Army Secretary John McHugh today directed the commanding general of the Army to take action “as he deems appropriate” after reviewing the results of an investigation into the battle of Wanat, Afghanistan.

The battle, in July 2008, resulted in the deaths of nine U.S. soldiers, including 1st Lt. Jonathon Brostrom of Hawaii.
“I have directed the commander of U.S. Army Forces Command, Gen. Charles Campbell, to review the recommendations and take action as he deems appropriate with regard to Army personnel identified in the report, within 90 days,” McHugh said in a statement.
“We remain in contact with the families of our fallen from this battle, and they will be invited to a comprehensive briefing on the investigation following Gen. Campbell’s actions.”
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Central Command.
The battle of Wanat was one of the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Besides the nine soldiers who were killed, 27 were wounded when more than 200 Taliban fighters overwhelmed a remote outpost.
Brostrom, 24, a Damien Memorial School and University of Hawaii graduate from Aiea, led the defense of the base. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
The investigation into events leading to the battle was spurred largely by the persistence of Brostrom’s father, retired Army Col. David Brostrom of Aiea, who became convinced the mission had been poorly planned and lacked support, and that commanders had ignored intelligence that warned of an impending attack.
The Army said it will defer public release of any further information on the battle until families have been briefed on findings and any action taken.