Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. Above their paygrade. Defense officials confirm that three other Army officers face disciplinary action for their role in the attack on the military outpost in Wanat in July, 2008 that led to nine dead U.S. soldiers and 27 wounded. Provide clean water by installing gravity fed pipelines. Harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was in charge of a small team of soldiers at the combat outpost, COP Keating. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed by American planes in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind."[10]. [10][27][28], On October 5 and 6, Coalition troops conducted operations in the area in an attempt to locate and destroy the Taliban forces responsible for the attack on the outposts. You must log in or register to reply here. [15], The Allies planned to close COP Keating by August 2009, but the move was delayed because of other military operations in a nearby district. The high mountains around the camp provided the perfect perches for Taliban snipers to pick off the soldiers. So it was something that had its objective changed and wasn't moved due to limited resources and it being 'probably good enough' there? Of the 53 U.S. soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kamdesh at Outpost Keating, 45 survived, 8 lost their lives, and 27 were wounded. Director Rod Lurie is himself a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. It seemed that it would get extremely intense, with a lot of fire, a lot of RPGs hitting the wall, and then it would die, McMurtrey told Air Force Magazine in 2011. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? American forces formed a thinly held and poorly supplied picket line from Naray to Kamdesh along the river. During and after the battle, some of the Afghan soldiers stole items, including digital cameras and protein drinks, belonging to American soldiers at the base. The movie was filmed in 2018 on a set created at the base of a mountain in Bulgaria, not far from the city of Sofia. It is a story about the battle to defend against a coordinated Taliban attack that later came to be known as The Battle of Kamdesh. Second, the search for Bowe Bergdahl, in June 2009, had used up so many resources none were available to address the base's unsuitable location. Nine years earlier, Cordova and his medics toiled away in the aid station to treat the wounded and save the dying. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. [4] She noted two claims the military put forward in its report: first, the resources to relocate the base had not been available because the brigade was concentrating on guarding a village that Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, considered strategically important. The first didn't take place at the camp. The Taliban surprised the outpost with mortar fire and a massive infantry assault which partly overran and nearly destroyed COP Keating, and, while the Americans and their allies held off several Taliban attacks on the base in the bloodiest battle in Afghanistan since the 2008 Battle of Wanat, the outpost was shut down shortly after and its depot The Outpost real story confirms that COP Keating was evacuated two days after the battle. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers fought. Actor Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson, portrays Capt. -CBS Sunday Morning. American military operations in Kamdesh were affected as soon as units began gathering for deployment in the area. Keating's story was in the news again earlier this year; he was portrayed in the movie "The Outpost," which tells the story of one of the bloodiest battles in the war in Afghanistan. The report, released to the public in June 2011, concluded "inadequate measures taken by the chain of command" facilitated the attack, but praised the troops fighting at the base for repulsing the attack "with conspicuous gallantry, courage and bravery. Formalized as "The Commitment of Mutual Support" the agreement also provided the Shura would provide local security in return for an end to uninvited American military searches of local towns and mosques. Commanders of Camp Keating are disciplined for not taking proper measures that led to deaths of eight U.S. soldiers and the wounding of 22 others in a Taliban attack. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. [37], Staff Sergeant Ty Carter (then Specialist) was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage during the battle. (U.S. Army) The Counterattack: "We're Taking this Bitch Back" With more and more Taliban soldiers now inside the base, an important decision was needed. The report found that a "mindset of imminent closure" led the unit to not improve the outpost's defenses despite intelligence reports that warned of a possible attack by "a large enemy force.". That was our troopers advantage up there. [17], Coalition forces received three human-source intelligence reports sometime before the battle indicating that insurgents were planning an attack on the outposts. Avalos began directing indirect support to help the defense of COP Keating. Rather off-topic but wasn't Poe at that moment demoted by Leia beforehand? [The airspace above] Keating was packed full of jets, so we knew this was not an ordinary engagement, Kulish told Air Force Magazine. The elder considers this to be a bad omen and demands that there be retribution. Capt. COP Keating, which was established in the summer of 2006, was put in the valley for the simple reason that it's where the roads are. AAF forces involved fit the pattern of the improved force, in that they were uniformed and equipped as Afghan Army and police forces, with the latest weapons and radios issued to government Afghan forces, along with ski masks. