jhungary
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Many combat story start from the past, with a full view of background and full history leading to the moment of the engagement. but my story today is a bit weird, it started 3 and a half years aftter my story.
I am not a writer, infact i almost fail my Academic Writing unit in university, i been struggling and thinking of should I or shouldn't I, but today i had made up my mind, and decided to share this with anyone who's interested.
When you talk about afghanistan, names like Kandahar, Tarin Kowt, Helmand or Musa Qala. Little do people know about Nuristan in the Eastern part near the Pakistan border.
fast forward to 2009, on the October day, 300 taliban insurgent deceant thru the dense mountain and overran a US COP near the town of Kamdesh. 82 US soldier, supported by a platoon of ANA with their latvia advisor totalling around 110, distributed in 2 different site COP keating and OP Fritsche.
COP keating was overran within first 48 minutes of the fight, that lasted over 12 hours. Sgt. Romesha recall "There were 3 Taliban fighters sitting behind a Humvee like they own the place, and one of them, with a RPG, is casually adjusting his headband". Within the first 48 minutes, taliban fighter totally overhelm the COP and has already been setting fire everywhere, while according to the US DoD, the ANA detachment look on, then ran, some even stole procession from US soldier or loot the dead body of the US soldier before they disappear into the village.
In the first hour, US/Latvian Forces were pushed into a tight perimeter, 2 building and set to get to work on regaining control of the post, building by building, from the Taliban. They work their their way between building and eventually recapture the main gate to control the flooding of enemy combatant. Bit by bit, the Soldier in OP Fritsche regain control of their mortar pits while soldier in keating calling for whatever available to come down and give them a hand, Apache, B-1 or F-15, anything that can fire missile or drop bomb were called to give CAS on COP keating.
Fight lasted 12 hours, at that time, taliban insurgent retreat and regroup, while the US/Latvia Evac'ed with the help of a QRF. US officially abandon the post on October 6 and B-1 were call to bomb the post and make it unsalvagable.
Sgt. Romesha later was awarded Medal of Honor for his action in a battle today known as Battle of Kamdesh today.
Now, Let's rewind back to the year 2006, when iPhone wasn't even invented yet, i just made Captain, after 6 years (more or less) in the military, they are giving me 2 choices, either take command of a company of 140 men or fly a desk at staff position. Eitherway, i am going to be ended up in Afghanistan for sure. Not that i am afraid or anything, but i don't feel like commanding that many troop. I took the Staff position.
In afghanistan, working with RC East, I was transferred to NATO MNU HQ, responsible for MNU Training mission but also NATO QRF Force in the region. The HQ have 4 QRF team ready to deploy in a niff of a second, the main take for QRF is to counter any sort of emergency. We have 4 QRF team in our unit, each team equipped with 2 Chinook and 1 Blackhawk, totalling 42 men, my background as a cavalry officer made me a match for the QRF.
The QRF in our region were tasked to monitor communication between Special Force camp/OP in the region and the main PRT camp. Each QRF Team monitor 1 section, usually made up with 6 or 7 Special Force OP. Those SFOP were established to act as a picket to the PRT camp. the logic behind this is, when shiite is about to decent from the mountain, the PRT camp would have enough time to evac all the non-combatant. So those OP are located quite far away, 150, sometime even 200 miles off from the PRT camp. Each OP were staffed with at least 1 Army A-Team (or detachment-Alpha) and some local. They were to extend their influence in the surrounding region, also pave way for our heart and mind program.
We on the otherhand, were located in a TOC (Tactical Operation Center) knowns as IP Perry. Actual location are classified so to protect the tactical control of the region. IP Perry were about 50 miles from the PRT main camp, the 6 A-team OP were located between 100-150 miles from us. Which is between 45 mike to 1 hour flight with a blackhawk, end to end.
That day (again the date is classifed) we were business as usual. Keeping comm with the A-team meanwhile having a steak night in our own camp. The whole morning went by without any incident. Right after lunch, things started to go shity with A-215. A-215 is the Eastermost OP which basically next to pakistani border. At 1215, we receive a transmission from A-215
"Enemy inside Camp, We're being overrun"
Not good. We try to get as much info we can from the team, before we lsot contact with them. Which was a fact we all knew in the begining.
