- August 5, 2012
- By: Susy Raybon
One year ago, the U.S. military suffered
one of the largest one-day losses since the war in Afghanistan began and the
biggest loss ever in Special Ops history.
Just three months after the U.S.
Navy SEALs took down Osama bin Laden, the Taliban got off a “lucky shot” with a
rocket-propelled grenade that downed a Chinook CH-47 with U.S. Special Ops warriors on
board; many were Navy SEALs, some were Army Special
Forces and others were Airmen from a Special Tactics Team in North
Carolina.
The Operation was named Extortion 17,
a rescue mission to extract another team of Special Forces soldiers.
All aboard the helicopter died Aug.
6, 2011, in Wardak province, Afghanistan.
The following sailors assigned to an
East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:
Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, Special Warfare Operator
Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara,
California. Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL)
Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas, Explosive Ordnance
Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare
Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii, Special
Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford,
Connecticut, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W.
Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Special Warfare Operator Chief
Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport,
Massachusetts, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew
D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Missouri, Special Warfare Operator Chief
Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas, Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare
Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington,
West Virginia, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana,
Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson,
34, of Detroit, Michigan, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class
(SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California, Special Warfare
Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell,
36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Information Systems
Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare
Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah, Master-at-Arms
Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara,
26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, Cryptologist Technician (Collection)
Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange,
25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer
1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35,
of Rockford, Iowa, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL)
Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Florida., and Special Warfare Operator
Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.
The following sailors assigned to a
West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:
Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer
1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman,
27, of Ukiah, California, and Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd
Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Army soldiers killed were:
Chief Warrant Officer David R.
Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colorado, He
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support
Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colorado.; Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J.
Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th
Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas.; Sgt.
Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Nebraska. He was assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand
Island, Neb.; Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Washington. He
was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support
Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21,
of Olathe, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation
Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas.
The Airmen killed were:
Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida.; Staff Sgt. Andrew W.
Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Califonia.; and Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe,
28, of York, Pennsylvania. All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special
Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina.
Examiner's Note: Americans often recall this
tragedy as the day the Navy SEALs crashed. These men were not all SEALs but
they were all Special Ops. Thank you for remembering them today
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