The Outpost An Untold Story of American Valor

THE OUTPOST  An Untold Story of American Valor     JAKE TAPPER
Posted: June 19, 2013

At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of October 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was viciously attacked by Taliban insurgents. The 53 U.S. troops, having been stationed at the bottom of three steep mountains, were severely out manned by nearly 400 Taliban fighters. Though the Americans ultimately prevailed, their casualties made it one of the wars deadliest battles for U.S. forces. And after more than three years in that dangerous and vulnerable valley a mere 14 miles from the Pakistan border, the U.S. abandoned and bombed the camp. A Pentagon investigation later concluded that there was no reason for Outpost Keating to have been there in the first place.

THE OUTPOST is a tour de force of investigative journalism. Jake Tapper exposes the origins of this tragic and confounding story, exploring the history of the camp and detailing the stories of soldiers heroic and doomed, shadowed by the recklessness of their commanders in Washington, D.C. and a war built on constantly shifting sands.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book I knew was going to be difficult to read because some of the stories have been written in other books. What makes this book different is all of the extra information that is given. I knew I. Would be sad about out post Monti, I had read a book about him about a year ago. What really got me was how the higher ups putting a outpost at the bottom of not one but three mountains! Every one of those soldiers are heroes, they were fighting for each other and to come home and our leaders, both military and political did not help them one bit! If you look back in WWII, Generals were fighting on the front lines with there men. My father with the 82, said General James Gavin was with them when they were fighting, not now they are only worried abut themselves. Then at the end of the book another General pulls the letters of reprimand from there file. That is shameful. When we had a family friend who was a Lt.Col. and got passed over three times because he was not going to put men under his command in harms way when there other ways and means to get the same results. This is a well written but will make sad but also PROUD of the MEN who were put in harms way! I pray for the mom's& dad's, the wife's and for the children who never got to see their father's. All of the men who fought there are HEROES!