"Look like Battalion size force, apporaching from all direction"
We hear loud gunfire on the background, suggesting that the Radio Op were doing the shooting.
10 minutes past.
"Cannot defend perimeter, we're excuting a combat withdrew, we are out of here"
A few unauditable transmission later, the call went silence.
At the begining of this shitstrom, we scram our QRF team and by the end of the transmission with A-215, we are already in the air. I could have just let this fly and have somebody take care of this, but for some reason, i volunteer myself, i don't know is it i am too bored having a front row seat with my computer, or just missed the excitment outside the wire. but i volunteer to lead a team out.
Got a call forom TOC, we have 2 F-15 on route in our AO, we can use them, normally we would also have a pair or 2 pair of Apache at our disposal, but today, they were tasked for soemthing else, they will join our AO in an unspecific time. Our destination is the pre-arranged pick up site from the A team.
"There are no signal from LZ" we reported back to TOC, after 35 or 40 minute flight, we arrive at the pick up LZ. "There were no sign of anybody"
"That's not good" I think to myself, i unstrape my harness and grab a headset and went to the front with a map to the Blackhawk Pilot, told him "We need to get here" I am pointing to the OP, the pilot turn his head and look at me and he say "You know they were just getting overran right? It would be an Indian Country down there"
could have said soemthign really clever, but i simply say "yes, get us there"
The news does not fare well to the chopper pilot, it also wasn't going really well when we ask the pair of strike eagle do a low fly-by for us. It's a good way to get SAM'ed
2 words from the F-15 pilot, "there's nothing"
It took us a further 15 minute to get to the OP about 1 and a half hour after losing contact with the A-team, when we were there, all i can see is the OP was burnt through and through, sign of heavy fighting, there were also quite a few Taliban body still have AK in their arms. Looks like both side left in a hurry.
When we get further inside, we start seeing villager from the nearby town looking for stuff inside soldier's quarter. Those people salvage things and brought them into pakistan for some quick cash. People are stealing anything that's not damaged or not nailed to the ground. Personal item like Ipod, Camera, Mobile Phone and stuff like table or chair all have a market in Pakistan. I don't blame them, they are just making a living.
Talk to a villager, tailban commander came to their village and demanding all the villager left before 0900. An obvious sign of a planned incursion. To the villager, that mean there are some serious shiite going down after that time. The attack was a coorindated one and the ram the OP from all 4 sides on exactly 1201. Villager told us they didn't see much but ehar fighting in the mountain. Indicated the Special Force team were forced into a fight inside the mountain pass.
The mountain surrounding the area is a light green, light foilage cover canopy with several crest, without many low-land, seems like not a very good place to hide.
Consulted with my XO. Think we should wait. THey may comeback when they see american helicopter flew over the area. So we wave off our chooper and they go back home and take on fuel, and will be back in about 1 hour time.
Nothing to do but policing up the camp. Trying to disperse thsoe local salvager. Some of the team trying to rebuild at least a usable defensive line inside the camp.
1 hour past and exactly nothing happen, called the chooper to get in and pick us up. We go look somewhere else. At this point, we say good bye to the F-15 who had just return from getting some fuel. Good news is, Apache is almost available again. They are inbound in our AO in three zero mike.
Our copper pick us up and we are airborne again, exactly at this moment, an incoming radio transmission.
"All station, this is Alpha-Two-One-Five, Authentication Charlie Owen. We need air support and extraction expedite. We are are grid reference (Cencored)"
There we go, we have them again, probably breaking radio silence when they saw our bird left but to have an open transmission bypassing radio challenge mean they are in the deepest of deep shiite
"Alpha-Two-One-Five, this is QRF Foxtro Kilo we are about 15 mike out, what's your status?"
We reply from our location, in the air.
"We have wounded and KIA, we need casevac and close air support, we are Oscar Alpha"
Oscar Alpha mean running out of ammunition.
"We are Oscar Mike, out"
Now, we enter the final phase of the operation, we need to formulate a plan to get plug them out. Plan A is to do a Touch and Go and secure them all without us leaving. Plan B was to establish a controlled perimeter in the new LZ and have them come to us. After further radio exchange, Plan A is impossible as they have litter to load.
