Triumph Over the Taliban: The Untold Story of US Marines’ Courageous Fight to Save Camp Bastion
Three days after the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, another attack occurred on a massive forward operating base called Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, home to U.S. and U.K. expeditionary forces.
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Why didn’t we hear about this? Still reeling from the embarrassment of Benghazi, the attack on Bastion was covered up and misrepresented by U.S. officials in the interest of saving face during a mandated drawdown of troops.
Further, Bastion was touted to be “impregnable” by the British, who built the base, but U.S. Marines and British soldiers would find out otherwise when the Taliban launched a surprise attack the night of September 14th, 2012. Sadly, blame for the deadly incursion was pinned on two American generals by other U.S. and British top military who turned their backs, rather than giving recognition to 3rd MAW aviation Marines who picked up rifles and fought valiantly.
Finally, Triumph Over the Taliban reveals the true story of what really happened at Camp Bastion on that fateful night. With nine years of research into the Battle along with one-on-one interviews with key Marine warfighters, award-winning military journalist, Jeanne McKinney, paints a vivid picture of this gripping saga.
McKinney shares intimate life and death moments of fighting the Taliban on the ground and in the air—describing how Marines saved civilian contractors, each other, and over $5 billion in aircraft and equipment. With keen investigative prowess, she also reveals the behind-the-scenes politics that led to Bastion being breached in the first place as well as the post-attack coverups that resulted in the unjust dismissal of two highly respected generals.
Most importantly, you’ll meet the U.S. Marine heroes who fought with valor, grit, and exceptional skill. This is their remarkable story!
Her focus and passion are telling the legendary stories about United States active-duty military members in their fight to keep America and her allies safe and free. McKinney offers an inside look at men and women who do the hard and very dangerous job of counterinsurgency to stop and disrupt the plans of the world’s most notorious terrorist groups. She shines a light on America’s amazing warfighters, telling their stories as if you were there with them on combat missions throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Syria, or wherever the next global hotspot erupts. You’ll get to know the people who watch our backs, on the ground, in the air, and on the seas.
Author Bio
Jeanne McKinney is an award-winning military journalist as well as a military documentary filmmaker. She is currently in the final stages of writing, directing, and producing Ronin 3: The Battle for Sangin—a three-part documentary series that follows 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines through a labyrinth of murder holes and IEDs in a heavily entrenched Taliban stronghold, on their mission to restore security to the local Afghan people.
One-on-one interviews are McKinney’s signature style, getting news directly from the source. She’s spoken with troops from all U.S. Armed Services, in all kinds of roles with varying ranks, doing their country’s work in many parts of the world. McKinney has also covered (on site) the U.S. southern border illegal immigration crisis. In January 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol offered her a personal tour of the San Diego Sector to show the public how they work and the hard challenges they face to stop illegal immigration. Additionally, she has written and published dozens of investigative articles in her ongoing fight to preserve America, the Republic, and its Constitution.
McKinney has won multiple San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, including eight First-Place honors. The President’s Own Marine Band performed an original score for her film series at a World Premiere in August 2022.
