Posted on 08/06/2016 2:11:21 AM PDT by OwenKellogg
In remembrance ... today marks the 5th anniversary of the shoot down of Extortion 17. On August 6, 2011, the U.S. Navy SEALs and the Special Ops community suffered a huge loss when their CH-47 Chinook was shot down in Afghanistan.
The 30 American deaths represent the greatest loss of U.S. military lives in a single incident in the decade-long war in Afghanistan that began in 2001.
The Fallen:
•SGT Alexander J. Bennett
•SPC Spencer Duncan
•CWO Bryan J. Nichols
•CWO David R. Carter
•SSG Patrick D. Hamburger
•TSgt John W. Brown
•SSgt Andrew W. Harvell
•TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe
•PO1 (SEAL) Darrick C. Benson
•CPO (SEAL) Brian R. Bill
•PO1 (SEAL) Christopher G. Campbell
•PO1 Jared W. Day
•PO1 John Douangdara & Navy SEAL Dog “Bart”
•CPO (SEAL) John W. Faas
•CPO (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston
•Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall
•MCPO (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais
•CPO (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason
•CPO (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills
•CPO Nicholas H. Null
•PO1 (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman
•SCPO (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff
•CPO (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves
•CPO (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson
•PO2 (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar
•PO1 Michael J. Strange
•PO1 (SEAL) Jon T. Tumilson
•PO1 (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn
•SCPO Kraig M. Vickers
•PO1 (SEAL) Jason R. Workman
On 6 August 2011, a U.S. Boeing CH-47 Chinook military helicopter was shot down while transporting a quick reaction force attempting to reinforce an engaged unit of Army Rangers in Wardak province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. The resulting crash killed all 38 people on board—25 American special operations personnel, five United States Army National Guard and Army Reserve crewmen, seven Afghan commandos, and one Afghan interpreter—as well as a U.S. military working dog. It is considered the worst loss of U.S. Military life in a single incident in the Afghanistan campaign, surpassing Operation Red Wings in 2005 (Note: during Operation Red Wings, on 28 June 2005, a Chinook helicopter carrying a U.S. Navy SEAL team was shot down by a RPG round as it attempted to extract U.S. troops on the ground).
Of the Navy SEALs that were killed 15 were members of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), The other two Navy SEALs killed in the helicopter shootdown were from a West Coast-based SEAL unit. The five other Navy personnel were NSW support personnel. In addition to the NSW losses, three AFSOC operators died in the crash, one Combat Controller and two Pararescuemen, all members of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. Their deaths are the greatest single loss of life ever suffered by the U.S. Special Operations community in the 24-year history of the U.S. Special Operations Command.
A source from the Navy’s special operations community described the reaction as, “Shock and disbelief. There’s no precedent for this. It’s the worst day in our history by a mile.” The previous highest U.S. death toll from a single incident in the war also came from a rocket attack on a Chinook helicopter carrying Navy SEALs during Operation Red Wings on 28 June 2005. In that incident sixteen Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed and three more SEALs were killed in fighting on the ground.
•15 U.S. Navy SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group
•7 Afghan National Army Commandos, part of Afghan National Army
•5 U.S. Naval Special Warfare support personnel.
•3 U.S. Army Reserve personnel from the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment
•2 U.S. Navy SEALs from a west coast based SEAL team.
•2 U.S. Army personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, part of Colorado Army National Guard
•2 U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron
•1 U.S. Air Force Combat Controller from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron
•1 Afghan civilian interpreter
•1 U.S. Military Working Dog
Billy and Karen Vaughn are the parents of fallen Navy SEAL, Aaron Carson Vaughn (SEAL Team VI). On August 6, 2011 Aaron was killed in action in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan when a chopper (call sign Extortion 17) carrying thirty Americans was shot from the sky. The day Aaron’s life ended theirs began again.
In the months following this devastating loss the Vaughns began searching for answers. What they learned was life-altering. They quickly came face-to-face with their worst nightmare...the downing of Extortion 17 was at best unnecessary and at worst, a negligent, reckless loss of life.
Call Sign Extortion 17: The Shoot-Down of SEAL Team Six
Don Brown, a former U.S. Navy JAG officer stationed at the Pentagon and a former Special Assistant United States Attorney, re-creates the wartime action, tells the life stories of the elite warriors our nation lost on that day, and tears apart the official military explanation of the incident contained in the infamous Colt Report, which reveals either gross incompetence or a massive cover-up.
Were the seven Afghan soldiers aboard that helicopter really undercover Taliban who either maneuvered the chopper within easy range of being shot down or sabotaged it from within? Were the SEALS sacrificed on the altar of political correctness and deliberately flown into a known Taliban hot zone? Through a serious examination of the evidence, and the lack thereof, Brown tackles the issues of the case as only an experienced military prosecutor can.
Cut River Bridge Dedicated to Memory of Heath Robinson, Navy SEAL
More ...
Free Republic keyword Extortion17: http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/extortion17/index?tab=articles
Links to articles from NavySeals.com: http://navyseals.com/?s=extortion+17
Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=extortion%2017&src=typd
Ping.
1 U.S. Military Working Dog
the SEAL Malinois was named ‘ Bart ‘
RIP Bart
Navy SEAL, John Douangdara, age 26, Master at Arms Petty Officer, 1st Class killed in action in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. He was in the Chinook Helicopter that was shot down by insurgents in Afhanistan killing all 30 passengers, most were Navy SEALS. Douangara enlisted in the Navy in 2003 and joined his East Coast SEAL team in 2008.
His dog was a Belgian Malinois named Bart. Douangara was the lead dog handler for SEAL Team Six. I didnt even know Johnny was a Navy SEAL, his mother said. I know that he loved his job, it was a job he chose.
I keep a 12 yr old Malinois . I am her human . Best dogs on planet Earth , bar none .
Karen : Aaron would love my dog . Just a real good girl . I tell her about guys like Aaron all the time . Just so she knows what her lineage has been up to out there .
Karen was on Greta last night. Good interview
Such Grace
Prayers for all the families
For your lists
Thank you.
Will always remember, mourn, ask for the truth, share intel (news only) with StopQatarNow, and look forward to meeting the guys, and Bart, when I pass.
btt
Never forgotten.
We all know there is at least one email Hillary deleted that has info about this mission in advance. That is the one Assange needs to release.
“Were the SEALS sacrificed on the altar of political correctness and deliberately flown into a known Taliban hot zone?”
Even the dumbest Taliban guy knows that if you engage US forces for more than an hour or so more are coming. Ex17 was seconds from touch down putting it in the hot zone. I live very close to a Chinook base. They are not quiet and I can tell when they are coming home long before they are visible. The opportunity presented itself and some goat lover got off a good shot. The battle of Mog was the same scenario - twice.
SOCOM Ping
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