“Destroyers” (Battle of Kamdesh)
By: A3C Michael S. Bell
“…That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
Henry V, Act IV, Scene III
The 61st Cavalry Regiment (1941-45, 2004-2024) was part of the United States Army; motto: “Forging Destiny.” The 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment existed until mid-2024, this one being last of the 61st’s original four subordinates. On 3 Oct 2009, an Afghan insurgent force of about four hundred attacked the fifty-four Soldiers of Bravo Troop at COP (Command Outpost) Keating during what is now known as the “Battle of Kamdesh.” Eight Soldiers fell and twenty-two were wounded in that obscure part of Nuristan whilst defending the COP for over twelve hours of close-quarter combat. Nuristan (“Land of Light”), also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan, known as Nuriston and historically known as Kafiristan (“Land of Infidels”) until 1896, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the extreme eastern part of the nation. It is divided into seven districts and is Afghanistan’s least inhabited province, with a population of fewer than 170,000. Parun serves as the provincial capital. Nuristan is bordered on the south by Laghman and Kunar provinces, on the north by Badakhshan province, on the west by Panjshir province, and on the east by Pakistan. Located in the remote, mountainous Landai Sin Valley near [ten-fourteen miles] to the Pakistan border, Kamdesh, resting in the north part very close to what was COP Keating further upland, is the unofficial capital for the Kom tribe and serves as a cultural and administrative hub in the region. Some may remember this battle through Medal of Honor citations describing the heroic actions of SSgt Clinton Romesha and SSgt Ty Carter. The battle resulted in the award of twenty-seven Purple Hearts, thirty-seven Army Commendation Medals with “V” devices for valor, three Bronze Stars, eighteen Bronze Stars with “V” devices, and nine Silver Stars.
The Legacy Leading to the Battle of Kamdesh
Nicknamed the “Destroyers,” Bravo Troop of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment was a unit known for reconnaissance and surveillance, particularly famous for its pivotal role in the Battle of Kamdesh during OEF. The unit was part of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and was based at Fort Carson, Colorado. The 61st traces its lineage to the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion which was activated on 19 Aug 1941 deployed to England on 2 Aug 1942. In North Africa, the battalion participated in the battles of Ousseltia Valley, Sbeitla, Kasserine Pass, Mateur, and El Guettar, for which it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying thirty-seven tanks in twenty-four hours.
The original battalion conducted its first amphibious assault at Salerno on 9 Sep 1943, with the 36th Infantry Division and 1st Ranger Battalion. It fought through Salerno until 30 Sep 1943. The 601st conducted its second amphibious assault at Anzio Beachhead where they destroyed forty-two enemy tanks and countless enemy personnel. In Southern France, SSG Clyde Choate of C Company, 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions near the town of Bruyéres, France, on 25 Oct 1944. During the sixteen-day battle at Colmar, the battalion succeeded in destroying eighteen tanks and dozens of enemy fortifications. The 601st was awarded its second Presidential Unit Citation for the battalion’s actions and valor. In intense fighting outside of Colmar, Second Lt. Audie Murphy earned the Medal of Honor by “single-handedly” defeating a German attack atop a damaged and burning 601st M10 tank destroyer.
The Terrain and Strategy Shaping the Battle of Kamdesh
The number of Troops in a U.S. Army cavalry squadron can vary but historically, and in some current units, a squadron is composed of three to five Troops (e.g., Headquarters Troop, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and sometimes Delta Troop) plus a Forward Support Company, which can also be considered a Troop. The exact composition and size of a squadron change over time and depend on the specific unit’s mission and equipment. The number of squadrons in a regiment varies by military tradition, branch, and historical period, with examples including three to six squadrons per cavalry regiment since roughly the early 20th century. Approximately fifty to fifty-three U.S. soldiers, along with some Afghan and Latvian Soldiers, were stationed at Combat Outpost Keating when it was attacked by the Taliban; about one hundred fifty of whom were killed. The base was evacuated and destroyed shortly after the battle concluded; on 6 Oct 2009, US aircraft bombed the remnants of COP Keating to ensure that nothing could be salvaged and used by insurgents who had overrun parts of the base. The abandonment of the very isolated outpost was part of a shift in strategy by the commander in Afghanistan at the time, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, whose new approach focused on consolidating troops in more populated areas rather than defending remote outposts.
