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1/ Ten years ago today: the Battle of Combat Outpost Keating.
COP Keating was at the bottom of three steep mountains just 14 miles from the Pakistan border.
This terrain overview gives you an idea of how vulnerable it was:
COP Keating was at the bottom of three steep mountains just 14 miles from the Pakistan border.
This terrain overview gives you an idea of how vulnerable it was:
2/ COP Keating had been built in 2006 to work with the local populace, to convince them to reject the Taliban.
Here’s some early footage of the COP:
Here’s some early footage of the COP:
3/ There were constant firefights.
4/ Constant.
5/ There had been successes, too, but by October 3, 2009, relations with local Afghans had turned perhaps irreparably bad.
Especially after COP commander Captain Rob Yllescas had been successfully targeted for assassination the year before.
Especially after COP commander Captain Rob Yllescas had been successfully targeted for assassination the year before.
6/ Dawn, 10 years ago this morning.
October 3, 2009.
53 US troops were surrounded by up to 400 insurgents, all of whom had the high ground.
October 3, 2009.
53 US troops were surrounded by up to 400 insurgents, all of whom had the high ground.
7/ SGT Eric Harder recalls the day:
8/ PFC Chris Jones tells his story:
9/ Pfc. Kevin Christopher Thomson was the first killed, running out to man his station in the mortar pit.
10/ Sgt. Joshua John Kirk, considered the bravest of the brave, ran to return fire. He was also killed.
11/ As the men of Blue Platoon ran out of their barracks to resupply the Red Platoon troops standing at their guard posts, Spc. Michael Patrick Scusa was killed.
12/ Sgt. Justin Timothy Gallegos was with 4 other troops stuck in one of those guard posts. The incoming was unrelenting.
13/ Sgt. Joshua Mitchell Hardt volunteered to drive a truck to try to provide cover to allow Gallegos and the other men to escape.
14/ Army Spc. Christopher T. Griffin volunteered to join Hardt.
15/ The mission failed. Hardt and Griffin were never seen alive again.
By now the insurgents were inside the camp. “Enemy in the wire!” one soldier yelled.
By now the insurgents were inside the camp. “Enemy in the wire!” one soldier yelled.
16/ The men in the truck decided to make a break for it. Sgt. Vernon William Martin was among them. He was killed running for cover.
17/ Spc. Stephan Lee Mace was gravely wounded running for cover; Gallegos was killed trying to save him.
Eventually two others in the truck, including SSG Ty Carter, got him to the medic station. But by then he had lost too much blood.
Eventually two others in the truck, including SSG Ty Carter, got him to the medic station. But by then he had lost too much blood.
18/ Eventually the men of COP Keating, led in no small part by SSG Clint Romesha, and aided by air support that finally arrived at the remote outpost, beat back the Taliban.
Within days US troops abandoned the COP and leveled it.
Within days US troops abandoned the COP and leveled it.
19/ Medals were awarded for the many instances of valor and heroism.
20/ In 2013, Romesha was awarded the Medal of Honor.
21/ As was Carter. It marked the first time since the Vietnam war that two living soldiers were awarded the MOH for the same battle.
22/ A subsequent Army investigation concluded that COP Keating "was tactically indefensible,” as President Obama remarked in his MOH speech for Romesha. "But that's what these soldiers were asked to do, defend the indefensible."
23/ It was the deadliest single day in 2009 for the US in Afghanistan. Ten years ago today.
RIP 🇺🇸
RIP 🇺🇸
