zone, and the fact that the site was surrounded by mountains on three sides made the site unappealing because of the difficulty of mounting an effective defense. In Afghanistan, MAJ (R) Cordova was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating on the 3rd of October 2009. [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. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. 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 years earlier, Cordova and his medics toiled away in the aid station to treat the wounded and save the dying. 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. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. 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. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. Meanwhile, back at the aid station, Cordova learned that the first medevac would not arrive until after 7:30 p.m. A critically wounded soldier needed a blood transfusion in order to survive. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Overweight vehicle once inside, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into wounded. Deaths dropped from thirty to three, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds bombed the location in an effort destroy... Bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the Outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village.! His company nor was appearing to be looking for a fight the attackers fire! 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