After the Americans left, the insurgents promptly looted the outpost before it was bombed. Within days, the Taliban publicly celebrated what they described as a victory. As U.S. forces and the Afghan National Army (ANA) departed, the Taliban quickly reasserted control over Kamdesh. The Taliban raised their flag over the district, and control by the Afghan central government became minimal to nonexistent. Following the complete U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the entire district and province of Nuristan fell under the firm control of the Taliban regime, a shift that had effectively already happened over a decade earlier there. In the district, US forces had initiated development projects focusing on building infrastructure, boosting the local economy, and improving essential services. These efforts were a crucial component of the counterinsurgency strategy, aimed at enhancing residents’ lives and increasing support for the Afghan central government. Projects were managed by US military Civil Affairs teams and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). A US Army cavalry regiment, for example, had approved $1.33 million in projects for the Kamdesh district alone in 2006. What the 3-61st was fighting to defend that day was the protection of friendly local residents and whatever improvements had been made or were underway at that time. SSgt Ty Carter said, “There was no safe spot…Tactically, it was one of the worst places anyone could have chosen… [we were] in a fishbowl, but as a Soldier, you do what you’re told.”
The Defense and Aftermath Defining the Battle of Kamdesh
The attack was the bloodiest battle for US forces since the Battle of Wanat in Jul 2008, which occurred 20 miles away from Kamdesh. In 2006, Allied commanders identified the Kamdesh area as key in denying anti-coalition militia access to supply lines crossing into and out of nearby Pakistan.
Bravo Troop manned COP Keating while Afghan national forces manned checkpoints and roadblocks at various locations around the area. At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. At about 0300 on 3 Oct, Taliban-backed insurgents ordered all Kamdesh villagers to leave the area. At 0600, the fighters opened up from all sides of the outpost with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, immediately putting the American mortar pit out of action. Within two minutes of the beginning of the attack, American forces suffered their first casualty. Observation Post Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, mortars, and, by the afternoon, helicopters, heavy artillery, and airstrikes. Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. 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. U.S. air support, including attack helicopters, A-10s, a B-1 bomber, and F-15 fighters, destroyed the local mosque, where much of the insurgents’ heaviest fire originated. Once OP Fritsche Soldiers regained control of their mortar pit, their NCOIC began directing support to help the defense. Two USAF F-15E fighter bombers circled overhead for almost eight hours, helping coordinate airstrikes by nineteen other aircraft. American forces had already planned to pull out of the area to move forces to more densely populated areas, so closure of the base was imminent when the attack occurred.
The squadron conducted over one thousand combat patrols and executed numerous raids and search and attack operations. Soldiers of the 61st Cavalry found and cleared in excess of two hundred improvised explosive devices as well as numerous caches. It detained over two hundred insurgents, including more than twenty division-level high-value targets, earning the unit the Army’s Valorous Unit Award. The Soldiers of the squadron also permanently removed many insurgents from the fight. They had the highest number of detainees sentenced to long-term incarceration and the highest number of high-value individuals killed or captured for a battalion-sized unit for all of Multi-National Division. Beginning in 2007, there were no more RSTA (i.e. Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition) battalions in the US Army, only cavalry units. Based upon what can only be inferred from TWS records of their Army tenures, the nineteen who had been in this exact unit mostly separated from service after DEROS, but a few went on to PCS in the 61st or others. On 15 Jul 2024, the 3rd Squadron cased its colors.
The battle of Kamdesh is documented in the 2017 book “Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor” by Clinton Romesha. The battle is also the main focal point of the 2020 film “The Outpost” which was based on the book “The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor” by CNN news anchor, Jake Tapper. The Netflix documentary series, “Medal of Honor,” includes an episode detailing the actions of this unit. In an official after-action analysis, the reporting Officer declared, “The delayed closing of COP Keating is important as it contributed to a mindset of imminent closure that served to impede improvements in force protection on the COP. There were inadequate measures taken by the chain of command, resulting in an attractive target for enemy fighters. Over time, and without raising undue concern within the US intelligence system, the enemy conducted numerous probing attacks, learning the tactics, techniques, and procedures of B Troop, and pinpointing the locations of weapon systems and key infrastructure and materials, such as generators and barracks. The Soldiers of B Troop demonstrated courage, bravery, and heroism as they inflicted casualties on enemy forces and reestablished their perimeter. In the process, the Soldiers embodied the Warrior Ethos and recovered all friendly casualties.” Army TWS currently lists nineteen members who were, and shall ever have been, fighters with this specific squadron of the 3-61, and ninety-nine who were part of the regiment. With them, and Nuristan, in sorrow, nightmarish memory, and defiant glory, we weep and rejoice, honoring the friendships and valor they served to claim for themselves and for the long-suffering people whom they strived to free.
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