captain mel porter outpost keating

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. 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. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. 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. [7]:803,945,11620, After marching into the proposed site for the Kamdesh provincial outpost, Captain Michael and Cherokee Company's second platoon were confronted by a large boulder in the middle of the site that made landing a helicopter in the PRT site impossible. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. These troops were ambushed on the Naray-Kamdesh road and shot up badly enough to prevent their arrival in Kamdesh. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. Served with United States Army since 2008. The initiating ISAF forces of 1-91 Cavalry had returned home, replaced by 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Moreover, again according to Romesha, the officer who was in charge until very shortly before the battle, Captain Melvin Porter, was criminally incompetent and allowed the perimeter defenses to fall into decay, despite repeated requests from Romesha and his friends to improve them. Staff Sergeant William "Ryan" Fritsche was killed by rifle fire. [2] A day after, on October 7, Taliban fighters were seen among the ruins of the outpost. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed on October 6 by a B-1 bomber in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. 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. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. 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. View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. I highly recommend picking up a copy as it goes into far far greater detail about the history and events leading up and during the battle. [1] Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. I support this diversion into a discussion of the operational art and command structure as practiced by the New Resistance under Leia Organa. Clint Romesha, portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the film. 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. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. Military commanders had already decided to close the base the previous summer, but delayed doing so because of other operations. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, View Video of Taliban Fighters in the Camp. 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. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. In Afghanistan, MAJ (R) Cordova was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating on the 3rd of October 2009. 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. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. [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 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. He discussed their common values as leaders of families and communities working toward a better future. In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. I reached out to the films director, Rod Lurie, to vent my concerns. Like in the movie, the quick reaction force (QRF) coming down the mountain to help were shocked by the firey devastation. Keating landed between two rocks nearly 150 feet down the cliffside, next to the river. It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. 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. [9], Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron "Destroyers", 61st Cavalry Regiment manned COP Keating. Air Force Staff Sgt. Other veterans also acted in the movie, including Henry Hughes. The population of Nuristan is ethnically distinct from the rest of Afghanistan, and divided into four major groups, the Kom, Kata, Kushtoz, and Kalasha. 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." Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. Capt. Originally built to engage the locals in community development projects, Combat Outpost Keating located at the bottom of three steep mountains just 14 miles from the Pakistani border faced . The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Despite some condensing with regard to the timeline and a fictional character or two (Pfc. 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. Sylvanius Broward (1972-) was a US Army captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.. History. It seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. 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. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. 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. But I never told the story from my own perspective. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. 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? | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. Justin Gallegos' Silver Star was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. Capt. Unlike Donahue, Nicholson was a supporter of COIN in addition to seeing Kamdesh as a decisive control point. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. 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. 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. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valor. Villagers and clans who were left out of these projects were resentful, and quick to turn against the Americans. Four U.S. Army officers were reprimanded for "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command." Enemy forces controlled the landing zone, which prevented the wounded from being lifted out. JavaScript is disabled. Despite the efforts of two Latvian military advisors, First Sergeant Jnis Lais and Corporal Mrti Dboli,[21] who tried to convince the Afghan National Army forces not to flee,[22] the Afghan defenders quickly broke and ran. The 53. The Outpost real story confirms that COP Keating was evacuated two days after the battle. [16] Because Keating was scheduled for closure in the near future, coalition leaders had decided not to make more than minimal efforts to improve fortifications at the base. 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. The outpost was renamed Camp Keating in December 2006 (not in 2009). This is a lofty mountain range characterized by steep slopes of enormous granite boulders separated by fast moving rivers in deep narrow valleys. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. The camp was defended by a combined force of 140 U.S. and Afghan soldiers. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. This had the potential to boost the local economy, which had seen few civic improvements. [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. "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.". 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. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. Tim Quinton. 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. From November through January 2008 members of the Shura traveled the villages of the Kamdesh area, informing the residents of the support agreement and stating that the era of holy war was over, and that local government would bring peace and prosperity. Combat. The 48N6 missiles of the S-400 (and why they were designed by flat-earthers), WI: Instead of a NATO pull-out, the bases/forces in Afghanistan are handed over to the UN Peacekeeping. It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. 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. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. 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. Who plays Nia on the outpost? Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. October 03, 2019. Tears were streaming down his face. 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