Now there are 2 choice, either we all set up in the clearing near them, which is more or less half the size of a basketball court, with 43 men setting up perimeter, and can only handle 1 chopper at a time, it is going to take time. But this will be safer. Or we have them double time back to the camp and we set up a reasonable perimeter surrounding the camp and have them come to us. It will be A LOT faster, but they need to turn back and face a hostile crowd with limited Ammo. Which they rejected this outright. So we set down chopper by chooper and unload all 43 men in a field no larger than a basketball court.
What we are trying to do is a modified version of touch and go, we labelled "Touch and F.Off" While each chopper is loading, the troop on ground hold the perimeter. When 1 chopper finished loading, they lift off an egree out of the AO directly, eliminated the chance to get shot down while waiting. With each chopper left, the perimeter will shrink smaller and smaller until the last chopper, my blackhawk lift off and we are all F'ed.off
At this point i should tell you that we have a plan C and it involve a pair of A-10 and B-1 to drop bomb on our head, with or without us leaving the Area.......
A few minutes after we set up the perimeter, the A-Team emerge from the creat of the hill. A master sergeant come to me and say "You guys really like taking your time eh?". "What's your status?" I asked again, brushing off his remark. "We have 2 local KIA and 2 US personnel wounded. Low on ammo and taliban was about 1000 yards from us.
The sergeant ask me for some Ammo, we gave it to them and start collasping the perimeter, he insist that his team should be the last to lift off. So we cramp 24 QRF member in the first chinook and they F'ed off. Next we go smaller and another Chinook come down and this time loading the wounded and the dead body on this take the longest. WIth 16 of my man, it also f'ed off. Now, it's just the A-team, me, my XO and 2 SAW gunner, boarding the Blackhawk. I thought i would have a chance to shoot something but apparantly, the taliban get lost and never challenge our perimeter..
Inside the blackhawk. Another sergeant was sitting next to me, and ask me for a smoke. I gave him the pack that i am carrying. He jiped "Smoke is the first thing that ran out, taliban smoke too you know?"
I am not a writer, infact i almost fail my Academic Writing unit in university, i been struggling and thinking of should I or shouldn't I, but today i had made up my mind, and decided to share this with anyone who's interested.
When you talk about afghanistan, names like Kandahar, Tarin Kowt, Helmand or Musa Qala. Little do people know about Nuristan in the Eastern part near the Pakistan border.
fast forward to 2009, on the October day, 300 taliban insurgent deceant thru the dense mountain and overran a US COP near the town of Kamdesh. 82 US soldier, supported by a platoon of ANA with their latvia advisor totalling around 110, distributed in 2 different site COP keating and OP Fritsche.
COP keating was overran within first 48 minutes of the fight, that lasted over 12 hours. Sgt. Romesha recall "There were 3 Taliban fighters sitting behind a Humvee like they own the place, and one of them, with a RPG, is casually adjusting his headband". Within the first 48 minutes, taliban fighter totally overhelm the COP and has already been setting fire everywhere, while according to the US DoD, the ANA detachment look on, then ran, some even stole procession from US soldier or loot the dead body of the US soldier before they disappear into the village.
In the first hour, US/Latvian Forces were pushed into a tight perimeter, 2 building and set to get to work on regaining control of the post, building by building, from the Taliban. They work their their way between building and eventually recapture the main gate to control the flooding of enemy combatant. Bit by bit, the Soldier in OP Fritsche regain control of their mortar pits while soldier in keating calling for whatever available to come down and give them a hand, Apache, B-1 or F-15, anything that can fire missile or drop bomb were called to give CAS on COP keating.
Fight lasted 12 hours, at that time, taliban insurgent retreat and regroup, while the US/Latvia Evac'ed with the help of a QRF. US officially abandon the post on October 6 and B-1 were call to bomb the post and make it unsalvagable.
Sgt. Romesha later was awarded Medal of Honor for his action in a battle today known as Battle of Kamdesh today.
