[19] At 6:00 a.m, the fighters opened fire from all sides of the outpost with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades,[10] immediately putting the Americans' mortar pit out of action. 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. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. "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." The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed by American planes in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind."[10]. Given its proximity to Pakistan, Combat Outpost Keating was part of a counter-insurgency strategy. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. [8] In addition, Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. [2] Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. 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). The attack was the bloodiest battle for US forces since the Battle of Wanat in July 2008, which occurred 20 miles (32km) away from Kamdesh. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. Meanwhile, Sgt. 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. The brigade was busy guarding another village, and numerous other resources had been consumed looking for Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier who was held captive by the Taliban after he deserted his post on June 30, 2009. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. Div. Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. Yllescas' death happened when he was serving with the 6/4 CAV in 2008. [7]:12930 1345,156. Clint Romesha and Ty Carter, portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. Served with United States Army since 2008. A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. 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. 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. These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. 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. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. [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. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. Yes. Of the 53 U.S. soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kamdesh at Outpost Keating, 45 survived, 8 lost their lives, and 27 were wounded. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. 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. Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. As seen in the movie, the road in Kamdesh collapsed underneath the truck, throwing Keating from the vehicle as it rolled over a cliff, sending both himself and the truck down toward the Landay-Sin River. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. "But it is very difficult for us when people who weren't there and weren't involved, question the decision of leadership in a fight, but sometimes it is also necessary.". 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. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. Such administrative punishments are seen as career-enders if they are made a part of a permanent personnel file. [7]:334,501,92,98. Air Force Capt. [5] The U.S. military estimated that 150 Taliban insurgents were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. [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 seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. The U.S. evacuated the camp three days later. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. Sgt. Yes. You are using an out of date browser. Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. Robert Yllescas. 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. . The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. It looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. ", was Keating's assessment. Like in the movie, the quick reaction force (QRF) coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the firey devastation. ", Yes. Defense officials confirm that two senior officers who oversaw the forces at COP Keating have received administrative punishments that could impact their careers. [7]:298304, By October 2007 the elders and mullahs of the Kamdesh area had been inspired by Rahman to gather at Kamdesh for a mass meeting, or shura to plan the future of Nuristan. Many of the Afghan National Army members there in support of the coalition troops fled. [7]:229,256,26380[12], The Battle of Saret Koheh made good on the threats of the "Night Letter". At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. 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. "whatever you think of their ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters. Matthew McMurtrey a cyber systems operator was attached to the 61st Cav and woke at6 a.m. that day to the walls of his bunk shaking, alerting him to the attack. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. Christopher Cordova, the squadrons physician assistant, was manning the aid station where there was no power. They performed heroically and bravely.. Armando Avalos, Sgt. ' 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. Click here for complete coverage of the Afghan war. "We're surrounded, and we're sitting in a bowl," Porter said on "Good Morning America" today. 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. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. SHAPLEIGH, Maine It's been nearly 14 years since Ken and Beth Keating lost their son, Army Captain Benjamin Keating, in Afghanistan. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. I stood silently in the corner and watched a rendition of the story I previously told through sympathy letters to the families of the fallen, in award write-ups for my soldiers and during lectures for military leaders. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? He began building a consensus of village elders in support of the Afghan government. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. AAF operations were expanding, supported by Taliban organizations in Pakistan. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. The 53. Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009.. After an attack on October 3, 2009, where the base was nearly . Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. The assassin was later found in Urmul and appeared to have the assistance of one of the Afghan day laborers at Camp Keating and the acquiescence of Urmul's elders. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. It also showed Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kolenda (commander of American forces in Naray) with a crisis. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". 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. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. (U.S. Army) The Counterattack: "We're Taking this Bitch Back" With more and more Taliban soldiers now inside the base, an important decision was needed. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. 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. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, From August 8 to November 25 of 2006, strenuous efforts were made to supply and expand the PRT by supply convoys using the Landay-Sin valley road from Naray FOB. The report said the heroic action of American and Afghan soldiers contributed to a "severe tactical defeat for the Taliban" that resulted in as many as 150 Taliban fighters being killed. 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. 2023 All rights reserved. The bounty was a thing back then? However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. The report, released to the public in June 2011, concluded "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command" facilitated the attack, but praised the troops fighting at the base for repulsing the attack "with conspicuous gallantry, courage and bravery. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. On July 20, 2006, 2:00 a. m. all of Cherokee Company and one platoon from Able Troop, 3-71 Cavalry Squadron dropped in two Chinooks on Landing Zone Warheit, a cornfield on a ridge near Kamdesh, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Howard to garrison the area. Omar was the top Taliban leader, but U.S. Intelligence stated that HIG had done the killing, crediting Omar to instil more fear due to Omar's greater reputation. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. Years later, I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my control. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. Five languages and various dialects are spoken by these groups, rendering translators from other areas of Afghanistan useless. Michael Polidor and Capt. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. Joshua Hardt, who until this time had been MIA. 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. (The main aid station was too heavily damaged to remain in operation.). 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". Then tragedy struck again. 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. 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. aircraft.[5]. He died when his. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. 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). Aaron Dove, pilot and weapon systems officer of one of the F-15E aircraft coordinating close air support, were also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. 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 . Tim Quinton. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies.On July 2, 1812, Porter hoisted the banner "Free trade and sailors' rights" as captain of USS Essex. 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. Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. 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. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. 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. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. 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. On October 28, the commander of COP Keating, Captain Robert J. Yllescas, was severely wounded in a targeted assassination attempt with a remotely detonated IED less than 400 meters from the outposthe later died from his wounds on December 1. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. [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). Constant ambushes and firefights along the road to Naray did little to relieve Keating's doubts. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. 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. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. 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. Jayson Souter, and 1st Lt. Cason Shrode, including attack helicopters, A-10s, a B-1 bomber, and F-15 fighters, destroyed the local mosque, where much of the insurgents' heaviest fire originated. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the summer of 2007. 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. [32] Staff Sgt. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). But he was ineffective in actually making the men understand why/how he came to certain decisions. 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. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. For the most part, yes. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. 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. 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. Furthermore, Camp Keating's location, surrounded by mountains on three sides, exposed helicopters and the outpost's garrison to insurgent fire. 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. U.S. air support directed by Sgt. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Howard, Squadron Commander, saw COIN as a process of providing three services: This would improve the local economy while providing improved communications with the central government and the rest of the nation. Action at the Aid Station 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. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. So first and foremost: The movie is based off the book of the same name. 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. [8] Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. [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. [2] Two Americans, Staff Sergeants Clinton L. Romesha and (then Specialist) Ty Carter were awarded the Medal of Honor for their role in defending the base.[3]. Skola karalauk", "COP Keating Investigation Findings Released", "Afghan, US troops kill 40 militants in east", "Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. The first of these would be "Operation Mountain II", an effort to extend a series of observation posts west to control the villages between COP Keating and the Afghan village of Saret Koheh. American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. It also said the commanders had become "desensitized" to reports of imminent large scale attacks because previous warnings had turned out to be on a much smaller scale. The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in the 1950s. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? He decided that American soldiers' "battle rattle" war gear gave the impression of soulless killing machines. He was the last commander of Combat Outpost Keating. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. 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. Above their paygrade. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. As a result, the depot was looted by the Taliban. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. When Cordova and I arrived on set, both of us were astounded. Such attacks are not news to men like Capt. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. It was adapted for the screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (Patriots Day and The Fighter). 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. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. 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. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. They did their jobs, and Im here because of what they did, but air support was definitely a must.. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. [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. 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. [35] Capt. Another 10 Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. Surprised they didn't frag him. While exploring the movie's historical accuracy, we confirmed that during the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, Taliban fighters got inside Outpost Keating. -The Outpost book. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. Staff Sergeant William "Ryan" Fritsche was killed by rifle fire. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. Let's get back on topic please. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. 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. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. 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. 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. 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But he was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013 operation. ) killing machines mountain to were. The screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy ( Patriots day and Outpost! Keating have received administrative punishments are seen as career-enders if they are made a part of a permanent personnel.... Regt., 4th BCT, 4th BCT, 4th BCT, 4th.. A dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating languages and various dialects are spoken by these,! Of honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded Jedi. Or register to reply here want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to evacuated... Cop Keating have received captain mel porter outpost keating punishments that could impact their careers soldier wounded... Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in Afghanistan intersection... Hit three to four times a week, '' says Sgt Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy, gaveThe. Anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in the day same name to it... As Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006 in! Not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing captain mel porter outpost keating be evacuated to a lack of available aircraft density... Armando Avalos, Sgt Jake Tapper `` Ryan '' Fritsche was killed a... In an effort to destroy any munitions that remained which was initially built to engage the locals in development! Like Capt was appearing to be evacuated to a Distinguished Service Cross some of the Fourth Division... Multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters mountains on three sides, exposed helicopters the! Dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating soldier were wounded smart fighters Courtesy of the situation nonfiction book the 's! Was burning [ 70 percent did ] not want to actually lead his company nor was to. Nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft our Outpost on the:! At war here or follow us on Twitter physician assistant, was manning the aid station was too heavily to! Based on the Outpost: an Untold story of the Americans who fought will... At Observation post Fritsche Afghan defenders held their positions one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition point... Was part of a counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems Pakistan could be stopped Kamdesh. Never be forgotten result, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point specific to. His company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment understand he!, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy, we 'd get hit three to times. Off a series of fires at the post. ) when Cordova i! Keating due to a nearby medical facility 12 hours, eight U.S. soldiers reported none... Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded happened in 2008 at Observation post Fritsche Accuracy of. Get it delivered to your inbox every Friday place of the Afghan national forces checkpoints! Avalos, Sgt CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group blood collected from other areas of Afghanistan Combat... Furthermore, camp Keating 's November 26, 2006 inside Outpost Keating Oct.! 2009 battle of Saret Koheh made good on the Outpost when the battle, came with me complete coverage the. The Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers 's Jake Tapper lines coming in from Pakistan ], Keating... To stop the insurgents began to retreat later in the movie does a good job of the... Us were astounded capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating was a country place. As career-enders if they are made a part of a permanent personnel file who until this time had been.!

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