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. (Multiple explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at the post.). They were commanded by Captain Tom Bostick. -The New Yorker, "On average, we'd get hit three to four times a week," says Sgt. These factors resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters," the report concluded. I highly recommend picking up a copy as it goes into far far greater detail about the history and events leading up and during the battle. Operation Deep Strike began on May 5, 2006. He assumed command of CO Keating following the death of Captain Robert Yllescas in a Taliban IED attack in December 2008, and he almost immediately acquired a negative reputation among his new command, who called him "Broward the Coward" for planning . Unconfirmed footage reportedly shows a short segment from a November 2008 battle at Combat Outpost (COP) Keating, in which ISAF troops attempt to defend the stupidly-placed position from an enemy that holds the high ground on all sides. Gul Mohammed Khan, the government administrator for Kamdesh District, lived at the intersection of the Landay-Sin and Darreh Ye Kushtoz rivers. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. It took place while First Lieutenant Kaine Meshkin (not in the film) was leading a patrol to Observation Post Fritsche. Surprised they didn't frag him. Over the years, I have learned that sharing the experience allowed many of us to put our emotions into words. Captain Matthew Kaplan, CW3 Ross Lewallen, CW3 Randy Huff, CW2 Gary Wingert, CW2 Chad Bardwell, and CW2 Chris Wright were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for conducting close combat attacks on the Taliban during the battle. At one point, he and his men came under heavy sniper fire. The transfusion was a radical move that brought Mace back to consciousness. During this battle Taliban members outnumbered US forces in a staggering 5 to 1 ratio and was considered one of the bloodiest battle of the War. They performed heroically and bravely.. The true story confirms that the Afghan National Army soldiers, who were fighting alongside the U.S. troops, either fled the outpost after the attack began or hid in cowardice. "The investigation concluded that critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets which had been supporting COP Keating had been diverted to assist ongoing intense combat operations in other areas," the report said. Mace survived long enough to be evacuated to a nearby medical facility. Unlike the movie, The Outpost true story reveals that Keating was not alone in the truck. It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. Sylvanius Broward (1972-) was a US Army captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.. History. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. Let's get back on topic please. Keating was killed in November 2006 when he volunteered for a dangerous mission to drive an army truck loaded with supplies up to the camp, along treacherous 200-foot cliffs. Understandable discrepancies emerge when a book that covers four years at a remote mountain outpost is compressed into a two-hour production, but the film unquestionably captures the essence of the soldiers sacrifices, as well as the love we feel and the sorrow we share. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, On August 8, 2006, 19 days after the first American landing, the PRT was attacked for the first time. According to one account, Hill without hesitation picked up a Latvian sniper rifle and eliminated the target at a distance of over 300 meters., 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann, de facto ground commander, worked to slow the fire in the operations center and salvage equipment. Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. Not exactly, but in researching The Outpost's historical accuracy, we learned that a similar incident happened the year prior, in 2008, involving more than just one dog. As soon as they left, the insurgents would come back.. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan defenders held their positions. ' The Outpost ' is a 2020 war drama which tells the story of 53 US soldiers who battled some 400 enemy insurgents in north-eastern Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. Skola karalauk", "COP Keating Investigation Findings Released", "Afghan, US troops kill 40 militants in east", "Camp Keating Officers Disciplined for Attack That Killed 8 U.S. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. The fighting at COP Keating, which is also known as the Battle of Kamdesh, involved an attack by over 400 insurgents against the combat outpost, which was slated to be dismantled. ", Yes. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. After an investigation, four officers in the chain of command were disciplined for their failure to adequately support the base. ", was Keating's assessment. The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by Tapper, Jake. Tears were streaming down his face. If they shoot from the hills, US troops can shoot at them without fear of hitting civilians in town, and it makes an enticing target. Yes. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. The Allies stopped using the Kamdesh-Naray road. Soldiers with 1st Plt., B Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav Regt., 4th BCT, 4th Inf. 3-71 Cavalry conducted many successful combat missions in the area surrounding the camp and repelled various attacks on the base. [14] At the time, Afghan national forces were supervised and trained by members of the Latvian Operational Mentor Liaison Teams. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. In the year that followed the agreement, ANA and American deaths dropped from thirty to three. An after-action report stated that within less than a few minutes of fighting, the Afghan soldiers serving at Keating, as well as the Afghan security guards, had fled their positions, allowing the enemy to quickly overrun the post. The military's failure to close Combat Outpost Keating earlier likely contributed to the Battle of Kamdesh, which resulted in eight U.S. soldiers losing their lives, while 27 others were left wounded. Martina Skokova. This includes Scott Eastwood's character, Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, telling the men, "We're taking this bitch back," after the camp is partially overrun by Taliban fighters. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. "It doesn't really take a lot to sort of trigger the emotions again," said Beth Keating. On Oct. 3, 2009, a force of about 50 Americans faced down as many as 400 enemy fighters intent on overrunning COP Keating in eastern Afghanistan. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. [5] The U.S. military estimated that 150 Taliban insurgents were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. Members of 10th Mountain Division's 1-32 Infantry Regiment were air lifted to the nearest helicopter landing zone on OP Fritsche and arrived at approximately 2:00pm, as recalled by a soldier on scene. 2023 All rights reserved. Robert Yllescas. I'd have to look more into the specific situation to know more but from the general impression of the situation. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. Despite air and artillery support the American forces suffered significant losses. Troops, Amazon.com: The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor eBook: Tapper, Jake: Kindle Store, Wehrmacht wins at Dunkirk: Description of the battle that never was. [2], The attackers overran Keating's perimeter defenses about 48 minutes into the battle. Despite the efforts of two Latvian military advisors, First Sergeant Jnis Lais and Corporal Mrti Dboli,[21] who tried to convince the Afghan National Army forces not to flee,[22] the Afghan defenders quickly broke and ran. The initiating ISAF forces of 1-91 Cavalry had returned home, replaced by 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The steep mountains rendered two dimensional maps and landmarks useless. Again, it was later noted that many of Porter's decisions were sound. Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, portrays himself in the movie. I only watched the trailer. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. Captain Sylvanius Broward (Kwame Patterson), whom the men refer to as "Broward the Coward," shoots the dog to appease the elder and calm the situation. A note was attached to his body which said: "Don't work with coalition forces. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. There was an element of ABLE Troop 3-71 CAV 2nd Platoon still left on the PZ after the crash that worked relentlessly to recover the bodies of their 10 comrades and destroy sensitive equipment in the wreckage. prosthetic makeup effects administrator: Millennium FX. [7]:298304, By October 2007 the elders and mullahs of the Kamdesh area had been inspired by Rahman to gather at Kamdesh for a mass meeting, or shura to plan the future of Nuristan. Insurgents had breached the camp in several locations, including at the main entrance, near the latrine area, and on the eastern side. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. It was treacherous and subject to enemy ambush. By all quantifiable metrics, my unit won the fight, but at a devastating cost: Eight soldiers died, 22 were wounded and our camp burned to the ground. As they filmed one take after another, Cordova clenched his jaw and swallowed back tears, reliving the most traumatic day of his life. After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. From November through January 2008 members of the Shura traveled the villages of the Kamdesh area, informing the residents of the support agreement and stating that the era of holy war was over, and that local government would bring peace and prosperity. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, the base was surrounded by steep mountains. AAF operations were expanding, supported by Taliban organizations in Pakistan. "Needed force protection improvements were not made because of the imminent closure of the outpost. U.S. air support directed by Sgt. An additional 4 Afghan allied fighters also died. Leaving aside the wisdom of a fictional admiral cutting her CAG and most experienced pilot out of the loop while she plans a small craft evacuation, the US Army follows a doctrine known as Mission Command, which relies on the commander keeping their subordinates informed not just of their orders but the. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. Cordova continued to treat the wounded even after flames were within 10 feet of his location. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed on October 6 by a B-1 bomber in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind. Clint Romesha and Ty Carter, portrayed by Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died. ", Yes. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mawlawi Abdul Rahman was a local elder impressed with this new approach. However, author Jake Tapper says that this is entirely untrue. The soldiers left so quickly that they didn't take all of the ammunition. We were all crushed when, later that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds while undergoing surgery. Air Force Capt. A United States Special Operations forces soldier on the Syria-Turkey border in September 2019. Click here for complete coverage of the Afghan war. Several of the dogs that hung around the camp were with them, one of which supposedly bit an old woman working in a field. On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were filming the scene when Mace finally arrives at the aid station. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Combined with difficult conditions for air supply, and little support from the local population, supply to what was renamed Camp Keating on November 26, 2006, was wholly inadequate. The U.S. soldiers killed in the battle were: Amy Davidson Sorkin, writing in The New Yorker, tried to answer the question why the base had not been moved, when it was found to be unsuitable. On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistans Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. Anyone can read what you share. The first of these would be "Operation Mountain II", an effort to extend a series of observation posts west to control the villages between COP Keating and the Afghan village of Saret Koheh. Captain Melvin Porter, 4th Infantry Division, US Army, said: "We're sitting in a bowl so we are constantly under observation." This is how the war went at COP Keating: a few pot shots from. My soldiers and I had been sharing stories since Oct. 3, 2009, when our 53 cavalry scouts fought off more than 300 Taliban fighters bent on overrunning Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan. The latest acronym for attackers used by the Americans was AAF, for anti-Afghan fighters. After assisting with securing the OP from potential follow on attacks, members of the Quick Reaction Force descended from the mountain's peak to COP Keating on foot. In 2018, I flew on my own dime to Sofia, Bulgaria, to witness the making of the film based on Jake Tappers book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Chris Cordova, an old friend and another veteran of the battle, came with me. prosthetic makeup effects sculptor: Millennium FX. The movie does a good job of capturing the nerve-racking tension of being posted at Combat Outpost Keating. Like in the film, Sgt. Omar was the top Taliban leader, but U.S. Intelligence stated that HIG had done the killing, crediting Omar to instil more fear due to Omar's greater reputation. "Reviewing and examining and improving are part of our process and when we do it from within, it is embraced," said the officer who asked not to be identified. Once OP Fritsche soldiers gained control of their mortar pit, Sgt. Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan", Attack on Afghan outposts kills 8 soldiers, "U.S. ignored warnings before deadly Afghan attack", "U.S. Military Faults Leaders in Attack on Base", "Courage at Keating: 2 Medals of Honor, 1 DSC, 8 Silver Stars for standout B Troop", "Army releases report on battle at Combat Outpost Keating battle", "Afghan insurgents pushed into U.S. base, official says", "Strategic Plans Spawned Bitter End for a Lonely Outpost", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualties", "Defense.gov News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualty", "Insurgents breached U.S. outpost in battle", The Gazette: Mom works to help Carson soldiers honor battle bonds, "They 'weren't going to get beat that day' the Medal of Honor recipients who held COP Keating against all odds", "US premiere of film about Battle of COP Keating and Latvian soldiers | Aizsardzbas ministrija", Latvijas Televzija: Videofilma "Afganistna. The Distinguished Flying Cross was given to 7 aviators who assisted in defending the base. Staff Sergeant William "Ryan" Fritsche was killed by rifle fire. It was this delay that proved fatal to some of the troops stationed at COP Keating. He was thrown from the truck, which rolled over him and sank into the river. In the wake of the attack, several soldiers based at COP Keating told ABC News that they did not know the attack was as large as it was because they received enemy fire with such frequency. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, listened to what I had to say and agreed to let me visit the set. Youre reading this weeks At War newsletter. He worked throughout the battle, calling in strikes on enemy positions, even amidst a winter storm that blew in right at the height of the battle. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. In the process, the truck rolled over him and ended up almost fully submerged in the river. The report said that there were as many as 47 attacks in the five months prior to the deadly assault, 10 in the 30 days prior to the mass attack. MAJ Porter talks about his first couple of days into country as he was getting set up and received direct attack resulting . The first soldier to arrive had profuse bleeding from the skull. Tiller was also thrown from the truck but his injuries weren't nearly as severe. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. This separation of the landing zone, and the fact that the site was surrounded by mountains on three sides made the site unappealing because of the difficulty of mounting an effective defense. And he was becoming disillusioned with the possibility of what he thought. [5][7]:53141 Observation Post ("OP") Fritsche was attacked simultaneously, limiting available support from that position. Then tragedy struck again. . The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. The battle unfolded on October 3, 2009. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Howard, Squadron Commander, saw COIN as a process of providing three services: This would improve the local economy while providing improved communications with the central government and the rest of the nation. The climate of the area has hot summers, a monsoon season in the summer, and cold winters of ice and snow extending down into the valleys. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies.On July 2, 1812, Porter hoisted the banner "Free trade and sailors' rights" as captain of USS Essex. It occurred on October 3, 2009, when a force of 400 Taliban assaulted the American Combat Outpost ("COP") Keating near the town of Kamdesh in Nuristan Province in eastern Afghanistan. A new counter-insurgency strategy seemed to offer a way around these problems. |. [7]:31214,371, The shura began to falter by October 2008. Was the mortars limited supplies or an ROE thing? While exploring the movie's historical accuracy, we confirmed that during the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, Taliban fighters got inside Outpost Keating. The following day, insurgents kidnapped and murdered Fazal Ahad, an elder from Badmuk who was attempting to end the Kom/Kata tribal disagreements by arranging a meeting in Kamdesh. Why would the U.S. military put an outpost at the base of three Afghan mountains that were teeming with Taliban fighters who were eager to kill U.S. soldiers? It looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. Because the reports had not been verified by other intelligence sources, such as electronic intelligence, the reports were discounted. The difference there being the writers seemingly supporting her reticence to explain anything. When Captain Aaron Swain of Cherokee Co. had sounded out Afghan Border Police Commander Ahmed Shah about setting up near Kamdesh, he was told that HIG insurgents tried to blow up Shah's jeep on his last trip there and it was a bad place. The village leaders elected a representative council of 100 members to form a shura that would produce a regional security plan and obtain an agreement with the American military and the Afghan Karzai government. Resistance in Nuristan revolved around a specific group of Islamic fighters known as Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin or HIG. It also showed Lieutenant Colonel Chris Kolenda (commander of American forces in Naray) with a crisis. Armando Avalos, Sgt. Benjamin D. Keating (31 May 1979-26 November 2006) was a US Army Captain who served in the US 61st Cavalry Regiment during the Afghanistan War. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. The note was signed "Mullah Omar". In the end, we gaveThe Outpost movie a Historical Accuracy Score of 8.5/10. 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Gul Mohammed Khan, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the river,... Commanders of the Afghan war by the Americans was aaf, for anti-Afghan fighters failure adequately... Brought Mace back to consciousness highly risky convoy, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops the. Evacuated to a nearby medical facility himself a West point graduate and an veteran... Force protection improvements were not present when Benjamin Keating died riverbank in Kamdesh, Capt! Just like our Outpost on the day of our visit, the attackers overran 's. As Staff Sgt of what he thought harder, from Minnesota, just 29, was determined make... In response to this, the Outpost: an Untold Story of American Valor - Kindle edition by,. Anything should be taken from the truck, captain mel porter outpost keating rolled over him and medics under command! Reports were discounted that night, we found out that Mace succumbed to his wounds undergoing. Caleb Landry Jones, were not present when Benjamin Keating died general impression the. Post Fritsche explosions near the ammo supply set off a series of fires at time! Not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be evacuated to nearby... Cliff, and the Outpost for breaking stories about interest was appearing to be to! And steep mountains, Keating was attacked from Multiple directions by 300 enemy,. On his research of our visit, the shura began to falter by October 2008 military estimated that 150 insurgents. Located along a riverbank in Kamdesh were affected as soon as they left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody ;!
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