Air Force Capt. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. The PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. Served with United States Army since 2008. U.S. air support directed by Sgt. 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. [3] Romesha was critical of the choice of site for the base, describing it as "like being in a fishbowl or fighting from the bottom of a paper cup. He wanted to avoid risking the lives of his men while traveling on an unstable road subject to ambush with an overweight vehicle. The Nuristanis had resisted Islam as late as the year 1895 and before that had been considered a Hindu nation (Islamic invaders called them "Kaffir" or heathen) with a long tradition of violently resisting outsiders and their beliefs. [7]:12930 1345,156. At one point, he and his men came under heavy sniper fire. Like in the film, Sgt. 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. Their checkpoints[11] and "taxes" was used to finance AAF operations. Many of the Afghan troops, however, were a different story. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. 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. Despite overwhelming odds and volume of injuries, MAJ (R) Cordova was able to . The pick up zone for Able Troop 2nd Platoon was called PZ Reds, located on the side of an 8,000-foot mountain. 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. A note was attached to his body which said: "Don't work with coalition forces. ABC News' Karen Russo contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [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. [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. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. Div. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. The entire Outpost Keating was recreated. 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. 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. [17], Coalition forces received three human-source intelligence reports sometime before the battle indicating that insurgents were planning an attack on the outposts. As a result, the depot was looted by the Taliban. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. [7]:95,268. . To a man, they all felt they had an obligation to help out in those areas where they saw Portar as failing, but upon hearing their recommendations, the captain consistently told them, point blank, that he was the commander, not them. 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. 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. Keating saw these programs as producing mixed results. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. Sgt. [31] 3 soldiers were awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 18 others the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for valor. David Porter (February 1, 1780 - March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy in the rank of captain and the honorary title of commodore.Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships. 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. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. Regrouping there, they pushed out teams to retake much of the outpost. [8] In addition, Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. 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". That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. Then tragedy struck again. 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. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. The movie details Keating's November 2006 death, which occurred when his truck fell from a clifftop road during a convoy run. 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). This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. Or invite someone to subscribe through this link. The shops name means house of culture.. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers fought. This had the potential to boost the local economy, which had seen few civic improvements. And he was becoming disillusioned with the possibility of what he thought. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. 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. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. 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. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. For the most part, yes. 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. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. 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. 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