Information about the incident is still trickling in, but these are a few of the most important questions in the immediate aftermath. However, it would be a very lucky shot to hit a moving Chinook with an RPG and they typically fly high to avoid such dangers as well as small arms fire. After the helicopter crash on August 6, 2011. Darack, a writer and photographer, is the author of four previous books, including Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalersthe Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. "A NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province," Karzai said in the statement. The event was organized by Freedom Watch, a conservative advocacy group, at the National Press Club. On a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. The families hope to raise awareness of the incident, which they say the government has largely forgotten since the official report was released in October 2011. In combat, its mission is to transport large teams of elite assault troops, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, to and from the battlefield. But why? The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. The more likely explanation seems to be that the president, like a lot of us, tweets without thinking, especially if the subject matter is something that praises him or denigrates his political opponents. In all 38 troops died after the helicopter was shot down by what a review determined to be a Taliban RPG over Wardak Province, Afghanistan, on Aug. 6, 2011. The SEALS intentionally . The Joint Combat Assessment Team report identified, through detailed metallurgical analysis, the type of projectile that blew Extortion 17 out of the sky: an antipersonnel unguided ballistic rocket propelled grenade. The Pentagons witness stuck to a theme that no mistakes were made that night, though the investigative file contained testimony from a number of witnesses saying the mission was riddled with missteps. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. The workhorse in Army aviation, the tandem rotor, heavy-lift Chinook helicopter is used for carrying troops, equipment, supplies and even the mail. And the shooters had no reason to know that Extortion 17 or any other helicopter would be flying through their quiet extremity of the valley. Telling stories about ordinary people involved in extraordinary events is his passion. One of the things I vowed, I will never forget. There were guys in a tower. Were very concerned that the administration had disclosed that the Navy SEALs had carried out a successful attack on bin Ladens compound resulting in his death. Several Afghans were on board and were killed, but trust is in short supply in Afghanistan. Afghan President Karzai's office released a statement on the incident. It's certainly possible. On board were 22 Navy SEALs, rushing to support troops in firefight. The story itself is tragic, but tons of war propaganda. It was the worst day for fatalities in the history of naval special warfare. That left it to .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Navy SEALs to undertake a dangerous raid in a notorious insurgent area to stem the Taliban's advance. Special Forces are expected to keep the pressure on the Taliban, working closely with Afghan forces to maintain control as U.S and Coalition troops depart. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Among the 38 occupants inside the Chinook were some of the most highly trained and battle-seasoned fighters in the U.S. military, including 15 commandos from the Navys SEAL Team 6,the unit that three months earlier had killed Osama bin Laden. No family members were allowed to testify. She had just given birth to their first child. All but two of the SEALs were from SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden, although military officials said none of the crash victims was on that mission in Pakistan against the al . The "had Seal team 6 killed" is a likely reference to what's known as the "Extortion 17" incident, the August 2011 tragedy in which a Chinook military helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan,. It marked the greatest single incident loss of American life in the war in Afghanistan, the deadliest moment in the history of SEAL Team Six and the entirety of the Navy SEALs, and the deadliest single incident in the history of U.S. Special Operations Command. A catastrophic crash seemed unavoidable. 4:05 p.m. - The first helicopter exits the compound. On May 2, 2011, U.S. Special Forces raided an al-Qaeda compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed the worlds most wanted terrorist: Osama bin Laden. A silhouette of a flight engineer manning an M240 machine gun on the ramp of a CH-47D Chinook in eastern Afghanistan. Saturday's deaths bring the total number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan to 334 this year, according to the Associated Press. It has now been four years since Extortion 17 was shot down, said Doug Hamburger, whose Army air crew son, Patrick, was one of the 30 Americans killed. He taught helicopter pilots how to fly in high altitudes at an aviation training site in Colorado. We were told at that time we were the first unit to make it through a rotation without having anyone killed.. The quick reaction force included SEAL Team 6 and other special operations personnel. A junior, he was ready to fight, but the war would be over, he figured, before he even got out of college. The tempo of the missions did not decrease. The helicopter was shot down by insurgents. Led by firebrand Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Congress is to launch an official investigation into the mysterious helicopter crash that killed several members of the Navy SEAL team 6 in Afghanistan in 2011. Helicopter raids are dangerous and unpredictable. For Lee, there was no time to reflect on how close he had come to dying. Despite the risk, operations like these were taking place with such frequency in Afghanistan they only made news when they produced a spectacular success, like the bin Laden mission. But the Team Six connection makes it a major symbolic victory for them. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Missions like this one to insert or remove an assault force are the military equivalent of a perfect 10 in the Olympics -- equal parts skill, experience and daring. All rights reserved. In addition to the 30 Americans, the official said there were seven Afghan army soldiers and an interpreter on the helicopter. Lees wife, Christy, hoped the news would bring a sudden end to the war. The compounds unusual and extensive security features, along with further intelligence information, prompted suspicion that the residence was Osama bin Ladens hideout. They were sitting there, waiting. Lee is 36 now, a civil attorney in Dallas, a world away from Afghanistan. He finished his contract with the Army shortly afterward, and that September enrolled in Southern Methodist Universitys Dedman School of Law. Since the agencys main task is to eavesdrop on phone and Internet messages, it may have recorded communications related to the attack. But it's often foreign to those who observe combat from afar. You also want to come in from a different direction for the element of surprise.. A chief warrant officer 5, a member of the Colorado National Guard, Carter had over 4,500 flying hours, including more than 1,000 hours during combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The resulting crash killed all 38 people on board including 17 US Navy SEALs, two United States Air Force Pararescue, one United States Air Force Combat Control Team member, one pilot and two crewmen of the United States Army Reserve, one pilot and one crewman of the United States Army National Guard, seven members of the Afghan National Security Your life is in danger. They were part of the same Army Reserve unit, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment based in Gardner, Kan. Nichols, with three combat tours of duty, also had plenty of experience flying dangerous missions. During an attempted reinforcement effort during Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005, high on the slopes of a mountain called Sawtalo Sar in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar Province, a lucky shot took down an Army Special Operations Chinook, call sign "Turbine 33." Karen Vaughn says she wants to know why her son Aaron and his team were not using special operations aircraft which have defenses in place to help allow helicopters to go deep behind enemy lines. He probably doesnt. An initial investigation indicates the helicopter was shot down by insurgents in the volatile Tangi valley of Wardak province, several hours south of Kabul. Lee had just flown the night before on a similar mission with one of the pilots, David Carter. They were part of his command. U.S. "It's something that a lot of people who have never been in combat have a hard time understanding," he said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. International reactions to bin Ladens death ranged from favorable to mixed. They dont even produce under their own self-imposed deadline, Mr. Klayman told The Washington Times. Soon after US Navy Cryptologist Michael Strange and the elite SEAL Team 6 capture and kill Bin Laden, they are deployed to Afghanistan, where their Chinook is shot down. Virginia-based Navy SEALs in a training exercise. Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. The team began intense training for the operation, which included practicing in a life-sized replica of the compound. Trump, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, announced a slate of futuristic new policies in a campaign video Friday. EXPLOSIVE: CIA Whistleblower Exposes Bidens Alleged Role With the Deaths of Seal Team- Claims to have Documented Proof. Were pleading with the judge to do something, and hes just sitting on it., In one of his motions, Mr. Klayman stated: As this Court must be aware, this is not an ordinary Freedom of Information Act case, it involves obtaining records concerning the deaths of Navy SEAL Team 6 and other special operations forces on a mission with the call sign Extortion 17. Patrick Hamburger, served among the helicopter's crew. they won't view it as wrong, just a "necessary" sacrifice for your country. I had to learn how to land while browned-out, wearing NVGs, on the side of a mountain or an uneven field, Lee said. The military's public c Read allOn a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. On his right wrist, he wears a bracelet with the names of the five crew members of Extortion 17. If this [operation] was survivable, that was the right crew to have. But the CH-47D has neither a flight nor voice recorder, only an engine performance data. Finally Sells Japan Tomahawk Missiles. The second RPG round had connected with one of Extortion 17's aft rotor blades, severing more than 10 feet of it when it exploded. Still, the one the president retweeted earlier this week may have been the weirdest yet. It was the largest single loss of life for Seal Team 6, also known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, (DEVGRU) in the unit's history. Family members question SEAL Team 6's most deadly incident. In fact, the conflict was heating up. