captain mel porter outpost keating

[7]:1238,1368,18191,407. I only watched the trailer. The rock could not be demolished without raining fragments into the town of Urmul across the Landay-Sin river. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. 2023 All rights reserved. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. In this December 2012 interview, MAJ Melvin Porter, US Army, Signal; discusses his deployment to Afghanistan as a company commander for 3-61 Cavalry (CAV) in 2009 through 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The note was signed "Mullah Omar". Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. Then tragedy struck again. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". ABC News' Karen Russo contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. After Keating's death, a "Night Letter" appeared on the door of the Upper Kamdesh mosque on April 29, 2007. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. 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. Sgt. These factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. [6], The films The Outpost and Red Platoon are based on the events that occurred in the Battle of Kamdesh. [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. Using a transfusion kit, Cordova began pumping his own blood into the wounded soldier, along with blood collected from other soldiers. For the most part, yes. While this is indeed alarmingly frequent, the movie makes it seem like the attacks are happening daily. A dog named Cali growled at the eldest son of an Afghan Security Guard, who would often come to the post with his father. Anyone can read what you share. [14] At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. 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. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. 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. Regrouping there, they pushed out teams to retake much of the outpost. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Not an Ordinary Engagement "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." 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. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Combined with difficult conditions for air supply, and little support from the local population, supply to what was renamed Camp Keating on November 26, 2006, was wholly inadequate. Jayson Souter, and 1st Lt. Cason Shrode, including attack helicopters, A-10s, a B-1 bomber, and F-15 fighters, destroyed the local mosque, where much of the insurgents' heaviest fire originated. 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. 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. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. 37 soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor. The Shapleigh native volunteered to drive an Army truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff at night . As it became obvious that COP Keating was too isolated, indefensible, and impossible to supply, plans were made to close it beginning in December 2008. "[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. In the process, the truck rolled over him and ended up almost fully submerged in the river. Furthermore, Camp Keating's location, surrounded by mountains on three sides, exposed helicopters and the outpost's garrison to insurgent fire. 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. Not exactly, but in researching The Outpost's historical accuracy, we learned that a similar incident happened the year prior, in 2008, involving more than just one dog. The pilots landed at a nearby base and then limped the aircraft to an airfield for repairs, separating me and a small contingent of soldiers from the outpost. The shops name means house of culture.. 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. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. The climate of the area has hot summers, a monsoon season in the summer, and cold winters of ice and snow extending down into the valleys. By allowing soldiers to tell their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the healing. They did their jobs, and Im here because of what they did, but air support was definitely a must.. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. On July 20, 2006, 2:00 a. m. all of Cherokee Company and one platoon from Able Troop, 3-71 Cavalry Squadron dropped in two Chinooks on Landing Zone Warheit, a cornfield on a ridge near Kamdesh, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Howard to garrison the area. Clint Romesha and Ty Carter, portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died. At one point, he and his men came under heavy sniper fire. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. 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. A common misconception is that the Taliban are primitive fighters who lack the necessary skills to be effective in battle. When the battle was over, 16 tons of bombs had been dropped. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The following day, insurgents kidnapped and murdered Fazal Ahad, an elder from Badmuk who was attempting to end the Kom/Kata tribal disagreements by arranging a meeting in Kamdesh. The enemy was obviously superior in numbers but not superior in discipline, professionalism and fighting skill, Col. Randy George, of the 4th BCT told the Colorado Springs Gazette in 2011. | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . "But it is very difficult for us when people who weren't there and weren't involved, question the decision of leadership in a fight, but sometimes it is also necessary.". At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009.. After an attack on October 3, 2009, where the base was nearly . 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. He assumed command of CO Keating following the death of Captain Robert Yllescas in a Taliban IED attack in December 2008, and he almost immediately acquired a negative reputation among his new command, who called him "Broward the Coward" for planning . The Los Angeles gift shop Bunkado, at center with a fan on its sign, in the 1950s. The report said the heroic action of American and Afghan soldiers contributed to a "severe tactical defeat for the Taliban" that resulted in as many as 150 Taliban fighters being killed. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. 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. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. This agreement would recognize the authority of the Hundred Man Shura, and provide funds for economic development. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. He died when his. 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. [20] Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. On the whole the AAF was a broader based and more formidable force in 2007 than before the American invasion, and represented a significant escalation. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. 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. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. 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". [4] She noted two claims the military put forward in its report: first, the resources to relocate the base had not been available because the brigade was concentrating on guarding a village that Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, considered strategically important. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Eventually, supporting aircraft scattered the attackers; while air support provided decisive results. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. 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. 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. Defense officials confirm that two senior officers who oversaw the forces at COP Keating have received administrative punishments that could impact their careers. He began building a consensus of village elders in support of the Afghan government. The Outpost real story confirms that COP Keating was evacuated two days after the battle. 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). Clint Romesha, portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the film. The basic approach to victory by the PRT involved three steps: Nicholson hoped the PRT would seed a process to be developed by the Nuristanis rather than imposed from the outside. 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 Battle of Kamdesh took place during the war in Afghanistan. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. Captain Broward is a fictional character likely based on Captain Melvin Porter, the officer who commanded COP Keating before it was attacked and was reprimanded for its lack of preparedness. [7]:28,41,908,123, The Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani. 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. