Without air support, I dont think we would have made it, considering the number against us and the area we were in, McMurtrey said. 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. The Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base. I'll have to give it a read sometime. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. In real life, there is no record of Porter shooting a dog.According to Jake Tapper's book, two real-life incidents inspired the scene in the movie. You must log in or register to reply here. [14] At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. 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. 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. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. Benjamin D. Keating was born in Sanford, Maine on 31 May 1979, and he served as Chair of the Young Republicans at the . Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. The entire Outpost Keating was recreated. 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. 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. 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. Second, the search for Bowe Bergdahl, in June 2009, had used up so many resources none were available to address the base's unsuitable location. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. When the battle was over, 16 tons of bombs had been dropped. Once we got overhead the target, the biggest thing that struck me was how much of Keating was on fire. I only watched the trailer. 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. The 53. 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. 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. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. Div. Yes. 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. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. 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. 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. Based there were 53 U.S. soldiers primarily with B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Extending control further along the river was expected to counter the AAF expansion and activity in the summer of 2007. [2] A day after, on October 7, Taliban fighters were seen among the ruins of the outpost. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. By now, Porter had strained relations with nearly all of his subordinate leaders. Zorias Yunger), most of what unfolds in the movie is largely accurate. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. 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. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. 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. When it came to infiltration from Pakistan, and setting ambushes, HIG was regarded as the most skillful. aircraft.[5]. 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." In real life, Keating had served with the 3/71 CAV, not the 3/61 CAV (the unit he's part of in The Outpost movie). The Battle of Kamdesh took place during the war in Afghanistan. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. 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. They professed a Salafi version of Islam, and were hostile to any political rivals. 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. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . Such attacks are not news to men like Capt. The soldiers heard over the radio, "Enemy in the wire The enemy is inside the camp." Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan", Attack on Afghan outposts kills 8 soldiers, "U.S. ignored warnings before deadly Afghan attack", "U.S. Military Faults Leaders in Attack on Base", "Courage at Keating: 2 Medals of Honor, 1 DSC, 8 Silver Stars for standout B Troop", "Army releases report on battle at Combat Outpost Keating battle", "Afghan insurgents pushed into U.S. base, official says", "Strategic Plans Spawned Bitter End for a Lonely Outpost", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualties", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualty", "Insurgents breached U.S. outpost in battle", The Gazette: Mom works to help Carson soldiers honor battle bonds, "They 'weren't going to get beat that day' the Medal of Honor recipients who held COP Keating against all odds", "US premiere of film about Battle of COP Keating and Latvian soldiers | Aizsardzbas ministrija", Latvijas Televzija: Videofilma "Afganistna. Captain Benjamin Keating Born: May 31, 1979 Birthplace: Sanford, Maine, USA Death: November 26, 2006, Kamdesh, Afghanistan (injuries suffered when vehicle turned over) Milo Gibson Born: November 16, 1990 Birthplace: Australia Captain Robert Yllescas Born: October 7, 1977 Birthplace: Guatemala City, Guatemala In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. In the process, the truck rolled over him and ended up almost fully submerged in the river. 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. ", Yes. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. These troops were ambushed on the Naray-Kamdesh road and shot up badly enough to prevent their arrival in Kamdesh. His actions saved the lives of several soldiers, and he alone accomplished the work of four medical professionals without stopping for food or sleep, the battle narrative aptly concluded. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. The bounty was a thing back then? 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. Air Force Staff Sgt. Capt. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. 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. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the 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. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. Then tragedy struck again. This strategy depended upon extending government control by building and maintaining provincial reconstruction team bases. Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. Yes. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. 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. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. 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. 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. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. 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. Yllescas's charismatic relations with the Shura had supported the transition from 1-91 Cavalry to 6th Squadron, and the Shura's influence and collaboration with ISAF forces declined from this point. Several of the dogs that hung around the camp were with them, one of which supposedly bit an old woman working in a field. 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. AAF would disguise themselves in ANA uniforms and set up fake checkpoints to extract taxes and tolls from local contractors, and allied themselves with smugglers transporting illegal timber and gems into Pakistan. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. After Keating's death, the camp was renamed Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. Hutto had worked for years on COIN campaigns in Central America. The Taliban surprised the outpost with mortar fire and a massive infantry assault which partly overran and nearly destroyed COP Keating, and, while the Americans and their allies held off several Taliban attacks on the base in the bloodiest battle in Afghanistan since the 2008 Battle of Wanat, the outpost was shut down shortly after and its depot We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. 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