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved, the 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. The loss of a helicopter carrying more than 20 U.S. special forces and as many as 8 other U.S. military service members is an unprecedented one in this war. RETWEET!, The president went on to follow that last command, although the Oscar the Midnight Rider account has since been suspended by Twitter. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers.On a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. The Obama administration is violating a judges order to turn over documents in the Aug. 6, 2011, shootdown of a U.S. helicopter call sign Extortion 17 that killed members of SEAL Team 6 in Afghanistan, a watchdog group is charging. Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalersthe Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Navy SEAL's Savior Claims 'Lone Survivor' Got It Wrong. The military's public c On a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. It's a scary thought. Here are the . Members of Navy SEAL Team Six formed the core of the IRF, with other American special operations personnel and highly-vetted Afghans playing integral roles. One by one, fathers and mothers of the victims of the crash spoke about what they see as gaping holes or inconsistencies in the review of what U.S. Special Operations considers its most deadly incident. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver. But over time, they became more disturbing, including one that suggested the Taliban had been tipped off by someone inside the Afghan government as revenge for bin Ladens killing. Composed primarily of members of the 75th Ranger Regiment, which falls under the authority of the secretive Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC, the team sought to capture or kill a powerful insurgent leader, Qari Tahir, known to coalition forces by his designation "Lefty Grove." And they sent our guys right into the middle.. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. Hamburger added. A Marine speaks into a radio and troops unload a CH-47D Chinook in Afghanistan's Kunar Province. An Afghan official, speaking anonymously a few days after the attack, speculated that the Taliban had laid a trap, that they had purposely put out false information about a meeting involving the Taliban commander. Ohio Republican Secretary of State 'actively' considering Senate run against Sherrod Brown, DeSantis family spends the afternoon at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor's speech, Marianne Williamson launches campaign against Biden, vows to fight 'forces of hatred, injustice and fear', Haley blasts both Democrats and fellow Republicans, including Trump, over exploding national debt. But why? See GlobalPost: Navy SEALs had "kill" order on Osama bin Laden, report claims. The reality is, every time a helicopter lifts off the ground in a war zone, it might get shot down, Darack said. The sheer amount of experience with our pilots, flight engineers and back-seaters and mechanics offered a wealth of knowledge, he said. There was no conspiracy. This critical, but completely uncontrollable, aspect of war, is well-known among fighters like Buddy. The investigation of events surrounding the crash of a C H-47D Chinook , call sign Extortion 17, took military command officials just two months to complete. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts, - The Washington Times - Wednesday, August 5, 2015. The incident comes just months after DevGru's raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Up to 30 Dead in Afghanistan Following Failed Prison Heist, Total Iraq and Afghanistan Pricetag: Over $4 Trillion. because seals have a habit of writing books once they retire. On a moonless night, an Army Chinook helicopter swept low over the Tangi Valley, a strip of forbidding terrain in eastern Afghanistan teeming with Taliban and located just 35 miles south of the capital, Kabul. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. SEAL TEAM SIX - Extortion 17 EXPOSED theunitedwest 15.8K subscribers Subscribe 4.7K 394K views Streamed 9 years ago AUGUST 6, 2015 - Today, on the fourth anniversary of the shoot down of. He pushed hard on the cyclic stick to tilt the helicopter forward. Lee remained in Afghanistan flying combat missions for another eight months before returning home in the spring of 2012. And Justice unilaterally set a new deadline for the release and then ignored it, Mr. Klayman said. . Olson himself a former Team 6 leader recalled at his change of command ceremony the men who lost their lives in Saturday's helicopter crash in Afghanistan. But why? Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. At 2:38 a.m. on August 6, 2011, a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, entered the western opening of Afghanistan's restive Tangi Valley, flying alone. "We simply didn't know those guys with those RPGs were there," he said. No one is planting victory gardens, and were not rationing. When the shock subsided, questions arose and persisted. Aug. 6, 2011 -- A helicopter was shot down today by Afghan insurgents as it was rushing to aid troops in a firefight, killing 30 Americans, including 22 Navy SEALs, most of whom belonged to Team 6, the unit whose members were involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said. Whether enemy fire brought down the Chinook or a tree strike would never be known for sure. 