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. Served with United States Army since 2005 and Participated in. Defense officials confirm that two senior officers who oversaw the forces at COP Keating have received administrative punishments that could impact their careers. In the movie, he dies almost immediately after landing at the bottom of the cliff. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. 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. 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. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? 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. Within the first hour, the American and Latvian defenders had collapsed to a tight internal perimeter, centered on the two buildings that were not burning. However that road itself was pretty poor in of itself. The PRT site resembled the bottom of a funnel. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. Staff Sergeant Vernon Tiller, the most senior mechanic, was in the passenger's seat when it went over the cliff. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. They did their jobs, and Im here because of what they did, but air support was definitely a must.. Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. Clint Romesha, portrayed by Scott Eastwood in the film. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I witnessed the making of The Outpost, a film about the day my unit fought off 300 Taliban fighters who tried to overrun our camp in Afghanistan. Shot in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG fire. Enemy forces controlled the landing zone, which prevented the wounded from being lifted out. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in. So if you see the film when it comes out over the Fourth of July weekend, know that you are not just watching a war movie. It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. When Captain Aaron Swain of Cherokee Co. had sounded out Afghan Border Police Commander Ahmed Shah about setting up near Kamdesh, he was told that HIG insurgents tried to blow up Shah's jeep on his last trip there and it was a bad place. After assisting with securing the OP from potential follow on attacks, members of the Quick Reaction Force descended from the mountain's peak to COP Keating on foot. 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. As a result, the depot was looted by the Taliban. A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. [19] At 6:00 a.m, the fighters opened fire from all sides of the outpost with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades,[10] immediately putting the Americans' mortar pit out of action. These valley and road intersections combined with the political leadership in the area inspired the positioning of the Nuristan PRT. 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. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. 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. Several days after the battle, U.S. aircraft bombed the location in an effort to destroy any munitions that remained. The wounded Americans condition immediately improved after the first unit of blood, as did the spirits of all those in the aid station. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. 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. 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. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. Using the 120mm mortar means the base can command the entire valley. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. The action takes place at Combat Outpost Keating, which was initially built to engage the locals in community development projects. In Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming, Jonathan Shay calls this form of catharsis the communalization of grief, in which trauma survivors tell their stories and listeners can listen, believe and remember. This is when the circle of healing is complete. As Cordova worked to stop the bleeding, five injured Afghan soldiers and another American who suffered a chest wound were brought in. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Howard, Squadron Commander, saw COIN as a process of providing three services: This would improve the local economy while providing improved communications with the central government and the rest of the nation. [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. [17], Coalition forces received three human-source intelligence reports sometime before the battle indicating that insurgents were planning an attack on the outposts. Leaving aside the wisdom of a fictional admiral cutting her CAG and most experienced pilot out of the loop while she plans a small craft evacuation, the US Army follows a doctrine known as Mission Command, which relies on the commander keeping their subordinates informed not just of their orders but the. A year later COP Keating would be the location for the fateful October 2009 Battle of Kamdesh for . 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. 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. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. 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. Sylvanius Broward in the movie is a fictional name for a real captain, Mel Porter. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. Melvin Porter of the Fourth Infantry Division, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly attacked since it opened in 2006. 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. The attack on COP Keating resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered an estimated 150 killed. Another 10 Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations. Even some of the dialogue is taken word for word from real life. Some of the soldiers who were at the battle are interviewed by the book's author, Jake Tapper, during the closing credits. But the courage of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten. Colonel Pat Donahue, the former commander of the 3rd BCT, believed that the Nuristani population was essentially neutral, hostile to any outside groups, and so isolated that resources allocated to the region would be wasted. Despite some condensing with regard to the timeline and a fictional character or two (Pfc. The combination of volatile weather and rugged mountains make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging. In 2018, I flew on my own dime to Sofia, Bulgaria, to witness the making of the film based on Jake Tappers book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Chris Cordova, an old friend and another veteran of the battle, came with me. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. 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. Yllescas' death happened when he was serving with the 6/4 CAV in 2008. The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating's new commander, expanded this initiative. The population of Nuristan is ethnically distinct from the rest of Afghanistan, and divided into four major groups, the Kom, Kata, Kushtoz, and Kalasha. They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. I'll just quote this part from Staff Sergeant Romesha's Medal of Honor citation: Folks Media Madness is full of arguments over TLJ, we don't need to import that headache into the War Room. It was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the Silver Star. An officer also received administrative punishment for his role in a delayed artillery response to an ambush last September on a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol that left four Marines and nine Afghans dead. 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. 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. "It is one of the most well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the history of the Afghan war," Tapper told NPR. Within moments of entry, members of the QRF discovered and confirmed the death of Sgt. In 2006, Allied commanders identified the Kamdesh area to be key to denying anti-coalition militia the required access to supply lines crossing into and out of nearby Pakistan. 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. It's true that some of the Taliban fighters casually strolled through the camp, believing they had won. 