Thread by @jaketapper

It's difficult to describe just how vulnerable the soldiers at COP Keating were when they were attacked on October 3, 2009.

Here's an attempt to re-create the battle done by the US military:

2/ The Army made this terrain overview -- the Combat Outpost (COP) was at the bottom of three steep mountains just 14 miles from the Pakistan border.

3/ Here's some footage from 2007 of the COP, being constructed. It's all low ground. Which meant the enemy had all high ground.

4/ For years insurgents had enjoyed that high ground advantage as they killed the troops at COP Keating. The men felt like sitting ducks. @npwcnn visited the COP in Summer 2009 when he was with the UK's Channel 4.

channel4.com/news/cop-keati…

@npwcnn 5/ Since 2006, troops there -- 3-71 CAV, 1-91 CAV, 6-4 CAV, 3-61 CAV -- feared "the big one," the huge overwhelming enemy force, even as they valiantly fought and died to protect the COP.

@npwcnn 6/ That overwhelming enemy force came in 2009 on this very day at the crack of dawn.

@npwcnn 7/ The insurgents attacked the mortar pit, going after the best guns to reach them in the mountains. PFC Kevin Thomson, running to the big gun, was killed immediately.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-pfc-kevin…

@npwcnn 8/ SGT Josh Kirk -- considered the bravest of the brave -- ran to the front of the COP to try to return fire. He, too, was killed.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-joshu…

@npwcnn 9/ The Bastards Platoon, in their hooch, ran out to resupply Red Platoon, which was on watch that morning. SGT Michael Scusa was killed right out the door.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-micha…

@npwcnn 10/ The hail of bullets and RPGs was unrelenting. Soon five men were stuck in a Humvee. SGT Josh Hardt volunteered to try to drive to them to save them.

@npwcnn 11/ Hardt brought with him SPC Chris Griffin and PFC Ed Faulkner. They tried to rescue the other men in the Humvee, but the enemy firepower was too overwhelming. They had to abandon ship. Faulkner made it back to the hooch. Griffin didn't.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-spc-chris…

@npwcnn 12/ The last thing anyone heard from Hardt was on the radio.

"Holy f---," he said. "They've got an RPG pointed right at me."

Then his radio went dead.

articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/13/lo…

@npwcnn 13/ Many of the men at COP Keating were fighting back. SSG Clint Romesha was leading a team to regain control of the entrance gate, save the men stuck in the Humvee and get to the mortar pit.

cnn.com/2013/02/08/us/…

@npwcnn 14/ Romesha was later awarded the Medal of Honor. We did a documentary about him for CNN, Here's part 1:

@npwcnn 15/ The men in the Humvee decided that they needed to make a break for it; they could no longer wait to be rescued. SSG Justin Gallegos, SSG and Vernon Martin, and SPC Stephan Mace ran out while SSG Ty Carter and SGT Brad Larson provided cover fire.

@npwcnn 16/ No one ever saw Vernon Martin alive again.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-staff-sgt…

@npwcnn 17/ Gallegos soon attempted to return to the Humvee along with Mace, who was badly wounded. As Gallegos tried to drag his friend to safety, he was killed.

thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-staff-sgt…

@npwcnn 18/ Mace was now alone. Alive -- barely -- and alone on the ground. Outside.

Ty Carter ran outside, ran to Mace, grabbed him and carried him back to the Humvee.

@npwcnn 19/ Carter would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

We did a documentary about him for CNN, here's a small piece.

@npwcnn 20/ Inside the Humvee, Mace was in bad shape. They needed to get out of there.

Carter ran outside, retrieved Gallegos's radio, and ran back to the Humvee. Larson contacted the men in the Tactical Operations Center, or TOC.

LT Andrew Bundermann answered.

@npwcnn 21/ / Bundermann had been running the response from the TOC, trying to coordinate the Apache helicopters and save the camp.

"We didn't know if anyone else was still alive!" Larson told him. They'd been stuck in the Humvee for so long. They'd seen enemy in the wire.

@npwcnn 22/ Bundermann coordinated with Romesha and the Apaches and at the designated time, they unleashed on the enemy so Larson and Carter could carry Mace to the Aid Station.

Messed up the threading here — here’s the next one

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1047540639301287938?s=21