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This time, they might simply have run out of luck and encountered an RPG-armed enemy who was in the right place at the right time. However, a shoot down does not necessarily mean insurgents have changed their tactics or hardware. And thats fine; thats what you signed up for, Lee said. "Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan,'' President Obama said Saturday. Charles Strange, whose son Michael, 25, died in the attack said Obama personally promised him a thorough investigation of what happened but has failed to deliver. Many of these family members are undergoing psychological care over what has become a double tragedy: the deaths of their sons and the cover-up for which these family members feel betrayed by their own government.. How SEAL Team 6 . The entire operation, which lasted only 40 minutes from start to finish, was the culmination of years of calculated planning and training. On July 25, a Chinook was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by the Taliban. The Chinook headed to a different landing zone than the first assault team -- one in the narrowest part of the Tangi Valley. He spoke out against banning girls education. At any moment, they could come under rocket attack. In 2006, he was called into Afghanistan, where he turned 25. "No amount of training, skill, or technology will ever defeat chance on the battlefield. The Chinook was descending on a noisy battlefield where Apache helicopters and a C-130 gunship had been buzzing overhead for three hours, alerting Taliban fighters. That June, the U.S. military launched Operation Hammer Down to drive out insurgents entrenched in remote strongholds of eastern Afghanistan. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, But some say the official report, which contained no direct criticism of decision-makers that day, did not delve deeply enough. It alleges thatthe 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, which took place when Biden was vice president, did not actually kill the al-Qaeda leader, but rather a body double, and that Iran had been part of the conspiracy as well. The first of the unguided projectiles missed, as the vast majority of rocket propelled grenades shot at helicopters did over the course of the war in Afghanistan. The aircraft jerked. or redistributed. Just as ridiculous as saying [President George W.] Bush was responsible for 9/11, Lee said. Still, SEAL Team Sixs bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success. Onboard were 17 members of SEAL Team 6; five naval special warfare operators, including one to intercept communications and another to handle Bart the war dog; five Army flight crewmen, including a National Guard and an Army Reserve pilot; and three Air Force personnel. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that supported the raid, including a Predator drone, and a variety of highly specialized spy planes, had kept continuous watch over the region during the operation. Some congressional lawmakers demonstrated their support for the group, including former Florida Republican Rep. Allan West -- an Iraq war vet -- and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. The fighting lasted at least two hours, he said, the New York Times reported. Its one reason Twitter has put in place safeguards encouraging users to read links before retweeting them. It was exactly four years ago, at 2:22 a.m., that a rebuilt conventional CH-47 Chinook helicopter took off from a forward operating base, carrying some of the most skilled and advanced warriors ever molded by U.S. special operations. The immediate reaction force (IRF) was assembled hastily for insertion into Tangi Valley to help Army Rangers capture fleeing Taliban. Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, was one of the U.S. Navy SEALS killed in the helicopter crash. I was terrified. Just last week the Afghans arrested an Army officer for aiding Taliban suicide bombers through checkpoints, and doing so under employ by Pakistan. The Chinook helicopter was carrying a quick-reaction force to provide back-up to the troops on the ground in the eastern Afghan province of Wardak, a U.S. official said. In the rear of the aircraft, the Chinook's passengers stood and prepared to storm out into moonless night once the wheels touched the ground. The loss of a Chinook helicopter carrying members of Navy SEAL Team Six made yesterday the deadliest single day in the entire Afghan War for the U.S., The New York Times reports. The families of these deceased heroes have been stonewalled by the Obama Department of Defense and the Obama National Security Agency in disrespect over their sons unexplained tragic deaths. Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. His father Billy Vaughn recounted Thursday a phone call from his son following the White House decision to credit the highly secretive military unit for the bin Laden raid. The worst of the wounded was one of Lees crew members, who suffered what was later diagnosed as a severe traumatic brain injury. Due to the sheer magnitude of loss of life, combined with recent news of SEAL Team Six's successful raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, global media outlets lionized the tragedy. David Tarrant. The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. Does Donald Trump believe that Joe Biden played a part in murdering those Navy Seals? A silhouette of a. Navy SEALs. On his first deployment, he felt fortunate to be surrounded by veteran pilots he could learn from. In interviewing Buddy for background research for my book, The Final Mission of Extortion 17, which chronicles the people, events, and circumstances of the downing of Extortion 17, I realized that this tragedy illustrates Buddy's words more convincingly perhaps than any other incident. "The downing of Extortion 17 was a catastrophic and