This was a very good description of what happened at Wanat. There's other stories out there about the battle and reams of opinions written about the weapons/weapon failures.
Give this a look for more detailed information.
My understanding of the situation in Wanat is that our counterinsurgency tactics were to put a small base near a village to "Protect" the Afghans. This would often be in a valley since it's difficult to find water and grow crops on mountain tops. The camps would be vulnerable from attackers on the ridges but there was supposed to be patrols to keep the high ground clear (in addition to artillery or air support).
The problem was that Gen Stanley McCrystal wanted 40,000 additional troops for his counterinsurgency plan but the Obama Administration cut his requested numbers by 25%.
Again, what I have read is that there simply wasn't enough manpower to keep the high ground patrolled or cleared.
YMMV.
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