The Battle of Wanat was preceded by a series of unfortunate events that may have possibly cost the most precious of American resources. In the following text, we will examine those events, TTPs that were used, and the battle that ensued on 13 July, 2008.
COP Kahler was long in the works prior to it ever being established by the men of C Co., 2d Battalion, 503rd PIR. The original plan for the COP came amidst growing concerns from both MG Rodriguez, the commander of CJTF-82 and his successor, MG Schloesser, commander of CJTF-101 about the future of COP Bella, and the growing amount of information lending to the idea that it was bound to be hit by an overwhelming attack by insurgent forces. In response to these growing concerns by task force commanders, TF Bayonet decided to evacuate COP Bella and redistribute forces to COP Kahler, at Wanat. Wanat is a remote village located in the heart of the Waygul Valley. The village is occupied by approximately 50 families with a total residency of nearly 200 people Wanat is a point of interest as it is the primary business and trade epicenter of the Waygul Valley, which is the main MSR for the Nuristan Province. The village is deep-set in a traditional V-shaped valley beset on both sides by mountain faces that are almost entirely traversable by foot only with the majority of …show more content…
These reprimands have since been overturned and the Officers were found not at fault, due to the inability to predict such an attack and the lack of intelligence that could have warned of the attack. Surviving members of the attack have been commended for the bravery and valor that they showed in fending off an overwhelming force, in the face of the most adverse of conditions, with one member of the unit receiving the Medal of Honor for his actions that