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. The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. 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 The landing zone was small, and the commanders didnt want to split up the strike force. The Justice Department said at least 50 documents in the Pentagon have been identified as relevant, but only one has been turned over. 4:05 p.m. - The first helicopter exits the compound. And we really feel that this put our guys in an unnecessary risk, Hamburger said. They start the movie showing George W Bush saying that after 9/11 we will hunt down those responsible. SEAL Team 6 Families Force Congress To Investigate Mysterious Chopper Crash ", While not commenting directly on the allegations, he called those who were lost "warriors" who represented "the diversity and talent of America and its military.". But the Team Six connection makes it a major symbolic victory for them. "The downing of Extortion 17 was a catastrophic and unprecedented tragedy for our nation," Reid testified. While the goggles are better than nothing, they turn everything green, distort depth perception and limit peripheral vision. The had Seal team 6 killed is a likely reference to whats known as the Extortion 17 incident, the August 2011 tragedy in which a Chinookmilitary helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan, killing 38 people, 25 of them Navy Seals, in the deadliest day for the U.S. in the entire Afghanistan war. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. An initial investigation indicates the helicopter was shot down by insurgents in the volatile Tangi valley of Wardak province, several hours south of Kabul. The Chinook is often used to assist in disaster relief, delivering food and water after earthquakes and floods. The night her son Aaron died, he was in a helicopter that was built in the 1960s and last retrofitted in 1985. All rights reserved. He knew the pilots and crew members aboard Extortion 17. The second shot hit the rear tail rotor assembly. One of the things I vowed, I will never forget. "We simply didn't know those guys with those RPGs were there," he said. 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. 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., 3 Questions About the SEAL Team Six Crash, Russian Cargo Plane Explodes During Pressure Test, better protected from newer, more sophisticated threats, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The RPG that struck Extortion 17 threw the helicopter into an uncontrollable spin. 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. We were told at that time we were the first unit to make it through a rotation without having anyone killed.. With Robert O'Neill, Patricia Economo, Enrique Garcia, James Obrien. Obama stonewalls SEAL Team 6 Extortion 17 helicopter crash probe Get everything off your social media. The chopper's manifest. Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Vaughn was one of the SEAL Team 6 operators who died in the crash. But Tahir and a group of his fighters escaped. 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. They believe SEAL Team 6 had a target on its back and that persons inside the Afghan National Security Forces may have tipped off the Taliban that night in Tangi Valley. "We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 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. The attack on August 6 was the most devastating day in SEAL Team Six history, as well as the single largest loss of life for U.S. forces since the war in Afghanistan began in October. With David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Jessica Par, Neil Brown Jr.. All of us know that going into it.". This incident could be a sign of things to come: The crash happened in Tanji, where the U.S. closed a combat outpost in April. The worst of the wounded was one of Lees crew members, who suffered what was later diagnosed as a severe traumatic brain injury. 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 . But it's just as plausible that the Taliban got lucky. The Obama administration is violating a judge's 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 . The next night, the pair had orders to drop off more troops in the same spot. Joining the 15members of SEAL Team 6, two pilots and three-man crew inside Extortion 17: ten other Navy and Air Force personnel, eight Afghansand a combat assault dog named Bart. There is still a tremendous level of chance for a tragedy of such huge magnitude.. The SEALS intentionally . Justin Buddy Lee will never forget that night six years ago. Men he knew. On his right wrist, he wears a bracelet with the names of the five crew members of Extortion 17. Since the agencys main task is to eavesdrop on phone and Internet messages, it may have recorded communications related to the attack. The helicopter was shot down by insurgents in August 2011; many of those killed were part of the same Navy SEAL Team 6 unit that carried out the raid on Usama bin Laden's compound three months . Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite unit as the Navy SEALs who killed former Al. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ninty-six days after the death of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team Six, an old Vietnam era Army Reserve helicopter, call sign "Extortion 17," was shot down in the Wardak Province, Tangi River Valley, Afghanistan on Aug 6, 2011.On board the Chinook CH-47D were 15 members of SEAL Team Six, 15 SEAL Team Six Support personnel, 1 Bomb Dog, 7 unidentified members of the Afghan National Army, and 1 . They then repeated and emphasized a few related questions: How could this happen? No family members were allowed to testify. 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. International reactions to bin Ladens death ranged from favorable to mixed. 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. Theyre going after [enemy fighters] in very hostile environments, who know the terrain very well, who know the battlescape very well, Darack said. Darack did extensive research of what happened next. The US Navy's elite SEAL Team 6 reportedly recovered two bodies and a flight recorder from the site where a US Air Force E-11A aircraft crashed in Afghanistan on Monday. Is Russias Only Aircraft Carrier Cursed? . Originally published August 6, 2011 at 10:50 am Updated August 6, 2011 at 3:16 pm. They stayed fixed on enemy squirters, or runners, until just a few minutes before landing. But why? 