Now, Let's rewind back to the year 2006, when iPhone wasn't even invented yet, i just made Captain, after 6 years (more or less) in the military, they are giving me 2 choices, either take command of a company of 140 men or fly a desk at staff position. Eitherway, i am going to be ended up in Afghanistan for sure. Not that i am afraid or anything, but i don't feel like commanding that many troop. I took the Staff position.
In afghanistan, working with RC East, I was transferred to NATO MNU HQ, responsible for MNU Training mission but also NATO QRF Force in the region. The HQ have 4 QRF team ready to deploy in a niff of a second, the main take for QRF is to counter any sort of emergency. We have 4 QRF team in our unit, each team equipped with 2 Chinook and 1 Blackhawk, totalling 42 men, my background as a cavalry officer made me a match for the QRF.
The QRF in our region were tasked to monitor communication between Special Force camp/OP in the region and the main PRT camp. Each QRF Team monitor 1 section, usually made up with 6 or 7 Special Force OP. Those SFOP were established to act as a picket to the PRT camp. the logic behind this is, when shiite is about to decent from the mountain, the PRT camp would have enough time to evac all the non-combatant. So those OP are located quite far away, 150, sometime even 200 miles off from the PRT camp. Each OP were staffed with at least 1 Army A-Team (or detachment-Alpha) and some local. They were to extend their influence in the surrounding region, also pave way for our heart and mind program.
We on the otherhand, were located in a TOC (Tactical Operation Center) knowns as IP Perry. Actual location are classified so to protect the tactical control of the region. IP Perry were about 50 miles from the PRT main camp, the 6 A-team OP were located between 100-150 miles from us. Which is between 45 mike to 1 hour flight with a blackhawk, end to end.
That day (again the date is classifed) we were business as usual. Keeping comm with the A-team meanwhile having a steak night in our own camp. The whole morning went by without any incident. Right after lunch, things started to go shity with A-215. A-215 is the Eastermost OP which basically next to pakistani border. At 1215, we receive a transmission from A-215
"Enemy inside Camp, We're being overrun"
Not good. We try to get as much info we can from the team, before we lsot contact with them. Which was a fact we all knew in the begining.
"Look like Battalion size force, apporaching from all direction"
We hear loud gunfire on the background, suggesting that the Radio Op were doing the shooting.
10 minutes past.
"Cannot defend perimeter, we're excuting a combat withdrew, we are out of here"
A few unauditable transmission later, the call went silence.
At the begining of this shitstrom, we scram our QRF team and by the end of the transmission with A-215, we are already in the air. I could have just let this fly and have somebody take care of this, but for some reason, i volunteer myself, i don't know is it i am too bored having a front row seat with my computer, or just missed the excitment outside the wire. but i volunteer to lead a team out.
Got a call forom TOC, we have 2 F-15 on route in our AO, we can use them, normally we would also have a pair or 2 pair of Apache at our disposal, but today, they were tasked for soemthing else, they will join our AO in an unspecific time. Our destination is the pre-arranged pick up site from the A team.
"There are no signal from LZ" we reported back to TOC, after 35 or 40 minute flight, we arrive at the pick up LZ. "There were no sign of anybody"
"That's not good" I think to myself, i unstrape my harness and grab a headset and went to the front with a map to the Blackhawk Pilot, told him "We need to get here" I am pointing to the OP, the pilot turn his head and look at me and he say "You know they were just getting overran right? It would be an Indian Country down there"
could have said soemthign really clever, but i simply say "yes, get us there"
The news does not fare well to the chopper pilot, it also wasn't going really well when we ask the pair of strike eagle do a low fly-by for us. It's a good way to get SAM'ed
2 words from the F-15 pilot, "there's nothing"
It took us a further 15 minute to get to the OP about 1 and a half hour after losing contact with the A-team, when we were there, all i can see is the OP was burnt through and through, sign of heavy fighting, there were also quite a few Taliban body still have AK in their arms. Looks like both side left in a hurry.
When we get further inside, we start seeing villager from the nearby town looking for stuff inside soldier's quarter. Those people salvage things and brought them into pakistan for some quick cash. People are stealing anything that's not damaged or not nailed to the ground. Personal item like Ipod, Camera, Mobile Phone and stuff like table or chair all have a market in Pakistan. I don't blame them, they are just making a living.
