Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. Hutto had worked for years on COIN campaigns in Central America. [17], Coalition forces received three human-source intelligence reports sometime before the battle indicating that insurgents were planning an attack on the outposts. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. 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. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. 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. Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. The U.S. evacuated the camp three days later. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The report concluded that it was the lack of adequate defenses that made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. While en route the Platoon encountered a planned ambush on the side of the mountain resulting in three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This article is featured in the 2019 October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine. "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. The American forces were too outnumbered to survive sustained combat. 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. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. 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. [8] The Coalition forces withdrew from the base shortly after the battle. Who plays Nia on the outpost? It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. While exploring the movie's historical accuracy, we confirmed that during the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, Taliban fighters got inside Outpost Keating. [5] Within two minutes of the beginning of the attack, American forces suffered their first casualty. 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 strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. 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. 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. The wounded Americans condition immediately improved after the first unit of blood, as did the spirits of all those in the aid station. 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. The smaller U.S. force ultimately beat back the attack after a fierce hours-long battle where Apache helicopters, that raced to assist the besieged soldiers, made all the difference. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. 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. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. 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. Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. 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. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. Without adequate support, they were left to fight for their lives against overwhelming odds. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. This will happen to you." -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. 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. "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." Between each take, the director and actors paused and turned to Cordova, who offered feedback to make the scene match his memory. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. [35] Capt. 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. October 03, 2019. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. Area of Operations. 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 outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). 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. 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. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. Captain Melvin Porter, 4th Infantry Division, US Army, said: "We're sitting in a bowl so we are constantly under observation." This is how the war went at COP Keating: a few pot shots from. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. [29], Following the battle, the U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation on what had occurred, led by US Army General Guy Swan. Troops, Amazon.com: The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor eBook: Tapper, Jake: Kindle Store, Wehrmacht wins at Dunkirk: Description of the battle that never was. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. 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. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. 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? 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. 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. 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. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. The battle is also the main focal point of the 2020 film The Outpost, which was in-turn based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper. 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. 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. Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. You are using an out of date browser. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. I'll have to give it a read sometime. Tears were streaming down his face. The movie details Keating's November 2006 death, which occurred when his truck fell from a clifftop road during a convoy run. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. Unlike the movie, The Outpost true story reveals that Keating was not alone in the truck. The 13-hour battle to re-take Combat Outpost Keating from an assault by 300 Taliban fighters on Oct. 3, 2009, was a team effort. 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. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. -CBS Sunday Morning. 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. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. AAF operations were expanding, supported by Taliban organizations in Pakistan. 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. 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. Troops stationed at COP Keating economic development the camp burned into the area Keating. 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