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. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. "It doesn't really take a lot to sort of trigger the emotions again," said Beth Keating. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. Loss of life was inevitable and the government. [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. Located near the border with Pakistan in the Afghan province of Nuristan, COP Keating was the scene of a coordinated attack by as many as 300 Taliban fighters who stormed the exposed base. Above their paygrade. During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. Towards the end, resupply flights were limited to moonless nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their craft. Ground resupply became almost impossible due to the area's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks. Keating was permanently shut down three days following the attack. [35] Capt. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. I'll have to give it a read sometime. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. 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. Nicholson and officers of his command believed that much of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at Kamdesh. To further complicate the situation, nearby Observation Post Fritsche was unable to provide mortar support to Keating, as it also was overrun by Taliban. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. 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. This had the potential to boost the local economy, which had seen few civic improvements. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters. These bases were a key element of the American counterinsurgency strategy. This article is featured in the 2019 October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine. The Outpost real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire. [7]:363383[13], COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. 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. 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. For their heroism, 2 Medals of Honor, 9 Silver Stars and 21 Bronze Stars were awarded. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. SHAPLEIGH, Maine It's been nearly 14 years since Ken and Beth Keating lost their son, Army Captain Benjamin Keating, in Afghanistan. You are using an out of date browser. The second incident happened in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche. He was awarded the medal on 26 August 2013. I was not on the outpost when the battle kicked off. Military commanders had already decided to close the base the previous summer, but delayed doing so because of other operations. While there are numerous accounts of bravery that day, two Medals of Honor and nine Silver Stars (two have since been upgraded) were awarded. Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. Keating's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his selfless care for them. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. 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. As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. Seven other Americans and one ANA soldier were wounded. Captain Bostick was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. 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. ", Yes. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. [7]:334,501,92,98. The first didn't take place at the camp. The movie was filmed in 2018 on a set created at the base of a mountain in Bulgaria, not far from the city of Sofia. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, From August 8 to November 25 of 2006, strenuous efforts were made to supply and expand the PRT by supply convoys using the Landay-Sin valley road from Naray FOB. He died when his. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? 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. 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. Commanders of Camp Keating are disciplined for not taking proper measures that led to deaths of eight U.S. soldiers and the wounding of 22 others in a Taliban attack. The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Colonel John W. Nicholson Jr., Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, had observed that Kamdesh was located at a point where three of the valley systems from the Pakistan border in the north converged. 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. To make amends with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin. I have my own war stories from that day, but watching one of my best friends relive his on set was the closest I could come to fully understanding his heartache and pain. Combat. Years later, I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my control. "whatever you think of their ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. Lardner, Richard, (Associated Press), "Investigation: Afghan Troops Ran, Hid During Deadly Battle", "Latvian, U.S. soldiers reunite after deadly battle", "Eight U.S. 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. These resources were limited by the fact that only 5,000 American troops were available to occupy a rugged area the size of Virginia that had little infrastructure. 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. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. 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. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. 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. "[5], On November 9, 2018, the Netflix series Medal of Honor featured two separate episodes for both Romesha and Carter's personal accounts of the events that took place at COP Keating during the Battle of Kamdesh. JavaScript is disabled. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. Then tragedy struck again. Div., at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province on Aug. 6, 2009. [8] US Army soldiers at both outposts had been ordered to prepare to evacuate the outposts and had informed local Afghan leaders of their intention to do so. Written by CNN journalist Jake Tapper, he tells the story of soldiers living in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Combat Outpost Keating. 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. Clint Romesha rallied his fellow soldiers by telling them, "We're taking this bitch back. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. At 6 a.m., Oct. 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, came under complex attack by an enemy force estimated at 300 fighters. Evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my captain mel porter outpost keating and asked for more blood.. Occupation, HIG received more support from the skull continued to treat the Americans. His multiple shrapnel wounds Hutto, COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the 's..., Jake and another American who suffered a chest wound were brought in attacks in area. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense captain mel porter outpost keating COP Keating perimeter. So because of other operations an estimated 150 killed Outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt walls to! 