Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor

Clinton Romesha

May 2016 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The only comprehensive, firsthand account of the fourteen-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating in Afghanistan by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, for readers of Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.
 
“‘It doesn't get better.’ To us, that phrase nailed one of the essential truths, maybe even the essential truth, about being stuck at an outpost whose strategic and tactical vulnerabilities were so glaringly obvious to every soldier who had ever set foot in that place that the name itself—Keating—had become a kind of backhanded joke.”
 
In 2009, Clinton Romesha of Red Platoon and the rest of the Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down Command Outpost (COP) Keating, the most remote and inaccessible in a string of bases built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after its construction, the army was finally ready to concede what the men on the ground had known immediately: it was simply too isolated and too dangerous to defend. 
 
On October 3, 2009, after years of constant smaller attacks, the Taliban finally decided to throw everything they had at Keating. The ensuing fourteen-hour battle—and eventual victory—cost eight men their lives. 
 
Red Platoon is the riveting firsthand account of the Battle of Keating, told by Romesha, who spearheaded both the defense of the outpost and the counterattack that drove the Taliban back beyond the wire and received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Ratings and reviews

I absolutely loved reading this book. I purchased the physical copy, audiobook and ebook. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting and hanging out with SSG Romesha and he signed my physical copy. Reading his account of what happened and talking to him about the writing process and what he endured while producing this book was inspiring. I loved the little anecdotes about each of the guys that gave a sense of humanity in an inhumane situation. Thank you, SSG Romesha

This book is Mr. Romesha's true story. It is true and honest, exceptionally descriptive of the action and hell of a battle. But it is just as descriptive of the heroism that is spawned by love among men who found themselves on the wrong side of an incredibly unfair fight. I don't know if he would agree with my view of the outcome, but I say they won, and so will anyone who hears this inspiring story. We win by witnessing and learning the lengths to which human beings can and will go for one another.

By far, the most detailed account of incredible bravery and valor during the war in Afghanistan that I've read. The ordinary men stationed at COP Keating and their extraordinary display of courage against incredible odds is a must read.

About the author

Former Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha enlisted in the Army in 1999. He deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. At the time of the deadly attack on Combat Outpost (COP) Keating on October 3, 2009, Staff Sergeant Romesha was assigned as a section leader for Bravo Troop, 3-61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Medal of Honor, which has been received by only twelve others for the heroism they displayed while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Romesha separated from the Army in 2011. He lives with his family in North Dakota.