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. "[16] Four U.S. Army officersCaptain Melvin Porter, Captain Stoney Portis, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Brown, and Colonel Randy Georgewho oversaw COP Keating were admonished or reprimanded for command failures. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. 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. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. In the end, as part of an effort by General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, such remote outposts were closed so that more troops could be used to protect civilians in populated areas. . It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. Like in the movie, the quick reaction force (QRF) coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the firey devastation. While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. Brown would also note that it was a failure of leadership on Porter's part because of Porter's absolute refusal to explain to his troops why the mortars were being limited. [15], The Allies planned to close COP Keating by August 2009, but the move was delayed because of other military operations in a nearby district. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. 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. 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. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. 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. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. Surprised they didn't frag him. Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. American outpost in Nuristan, Afghanistan, List of post-Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients, "Latest Medal of Honor brings COP Keating battle back into spotlight", "A Medal of Honor recipient's ongoing burden", "COP Keating battle begins, Medal of Honor nominee Romesha takes action", "This Netflix series will tell the stories of Medal of Honor recipients", "The Battle of Kamdesh, which netted two Medals of Honor, is coming to the big screen twice", "Sony Enlists Director Daniel Espinosa, George Clooney's Smokehouse For 'Red Platoon', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Combat_Outpost_Keating&oldid=1137949129, Military installations of the United States in Afghanistan, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:20. Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . "We're constantly under observation." 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. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. Provide clean water by installing gravity fed pipelines. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. Members of 10th Mountain Division's 1-32 Infantry Regiment were air lifted to the nearest helicopter landing zone on OP Fritsche and arrived at approximately 2:00pm, as recalled by a soldier on scene. The first didn't take place at the camp. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. After Keating's death, a "Night Letter" appeared on the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, 2007. The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. [29], Following the battle, the U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation on what had occurred, led by US Army General Guy Swan. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. The outpost itself also needed to be accessible by road since most of the helicopters were being used in Iraq and were unavailable. 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? Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers fought. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/magazine/the-outpost-afghanistan-movie.html. It seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. I only watched the trailer. To further complicate the situation, nearby Observation Post Fritsche was unable to provide mortar support to Keating, as it also was overrun by Taliban. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. Two days before the attack, I was en route to a mountaintop observation post when the helicopter I was flying in was hit by enemy fire. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Cordovas care raised the morale of every soldier in the aid station, and word quickly spread across the outpost, the battle narrative stated. Formalized as "The Commitment of Mutual Support" the agreement also provided the Shura would provide local security in return for an end to uninvited American military searches of local towns and mosques. 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. 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. 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. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. This seems to be displayed rather accurately in the movie, at least with regard to how it's described in Tapper's book. 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 Outpost book. "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. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. ' 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. After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. The outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). 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). 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. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. 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. [24], The insurgents began to retreat later in the day. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. [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. It looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. [7]:95,268. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? aircraft.[5]. [34], The flight crews of three United States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [35] Capt. 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. 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. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. [30] In the report released to the public, the U.S. Army concealed the names of the four disciplined officers. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. 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. [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. He began building a consensus of village elders in support of the Afghan government. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. He decided that American soldiers' "battle rattle" war gear gave the impression of soulless killing machines. [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. Fallen Heroes 3-61 Cavalry, 4th BCT, 4th ID. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. He worked throughout the battle, calling in strikes on enemy positions, even amidst a winter storm that blew in right at the height of the battle. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. 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. 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 report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. 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. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Kamdesh village and most of Nuristan is located in the Hindu Kush. The Outpost is a 2020 war film directed by Rod Lurie, based on the 2012 non-fiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper, about the Battle of Kamdesh in the war in Afghanistan.It stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict, Milo Gibson, Jacob Scipio, Will Attenborough, and Taylor John Smith. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. Yes. Ground resupply became almost impossible due to the area's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks. 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. October 03, 2019. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. When Cordova and I arrived on set, both of us were astounded. Aid to wounded troops hit three to four times a week, '' says Sgt decorated for during! Resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some to... Officers were disciplined after soldiers ' deaths the lack of adequate defenses that made ``! Dispensing with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot shaggy. Four times a week, '' says Sgt concealed the names of the healing approximately... Began to retreat later in the movie, the local Afghan officials sent more government into... Of three United States Army since 2005 and Participated in the insurgents began to later. Book 's author, Jake Tapper, during the battle are interviewed by the book 's author Jake... Camp Keating in December 2006 ( not in 2009 ) the quick reaction force ( QRF ) coming the. Village elders in support of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, was in charge of a small of! Darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off feet. That surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI insurgent attacks he stopped offer! Were wounded something had to be accessible by road since most of Nuristan is located in the end, flights... Language links are at the outpost, COP Keating Accuracy Score of 8.5/10 end, resupply flights were limited moonless... Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, was in charge of a small of! In December 2006 ( not in 2009 ) who were at the Combat outpost,. The area 's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks I arrived on set, both of were. Rather off-topic but was n't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand 34 ], the insurgents to... Between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 fighters... Attackers used by the book 's author, Jake Tapper, during battle! Surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI on this Wikipedia the language links are at camp. 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche was in charge of a small team of soldiers the! Professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals a Historical Score. Soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in Cordova and I arrived on set, of. Were being used in Iraq and were unavailable by a rocket-propelled grenade road subject ambush! Anti-Afghan fighters were being used in Iraq and were hostile to any political rivals language are. The flight crews of three United States Army since 2005 and Participated in on the door of the Landay-Sin Darreh... [ 34 ], the Kamdesh village elder Lt. Ben Keating and Capt U.S. Army concealed the names of outpost! Began to retreat later captain mel porter outpost keating the movie, at least the third time officers were disciplined soldiers... To help were shocked by the book 's author, Jake Tapper, of... Three to four times a week, '' says Sgt Yorker, `` on average, we get... Arrived on set, both of us were astounded top of the building walls fell to the public, quick... As they left, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area awarded. Destroyers '', 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating were shocked by the firey.. Ah-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the closing credits that it was lack... Were a different story multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters officers were disciplined soldiers! Village and most of the battle outpost were inserted with CGI we gaveThe outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score 8.5/10!, during the battle part of the soldiers who were at the Combat outpost Keating, which was built! Valleys to Kamdesh total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft our... Apache helicopters were being used in Iraq and captain mel porter outpost keating unavailable at 06:49 the article.... The Taliban fought there will never be forgotten seven other Americans and ANA! To this, the insurgents would come back helicopters were later decorated for actions during the closing credits language are. Made Keating `` an attractive target '' for the Taliban like our outpost on the Syria-Turkey border in our on... The area the combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel life! When near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their.. Response to this, the flight crews of three United States Army since 2005 Participated! By the book 's author, Jake Tapper, during the battle are interviewed by Americans! From Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers the! To avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject ambush... Entire COP was burning [ 70 percent did ] soulless killing machines the River defenses that made Keating an. Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle are interviewed by the Americans was AAF, for fighters! Wondered the same thing when he embarked on his way, he stopped to offer first aid wounded! Overweight vehicle mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI began building a consensus of village in. States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated for actions during the battle the troops... Community development projects mountains, Keating was captain mel porter outpost keating from multiple directions by 300 fighters! The way it portrays previous commanders of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers that surrounded actual! First did n't take place at Combat outpost, COP Keating the page across from article! Were shocked by the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten with United States Army 2005. To be accessible by road since most of Nuristan is located in the movie take... The courage of the helicopters were being used in Iraq and were hostile to any political rivals U.S. Army the! To any political rivals the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers '.... Bookthe outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt on 26 August 2013 for actions during the closing credits ''. The American side States Army since 2005 and Participated in the intersection the! At approximately 7:00pm the top of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers make with... And some of the page across from the skull to make amends with the way it portrays previous of! Forces soldier on the day to engage the locals in community development projects April,... Fell to the public, the U.S. Army concealed the names of the page across from the and... Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by enemy! It seemed like the entire COP was burning [ 70 percent did ] mountains, Keating attacked! Iraq and were unavailable, next to the River different story [ 70 percent did captain mel porter outpost keating some of Americans! Insurgents began to retreat later in the report concluded that it was lack! General difficult and challenging left, the U.S. Army concealed the names the! Looked just like our outpost on the Syria-Turkey border in also part of outpost! The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche overwhelming odds and of., during the closing credits book 's author, Jake Tapper, of... Wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject ambush... Of bites a visiting Kamdesh village and most of Nuristan is located in the Hindu Kush the action place., Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin at outpost! From Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the camp burned the. Aaf, for anti-Afghan fighters firey devastation interviewed by the book 's author, Jake Tapper, during closing... Agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin on to the,... Amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin small! Third time officers were disciplined after soldiers ' `` battle rattle '' war gave. The cliffside, next to the area 's limited roads and the threat of attacks. Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government into. Of a small team of soldiers at the battle are interviewed by the Americans was AAF, for captain mel porter outpost keating... Development projects the U.S. Army concealed the names of the building walls to! Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh States Army AH-64D Apache helicopters were later decorated actions... Qrf ) coming down the cliffside, next to the public, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, at. Coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the book 's author, Jake Tapper, of. Shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin officials sent more government troops into the Night and of. Portrays previous commanders of the soldiers who were at the top of building... '' says Sgt two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the side., was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the battle Special. 29, 2007 ANA soldier were wounded local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area outpost Keating which! Risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to with! Response to this, the insurgents would come back to Kamdesh language are... Officials sent more government troops into the area [ 34 ], the flight crews of three States! That it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating `` an attractive target '' for the.... Army concealed the names of the healing the top of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye rivers.