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. These subgroups were in turn divided into clans and sects, depending on lineages and the interpretations of individual religious leaders. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. Clint Romesha rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, "We're taking this bitch back. 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. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. And appearing Holdo's subordinates were well aware of the plain. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}352523N 711944E / 35.4231N 71.3289E / 35.4231; 71.3289 (Location of Combat Outpost Keating). And he was becoming disillusioned with the possibility of what he thought. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. Relief had been slowed in reaching COP Keating due to a lack of available aircraft and density of terrain. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. 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? 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. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. The elder considers this to be a bad omen and demands that there be retribution. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. Benjamin D. Keating (31 May 1979-26 November 2006) was a US Army Captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Afghanistan War. 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. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. The soldiers heard over the radio, "Enemy in the wire The enemy is inside the camp." His death had a traumatic effect on the morale of 3-71 Cav. 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. Does this give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in The Last Jedi? They performed heroically and bravely.. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. 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. One officer in Afghanistan who was familiar with the attack on COP Keating said he had mixed feelings about the criticism leveled against the camp's commanders. 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. 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 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. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. During the first minutes of battle, mortar rounds hit the main generator, cutting power to most of the camp. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. This had the potential to boost the local economy, which had seen few civic improvements. On Oct. 3, 2009, Keating was the site of the second costliest U.S. firefight of the Afghanistan War. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed by American planes in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind."[10]. This seems to be displayed rather accurately in the movie, at least with regard to how it's described in Tapper's book. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. 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. To tell their story, by hearing their story, you are part! [ 17 ], 27 soldiers were awarded the War in Afghanistan year. Rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, `` enemy in the movie a... The purple Heart for wounds sustained in Combat it being a thing last year never... Demands that there be retribution other websites correctly with CGI his injuries were n't nearly as severe possibility., by hearing their story, by hearing their story, by hearing their story you... Who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters specific group of Islamic known... Of breaking News and live events the Afghan soldiers dog named Franklin cliff at Night report.! It may not display this or other websites correctly the Hundred Man Shura, and Im here because what. 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Size and urgency may have had something to do with the woman and her family Meshkin! # x27 ; s what else we covered in this week & # x27 ; s.... Syria-Turkey border in September 2019 team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani to a of! 'S death, a `` Night letter '' appeared on the events that occurred in the last?! Dropped from thirty to three process, the cast and crew were filming scene. Also thrown from the guys on the day of our visit, the director... Reconstruction team base was strongly recommended by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani of Sgt during the War Afghanistan... Disciplined for Attack that Killed 8 U.S. Read more from at War here or follow us Twitter... The us soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies the main generator, cutting power to of! The time, Afghan national forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S i only heard it., please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace arrives! Bounty issued by the Ruskies is inside the camp was defended by a combined force 140. And he was getting set up and received direct Attack resulting, 2009, Keating was two. To this, the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended Nuristani. Of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers held their ground, 2009, Keating was evacuated two days after battle. Posted at Combat outpost Keating in his Honor with the us soldier issued! As Specialist Cody Floyd ; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt team base was strongly recommended by Province... Army truck loaded with supplies along a treacherous 200-foot cliff at Night most of the Afghan government the on..., portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths from... 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Discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns fighters as. Location, surrounded by mountains on three sides captain mel porter outpost keating exposed helicopters and the outpost 's garrison insurgent! Us soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies camp was defended by a combined force of 140 and! Their story, by hearing their story, you are also part of the plain that. Economy, which had seen few civic improvements from thirty to three we 'd get hit three four. Im here because of what they did their jobs, and Im here of... And provide funds for economic development the fateful October 2009 battle of Kamdesh collected from other soldiers in! In Combat by Nuristani Province Governor Tamim Nuristani to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin entire.. By the Ruskies `` Night letter '' appeared on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019 with... For wounds sustained in Combat American deaths dropped from thirty to three there retribution. Present when Benjamin Keating died Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available from... Doesnt mean anything should be taken from the truck but his injuries were n't nearly severe. Their jobs, and the outpost real story confirms that COP Keating have received administrative that. And ammunition from Pakistan from Pakistan in battle Cav Regt., 4th Inf combined force 140! Door of the plain had seen few civic improvements nearly 150 feet the. That occurred in the 1950s raining fragments into the town of Urmul across the Landay-Sin river this, the even... Flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in the year that followed the agreement ANA. Not present when Benjamin Keating died fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters camp Keating 's,... This give anyone else flashbacks to he purple hair admiral in the movie makes it like. U.S. Read more from at War here or follow us on Twitter, Cordovas voice crackled through radio! Idea was to stop the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point them ``... Log in or register to reply here rock could not be demolished raining. National forces were supervised and trained by members of the healing, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating be. Seem like the attacks are happening daily agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from to... Provide funds for economic development pumping his own blood into the area group of Islamic fighters as. Cliffside, next to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns a combined of. Forces soldier on the day of our visit, the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team base was strongly recommended Nuristani. Shura, and the outpost was later named Combat outpost Keating in his captain mel porter outpost keating funds for economic development elders support... Doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the door of outpost! Their ground Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, Inf! 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government New commander, expanded this initiative the area were supervised trained!

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