captain mel porter outpost keating
Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. [7]:334,501,92,98. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and 27 wounded; eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, along with two Afghan private security guards. He was managing care for five Americans and seven Afghans, treating gunshot wounds, head injuries, shrapnel wounds, chest and abdominal wounds, eye injuries and broken legs, all in a makeshift station. 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. The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in the 1950s. 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. [20] Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. The initiating ISAF forces of 1-91 Cavalry had returned home, replaced by 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Stoney Portis, an officer in the Army and a Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, is a guest contributor to the At War newsletter. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. 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 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. By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. I'll just quote this part from Staff Sergeant Romesha's Medal of Honor citation: Folks Media Madness is full of arguments over TLJ, we don't need to import that headache into the War Room. Basically, the air support was leaving and coming back. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. Surprised they didn't frag him. 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. One of the casualties was a bright young specialist named Stephan Mace, whom Cordova kept alive for nine hours by transfusing fresh blood from other soldiers, himself included. AAF forces involved fit the pattern of the improved force, in that they were uniformed and equipped as Afghan Army and police forces, with the latest weapons and radios issued to government Afghan forces, along with ski masks. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. prosthetic makeup effects sculptor: Millennium FX. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. You are using an out of date browser. The shops name means house of culture.. [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. Div. Despite some condensing with regard to the timeline and a fictional character or two (Pfc. When it came to infiltration from Pakistan, and setting ambushes, HIG was regarded as the most skillful. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Haji Yunus, a village elder of Gawardesh and contractor for an electric plant, was kidnapped and murdered. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. 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. [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. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. 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. He died when his. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. I only watched the trailer. 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. Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. The movie details Keating's November 2006 death, which occurred when his truck fell from a clifftop road during a convoy run. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. 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. 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 note was attached to his body which said: "Don't work with coalition forces. He died in a vehicular accident in 2006, and Combat Outpost Keating, the site of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, was named in his honor. 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. 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. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. The report found that a "mindset of imminent closure" led the unit to not improve the outpost's defenses despite intelligence reports that warned of a possible attack by "a large enemy force.". Need to know. 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. Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed on October 6 by a B-1 bomber in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind. [5] Within two minutes of the beginning of the attack, American forces suffered their first casualty. 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. "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. ABC News' Karen Russo contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. 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 elder considers this to be a bad omen and demands that there be retribution. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. 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. This will happen to you." American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. [8] In addition, Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. Based there were 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. Sgt. It seemed that it would get extremely intense, with a lot of fire, a lot of RPGs hitting the wall, and then it would die, McMurtrey told Air Force Magazine in 2011. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. 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. 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. 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. U.S. air support directed by Sgt. 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. [29], Following the battle, the U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation on what had occurred, led by US Army General Guy Swan. Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. From November through January 2008 members of the Shura traveled the villages of the Kamdesh area, informing the residents of the support agreement and stating that the era of holy war was over, and that local government would bring peace and prosperity. 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 factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. [2] A day after, on October 7, Taliban fighters were seen among the ruins of the outpost. 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. ", was Keating's assessment. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. It was adapted for the screen by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (Patriots Day and The Fighter). -CBS Sunday Morning. JavaScript is disabled. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. "Needed force protection improvements were not made because of the imminent closure of the outpost. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Above their paygrade. As the sun rose on Oct. 3, 2009, about 300 Taliban launched a surprise attack on COP Keating. After Keating's death, a "Night Letter" appeared on the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, 2007. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. [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]. To further complicate the situation, nearby Observation Post Fritsche was unable to provide mortar support to Keating, as it also was overrun by Taliban. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. The landing zone was placed on the other side of the river on a rocky peninsula jutting into the river near Urmul. 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. [7]:803,945,11620, While attempting the pickup, a Chinook transport helicopter crashed in the darkness at 10:09 PM when the rear rotor hit a tree, and the helicopter slid down the slope and over a cliff, exploding in flames and killing all the crew and passengers. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. [35] Capt. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. 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. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. The growling soon escalated into outright hostility, which deeply frightened the boy. The 53. 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. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. 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. 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. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? 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. Air Force Staff Sgt. It may not display this or other websites correctly. [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. [30] In the report released to the public, the U.S. Army concealed the names of the four disciplined officers. (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. "The investigation concluded that critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets which had been supporting COP Keating had been diverted to assist ongoing intense combat operations in other areas," the report said. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. Years later, I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my control. A deliberate withdrawal had been planned some time before the battle began, and the closing was part of a wider effort by the top commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, to cede remote outposts and consolidate troops in more populated areas to better protect Afghan civilians. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. Several of the dogs that hung around the camp were with them, one of which supposedly bit an old woman working in a field. Between each take, the director and actors paused and turned to Cordova, who offered feedback to make the scene match his memory. A press release issued by the NATO military command in Afghanistan said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the senior U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, had taken "appropriate action" against the officers after reviewing the report. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. 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. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. Another 10 Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations. [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. 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. 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. Other veterans also acted in the movie, including Henry Hughes. 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. 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. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). 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. Justin Kulish was conducting a routine patrol in his B-1 bomber about an hour away when he got the call that Keating was in trouble. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Outpost: an Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake paused and turned to,... Rose on Oct. 3, the son of Mel Gibson, the the... '' due to a lack of adequate defenses that made Keating `` an attractive ''... 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