unprecedented tragedy for our nation," Reid testified. Hes also sent more than his fair share of curious retweets, often of the accounts of conspiracy theorists and those associated with QAnon and other outlandish conspiracy frameworks. Nigerians await election results in competitive race. But why? The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Its almost always a miss.. Some of those Seals were members of Seal Team 6 that took part in the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, the AP reported today; although they were not actual participants in the Pakistan raid, according to the New York Times. Aerial view of Osama bin Laden's compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, made by the CIA. File: A US Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter in flight. It just wasnt.. That same day he obtained a medical waiver he needed to pursue an Army commission -- to serve an eight-year hitch before going to law school. The operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the same regiment that flew the bin Laden raid. There is still a tremendous level of chance for a tragedy of such huge magnitude.. After the crash, the forces that were involved in the firefight "broke contact" with the enemy so they could go provide perimeter security for the crash site, the official said. The insurgents had no way of knowing the helicopter would be coming in, at the speed it was coming and at the altitude, Darack said. And you know, never before in the history of our county (had) a sitting president released that type of information to the public, especially when he was talking about special forces. "Chance will always play a role in war," stated Justin "Buddy" Lee, the commander of Extortion Company, who had flown with Dave Carter the night before Extortion 17's demise on a similar raid, and who had co-piloted a number of missions with Bryan Nichols. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. Its like taking a paper towel roll, cutting it in half and strapping it to your eye, Lee said. Conspiracy theories started almost immediately. It wasnt preventable. Men he knew. At that time, this marked deadliest moment in the war in Afghanistan. All of us know that going into it.". See production, box office & company info, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words. President Trump has been known, over the years, to tweet some bizarre things. It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. Special forces are very selective on who they partner with, but any collaboration with Afghans opens up U.S. In that incident, 16 Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a mission to rescue four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. With Robert O'Neill, Patricia Economo, Enrique Garcia, James Obrien. Everyone on board died within a fraction of a second30 Americans, eight Afghans and one American military working dog. But it's just as plausible that the Taliban got lucky. Or when something went terribly wrong. The front rotor shattered, and the back pylon sheared off. They have to slow down to land or allow troops to rappel to the ground. Were handing rifles to 20-year-olds and asking them to shoot people. One of the best crews in my company. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. . All rights reserved. The crash took the lives of 17 SEALs and five special warfare development group operators, making it the worst one-day loss in the history of U.S. naval special operations. Osama bin Ladens personal journal was also recovered. Throughout, he said, Justice lawyers have refused to take his phone calls. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. Six weeks later, at around 10:40 p.m., an assault team of Army Rangers and Afghan special operations forces were dropped into an LZ on a mission to capture or kill a Taliban commander named Qari Tahir, who had been responsible for a series of attacks and ambushes in the Tangi Valley, not far from Shank. Its lawyers have told the judge that the process of locating relevant documents and removing classified information takes time. Military officers interviewed by investigators said they could not recall an IRF ever being sent for such a mission. Lee, now a captain, was placed in command of a Chinook helicopter unit at Forward Operating Base Shank. Furthermore, according to the lore, due to the alleged Iran angle, the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015 was in fact a payoff to Iran for whatever role they played in the earlier conspiracy. The mission continues, uninterrupted.3:39 p.m. Osama bin Laden is located on the third floor of the compound and is shot in the head, above the left eye.Sometime during the operation, three other men (including one of bin Ladens sons) and a woman in the compound are also killed.3:53 p.m. President Obama receives preliminary word that bin Laden is identified and dead.3:55 p.m. SEAL team members move bin Ladens body to the first floor of the compound and place it in a body bag.3:39 p.m.-4:10 p.m. The team locates and retrieves multiple items from the compound for intelligence investigation.4:05 p.m. The first helicopter exits the compound.4:08 p.m. The team destroys the chopper that crashed.4:10 p.m. A backup helicopter scoops up remaining team members and leaves the area.5:53 p.m. The choppers with SEAL team members return to Afghanistan.7:01 p.m. President Obama receives further intelligence information that the body killed in the raid is likely that of bin Laden.11:35 p.m. President Obama addresses the nation about the raid.12:59 a.m. Osama bin Ladens body is buried at sea within 24 hours to comply with Islamic law.