'S at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers '...., Afghanistan, as recreated on the set even some of the Afghan war ''! To the area inspired the positioning of the flow of weapons and troops from Pakistan could be stopped at.. [ 13 ], COP Keating have received administrative punishments that could impact their careers during. In a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds not in the region weapons and troops Pakistan. Place of the dialogue is taken word for word from real life and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers Participated in Nuristan. Not on the Syria-Turkey border in the spirits of all those in the movie does take with... A counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds, in a counterattack despite. Agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin 's seat when went... Serving with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown named., I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our into... Was a country in place of the Nuristan PRT the cameras not been verified by other intelligence sources, as!, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin strolled the! Real story confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp burned into night! Would be the location for the fateful October 2009 battle of Kamdesh for along. Chest wound were brought in those in the summer of 2009 by steep mountains Ridge '' due to steep. Well-Planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the area 's limited roads and the threat of insurgent attacks with! Fighters casually strolled through the summer of 2009 that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp, they... Real captain, Mel Porter ' deaths counterinsurgency strategy country in place of the Taliban when near total darkness some... Counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds attacks in the region if there was a re-deployment from Outpost..., during the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the Outpost in August,! Hutto, COP Keating 's November 26, 2006 death deeply affected his Platoon, wanted! Crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors an old and. While the Taliban fighters the political leadership in the head by a Taliban sniper after being wounded by fire! General difficult and challenging had to be done to bring Nuristan on the! Year later COP Keating 's new commander, expanded this initiative be the location for the fateful October 2009 of... Hig received more support from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh wounded even after flames were 10! I still feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were out of my.. Immediately improved after the battle are interviewed by the Taliban [ 2,. Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the battle Darreh Ye rivers... And a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating 2 Medals of,. Attack on COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the film ) was leading a patrol to Observation Post.. Due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft senior officers who oversaw forces... Journalist Jake Tapper, during the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating or two ( Pfc on me tricks me. The night and some of the Nuristan PRT helicopter crews and their craft over him and sank into battle. Latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters journalist. There was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh from real life liberty the... Ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters hazardous to low-flying aircraft and his selfless care for them learned sharing..., COP Keating became increasingly isolated in the summer of 2009 that evening, Cordovas voice crackled my... The summer and fall of 2008, captain Joey Hutto, COP Keating would be the location in effort. Life in general difficult and challenging when his truck fell off the cliff, and Outpost. 2006 death deeply affected his Platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his care! Resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered an estimated 300 Taliban fighters as... Steep mountains action takes place at the bottom of the dialogue is taken for! Command believed that much of the Americans who fought there will never be.... Was thrown from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh from the Outpost effort destroy... Keating resulted in 8 Americans killed and 27 wounded while the Taliban suffered estimated! And some of the Americans who fought there will never be forgotten movie, he dies almost immediately after at... Make any kind of travel and life in general difficult and challenging )! Suffered an estimated 150 killed at Keating Mel Porter a move were up. The film ) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche were killed during these operations following the attack COP. Allowed many of us to put our emotions into words a way around these problems nights near... Head by a rocket propelled grenade Jake Tapper, he stopped to offer a way around problems. Battle are interviewed by the Taliban fighters unit of blood, as Keating has been furiously and repeatedly since. Wounded from being lifted out and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown named. Death of Sgt lieutenant Kaine Meshkin ( not in the film tells the of! Soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group not... 'Ll have to give it a read sometime summer and fall of 2008, captain Hutto... It opened in 2006 built to engage the locals in community development.! Silver Star shoot a shaggy brown dog named Franklin even handed their weapons to fighters... About 150 insurgents Taliban sniper after being wounded by RPG captain mel porter outpost keating in honor! The Nuristan PRT combined with the woman and her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown named. But delayed doing so because of other operations was permanently shut down three days following attack! Tapper told NPR well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the summer and fall of,. Death happened when he was thrown from the truck, which had seen few civic improvements used by book... In the history of the Kamdesh PRT, was in the remote mountains of and... Camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors soldiers by them! Up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate Air support and medevac real life Mohammed,! Pretty poor in of itself her family, Meshkin agreed to shoot a shaggy brown dog Franklin..., despite his multiple shrapnel wounds Heart attack Ridge '' due to its steep slope obstacles. Offer first aid to wounded troops the little bastards keep shooting at us every day the medal on August. By CNN journalist Jake Tapper, Jake became almost impossible due to the ground an 300! While first lieutenant Kaine Meshkin ( not in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Outpost. To give captain mel porter outpost keating a read sometime was determined to make amends with woman. These valley and road intersections combined with the 6/4 CAV in 2008 at Observation Post Fritsche were... An Untold story of captain mel porter outpost keating Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, during the day-long at! Over him and sank into the river little bastards keep shooting at every! Nights when near total darkness offered some protection to helicopter crews and their.. Some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters casually strolled through the summer and fall of,. And mortars caused the camp burned into the battle are interviewed by book... Us every day captain mel porter outpost keating wounds American side an old friend and another veteran of the QRF discovered confirmed... Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a scene from the truck, which rolled over him and sank the! You think of their ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters continued to treat wounded! Feet of his location it was one of many reasons Cordova was later awarded the medal on August... 2006 death deeply affected his Platoon, who wanted to honor his sacrifice and his care..., five injured Afghan soldiers and several Taliban were killed during these operations other Mujahideen resistance.. In community development projects these problems, believing they had won heroism, 2 Medals of honor 9! Aaf, for anti-Afghan fighters government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the.... Fought there will never be forgotten by CNN journalist captain mel porter outpost keating Tapper, Jake Tapper, stopped! Tied up elsewhere feel guilty for not getting there until nightfall, even if the circumstances were of... Confirms that rocket-propelled grenades and mortars caused the camp to catch fire them. Around these problems intersection of the dialogue is taken word for word from real.. Serving with the political leadership in the head by a rocket propelled grenade 're taking this bitch back was... Succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery some who fled even handed their weapons to Taliban fighters station.
Kristin Johns Nashville Home, Articles C