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. Lee had just flown the night before on a similar mission with one of the pilots, David Carter. . "No amount of training, skill, or technology will ever defeat chance on the battlefield. Neither did the risk he and his pilots faced every night. In the immediate wake of the tragedy, the military initiated two investigations. What in the world was that Navy Seals conspiracy that Trump retweeted? SEAL Team 6 and what really happened on America's deadliest day in SEALs killed in crash were on rescue mission - NBC News Who betrayed Navy SEAL Team 6? - Spec Ops Magazine They have to slow down to land or allow troops to rappel to the ground. Retired Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin, who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for Intelligence and was a commander in the Army's super-secret "Delta Force," denounced politicized rules of engagement as a "deliberate plot" within the American armed forces that he says puts political correctness above the safety of the troops. "So much of the war is fought in areas where these helicopters have to fly at high altitudes," where the thin air can strain the performance of the engines and rotor blades, said Ed Darack, author of the recently published book, The Final Mission of Extortion 17: Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six and the Deadliest Day of the U.S. War in Afghanistan. Asked for comment, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. James Gregory said: "We share in the grief of all of the families who lost their loved ones. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The helicopter plunged tail first. Strange also blamed top military brass for sending the troops into a situation they were allegedly ill-equipped and unprepared to handle. The front rotor shattered, and the back pylon sheared off. Whether enemy fire brought down the Chinook or a tree strike would never be known for sure. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. 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. 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. The U.S. Army knows the risks when it plans air assault operations in Afghanistan. More than 20 Navy Seals died in the helicopter crash that killed 31 in Afghanistan yesterday. Following a helicopter crash, the SEAL Team must proceed with the mission as hostiles bear down on them and an injured and impaired Jason goes after their target alone. The actual mission, dubbed Operation Neptune Spear, officially started in the early-morning hours of May 2, Pakistan time (afternoon of May 1, Eastern Daylight Time). Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan Reportedly Kills Members of SEAL Team 6 Three of the . It had been loaded well within its limits. The operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist was the result of years of planning and training. But what if it was a more advanced missile? All Rights Reserved. Faces of the Fallen: Helicopter Dead - ABC News But this might just take the cake. I would say that on the three-minute call is when Gun 2 started looking at the LZ, giving an LZ brief op. Today, some family members are not just disappointed in the investigation and the FOIA process, but also in how the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on national security conducted a brief hearing in Feb. 2014. Winds whipped through the fir trees. It requires the highest level of skills from the pilots because they are some of the most dangerous operations.. 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." This crash is incredibly demoralizing. As they started their descent, Lee heard a loud popping noise. The fighting lasted at least two hours, he said, the New York Times reported. Insurgents in Iraq have used Russian-made SA-7s, shoulder-fired missiles tipped with infrared homing devices, against U.S. and British aircraft. Honestly, sir, I dont think anybody had really looked at the LZ, said the pilot of Gun 1. Extortion 17 - IMDb But at least you should care about them and appreciate what were asking of them.. The ensuing crash killed all 16 on board, eight Army special operations aviators, and eight Navy SEALs. The alleged hit on SEAL Team 6 is a reference to the downing of a Chinook transport helicopter by insurgents a few months after the bin Laden raid. "We have an ideology problem with this war, and we need to address it. AP sources: Crash kills members of SEAL Team 6. While some of those who lost their lives that day were members of Seal Team 6, it was not the same platoon that had carried out the Bin Laden raid, and none of those killed in the crash had been a part of that event. The ensuing crash killed all 16 on board, eight Army special operations aviators, and eight Navy SEALs. the seal team 6 crash is just tying up loose ends for their crimes. Add in the fact that more sophisticated foreign intelligence agents are on the ground, with signals intelligence assets and deep pockets, and you have a recipe for a plot. President Obama offered his thoughts and prayers to those killed in the crash. Military Faces Challenge In Rebuilding SEAL Team 6 - NPR.org An official investigation found no evidence of a pre-planned ambush, though it did suggest that other helicopter activity in the area could have tipped off Taliban fighters that more helicopters could be approaching, according to the report. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. 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. NATO Crash: Communities Mourn Loss of Troops Killed in Afghanistan Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I am afraid that with this FOIA case that the government is purposely delaying turning over documents because they need the time to redact and to delete things they do not want the American public to become aware of.. A CH-47D Chinook helicopter (the same model as Extortion 17) speeds through the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, near Bridgeport, California, during mountain warfare training exercises. Still, SEAL Team Sixs bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success. JSOC ground forces and those who flew them knew and trusted each other. For now, let's assume the Chinook was shot down, and by a rocket. But the CH-47D has neither a flight nor voice recorder, only an engine performance data. 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. I would say that was the first time that we really had eyes on the LZ.. Mills, a 13-year veteran of the military . 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. And Justice unilaterally set a new deadline for the release and then ignored it, Mr. Klayman said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. 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. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. His unit called itself Extortion Company. One of his Chinooks, flying under the call sign Extortion 17 (one-seven), was tasked with the special operations mission the night of Aug. 6.