The Outpost -- COP Keating Movie -- Now Available 04JUL

[Belmont31R]

Can be rented or bought off multiple streaming sites.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Kp9JghhGPao

Features: https://youtu.be/-PYC3rKUw1Q


Both my deployments were to Baghdad where its really flat, and urban. On the flip side AFG is somewhere I'd like to have gone, and have read/watches/listened to about as much as I can about the fighting that went on there, and I still have zero clue why COP/FOB/whatever one after another were placed in fishbowl valleys. In some cases they were put in the same exact spots as old Russian bases that got lit up, and the Taliban used the same fighting positions as from the 80's. I just have zero good explanation of why this happened numerous times...its not like Keating was was one off event. Numerous little COP's put at the bottom of barely defendable valleys were attacked, and the MOH's flowed out because we have great people on our side.

[ABNAK]

COP Keating (and probably a few others in similar geographical situations) was positioned where it was to provide a "visible presence" to the locals, as it was built alongside a major road in the area. Tactical common sense be damned. The book covers it's creation and the next several rotations of troops from roughly 2006 until 2009 when the attack took place. Every incoming CO remarked "Who the fvck decided it was a good idea to put this thing here?"

It kind of reminded me of Dien Bien Phu where the main base was in a valley and the enemy held all the surrounding high ground. COP Keating did have an OP up on a hill but that was it, certainly not enough to negate the enemy's advantage.

[seb5]

I found it interesting, when reading various books on it that the outpost did not fall during the attack. Either somewhat overlooked by the enemy or not consirered thier prize. It may have been a mistake on their part at the time. Either way I'm looking forward to the movie as I've read all I can on it. After Leatherneck the bases up North seemed so remote, Jalalabad especially. It was like the edge of the old frontier so I can't even imagine living at places like Keating.

[MountainRaven]

I still have zero clue why COP/FOB/whatever one after another were placed in fishbowl valleys.

Because if you put them in the valleys, you can drive trucks to them to resupply them. If you put them on mountaintops, like we did in Vietnam, you have to fly helicopters to resupply them. And helicopters are more expensive to fly than trucks are to drive.

I couldn't tell you why we decided to fight a war on the other side of the world, in a remote country surrounded by people and governments who hate us (Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan), only to cheap out on the last leg of delivering things, at the low-low cost of making it easier for the Taliban to kill our troops, though. Except maybe we never really wanted to win.

[Send it...]

Thanks for your service, OP. I just watched The Outpost. Really enjoyed it. Thought they did a great job.

[arptsprt]

Thanks for sharing. Plan to watch it tonight.

If you haven’t seen it, NetFlix did a eight episode documentary series called “Medal of Honor” in 2018. Two of the eight episodes featured Carter and Romesha in this battle. It was well done.


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[prepare]

Because if you put them in the valleys, you can drive trucks to them to resupply them. If you put them on mountaintops, like we did in Vietnam, you have to fly helicopters to resupply them. And helicopters are more expensive to fly than trucks are to drive.

I couldn't tell you why we decided to fight a war on the other side of the world, in a remote country surrounded by people and governments who hate us (Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan), only to cheap out on the last leg of delivering things, at the low-low cost of making it easier for the Taliban to kill our troops, though. Except maybe we never really wanted to win.

I'ts called sacrificing American soldiers for political objectives. The biggest considerations are their careers.