Talk to a villager, tailban commander came to their village and demanding all the villager left before 0900. An obvious sign of a planned incursion. To the villager, that mean there are some serious shiite going down after that time. The attack was a coorindated one and the ram the OP from all 4 sides on exactly 1201. Villager told us they didn't see much but ehar fighting in the mountain. Indicated the Special Force team were forced into a fight inside the mountain pass.
The mountain surrounding the area is a light green, light foilage cover canopy with several crest, without many low-land, seems like not a very good place to hide.
Consulted with my XO. Think we should wait. THey may comeback when they see american helicopter flew over the area. So we wave off our chooper and they go back home and take on fuel, and will be back in about 1 hour time.
Nothing to do but policing up the camp. Trying to disperse thsoe local salvager. Some of the team trying to rebuild at least a usable defensive line inside the camp.
1 hour past and exactly nothing happen, called the chooper to get in and pick us up. We go look somewhere else. At this point, we say good bye to the F-15 who had just return from getting some fuel. Good news is, Apache is almost available again. They are inbound in our AO in three zero mike.
Our copper pick us up and we are airborne again, exactly at this moment, an incoming radio transmission.
"All station, this is Alpha-Two-One-Five, Authentication Charlie Owen. We need air support and extraction expedite. We are are grid reference (Cencored)"
There we go, we have them again, probably breaking radio silence when they saw our bird left but to have an open transmission bypassing radio challenge mean they are in the deepest of deep shiite
"Alpha-Two-One-Five, this is QRF Foxtro Kilo we are about 15 mike out, what's your status?"
We reply from our location, in the air.
"We have wounded and KIA, we need casevac and close air support, we are Oscar Alpha"
Oscar Alpha mean running out of ammunition.
"We are Oscar Mike, out"
Now, we enter the final phase of the operation, we need to formulate a plan to get plug them out. Plan A is to do a Touch and Go and secure them all without us leaving. Plan B was to establish a controlled perimeter in the new LZ and have them come to us. After further radio exchange, Plan A is impossible as they have litter to load.
Now there are 2 choice, either we all set up in the clearing near them, which is more or less half the size of a basketball court, with 43 men setting up perimeter, and can only handle 1 chopper at a time, it is going to take time. But this will be safer. Or we have them double time back to the camp and we set up a reasonable perimeter surrounding the camp and have them come to us. It will be A LOT faster, but they need to turn back and face a hostile crowd with limited Ammo. Which they rejected this outright. So we set down chopper by chooper and unload all 43 men in a field no larger than a basketball court.
What we are trying to do is a modified version of touch and go, we labelled "Touch and F.Off" While each chopper is loading, the troop on ground hold the perimeter. When 1 chopper finished loading, they lift off an egree out of the AO directly, eliminated the chance to get shot down while waiting. With each chopper left, the perimeter will shrink smaller and smaller until the last chopper, my blackhawk lift off and we are all F'ed.off
At this point i should tell you that we have a plan C and it involve a pair of A-10 and B-1 to drop bomb on our head, with or without us leaving the Area.......
A few minutes after we set up the perimeter, the A-Team emerge from the creat of the hill. A master sergeant come to me and say "You guys really like taking your time eh?". "What's your status?" I asked again, brushing off his remark. "We have 2 local KIA and 2 US personnel wounded. Low on ammo and taliban was about 1000 yards from us.
The sergeant ask me for some Ammo, we gave it to them and start collasping the perimeter, he insist that his team should be the last to lift off. So we cramp 24 QRF member in the first chinook and they F'ed off. Next we go smaller and another Chinook come down and this time loading the wounded and the dead body on this take the longest. WIth 16 of my man, it also f'ed off. Now, it's just the A-team, me, my XO and 2 SAW gunner, boarding the Blackhawk. I thought i would have a chance to shoot something but apparantly, the taliban get lost and never challenge our perimeter..
Inside the blackhawk. Another sergeant was sitting next to me, and ask me for a smoke. I gave him the pack that i am carrying. He jiped "Smoke is the first thing that ran out, taliban smoke too you know?"
