Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor

Clinton Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient, provides a firsthand account of the fourteen-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating in Afghanistan. The narrative covers the events at Command Outpost (COP) Keating, the most remote base in a string of installations built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar to prevent Taliban insurgents from moving between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2009, Romesha and Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down COP Keating, which soldiers recognized as strategically and tactically vulnerable. On October 3, 2009, after years of smaller attacks, the Taliban launched a major assault on the outpost. The resulting fourteen-hour battle resulted in eight deaths. Romesha spearheaded both the defense of the outpost and the counterattack that repelled the Taliban. Red Platoon presents his account of these events and the eventual victory achieved during the battle.