Chance is still part of the battlefield, says Brady. Extortion 17 BRIAN BILL FOUNDATION 31 MILE RUCK FOR THE 31 HEROES OF EXTORTION 17 IN WASHINGTON, DC AUGUST 3, 2019 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. Available for both RF and RM licensing. He pushed hard on the cyclic stick to tilt the helicopter forward. There is a lot of controversy and discussion regarding the operators from the Gold Squadron who died abroad. Approaching to land or having just taken off, the craft is flying slow and low, so it presents a tempting target. The group fired two or three RPG rounds from a two-story building, the second striking one of the helicopter's three aft rotor blades. The shootdown was the single, deadliest loss of U.S. forces in the war. One of the most significant tactical evolutions of the Afghanistan conflict is the ever-heavier use of unmanned aerial systems and other airborne intelligence-gathering systems. [41] At the subsequent hearing in February 2014, Pentagon representative Garry Reid defended the decision to undertake the mission and denied that the Taliban had any advance knowledge of it. The Joint Combat Assessment Team report further noted that despite a robust deck of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, none identified the location from which the shooters fired prior to the helicopter downing. They are not the same SEALs, and these two events are not connected to one another. Some sources state that at the shootdown, the two AH-64 Apache helicopters were engaged in tracking another Taliban group and were thus unable to provide surveillance (of the landing zone and infiltration route) and fire support the inbound CH-47D helicopter carrying the Navy SEAL team. Ill try to reply the best I can. The Final Flight of Extortion 17 It was the deadliest helicopter crash in the history of U.S. special operations. I find it extremely suspicious that, after the alleged killing of Osama Bin Laden, there was a very suspicious burial at sea for a covered corpse that was alleged to be Bin Laden. Enterprise. U.S. Navy Seals 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. Lees wife, Christy, hoped the news would bring a sudden end to the war. 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. The forward rotor system then tore off, stressed by the imbalance and the strain of carrying what would normally be a shared load. August 6, 2017 marks the 6 year anniversary of the downing of Extortion 17, a bigger scandal than Benghazi in large part due to the fact that America lost 30 of its military personnel, including 17 Navy SEALs, the largest loss of life in the Afghan war. The IRF commander then made a critical decision: In order to get everyone on the ground as quickly as possible and deny the Taliban time to react, he ordered the entire force to fly in Extortion 17. In the afternoon of 6 August, a flash flood swept through the area, washing away parts of the wreckage. The pilots and crew of Extortion 17, however, had ideal experience and abilities for the mission that night. Humm, to have all the Seal Team 6 members in one place at one time?? Through the goggles, the landing zone shone brilliantly. During a previous deployment to Iraq, Carters unit flew dozens of similar raids, which he often planned and led, and gained a reputation for working well with special operations troops. The CH-47 "Chinook" was carrying some of this nation's bravest and most capable military . Planners then chose a new landing zone for the IRF, but it was large enough to accommodate only one Chinook. Burn is on, they radioed. "One. At that moment, Extortion 17 slowed to 58 mph, at no more than 150 feet, approaching a spot framed by trees and mud-brick huts, and "sparkled" by the infrared designator on an AC-130 gunship. As they made their approach, there was a line of thunderstorms nearby. He would not have hesitated to fly with any of them. [11], The mission was deemed high risk; two AH-64 Apache helicopters, an AC-130 gunship, and other additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft supported the troop transports on their approach and remained with the ground forces afterwards. Early life What are the odds? I had to learn how to land while browned-out, wearing NVGs, on the side of a mountain or an uneven field, Lee said. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. Find the perfect extortion 17 stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Extortion 16 flew empty. The two may have been those who escaped Apache cannon fire, or they may have split away from either of the groups that formed after the start of the raid. Their target: an Afghan named Qari Tahir and his group of fighters. Also very suspicious that the only member of Seal Team Six that is still alive and in the public sphere happened to be the guy that killed Bin Laden?? Justin Buddy Lee will never forget that night six years ago. Originally just two people, the group eventually swelled to a total of nine or ten fighters, and the special operations task force commander and the Immediate Reaction Force commander became concerned that it might include Tahir. These are the words of Billy Vaughn. There are more operations than can be supported by the 160th at any given time," says Major Matthew Brady, a former 160th pilot and company commander. At the time of the Juy Zarin raid, the battalion had been flying in Afghanistan for about two weeks. In March 2009, the U.S. 10th Mountain Division established a base in Tangi Valley after increased Taliban activity in the area. The following was extracted from The Navy Times: If one is to believe the account of Matt Bissonnette, the only possibility of a participant of the bin Laden raid perishing on Extortion 17 is if the one SEAL specifically noted not to be a member of Red Squadron was a member of Gold Squadron and a passenger aboard the ill-fated Chinook. Lightboxes. Sometimes the enemy succeeds in delivering one of these To whom it may concern projectiles. We had guys who had flown in Desert Storm, guys who had just come off active duty, Lee said. Though both noted that airborne sensor coverage and closer AH-64 gunship escort should be considered in future operations, nothing could have kept the shooters from firing their RPGs that night. Don Brown, a former U.S. Navy JAG officer stationed at the Pentagon, and former Special Assistant United . Here, in silence, are the names and photographs of all 30 men. Sgt. So if there was a added black box installed on this Aircraft there should be a maintenance record? [9][11], Six minutes later, the Rangers concluded securing the compound, detained several people and began to move on foot toward the crash site. A catastrophic crash seemed unavoidable. Since the shootdown of Extortion 17, the military has continued to gain vital experience and equipment to enable an ever greater understanding of an enemy force, aiming to know every combatant and potential combatant and his weapon system before a raid. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. Having studied and directly observed the counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, Ive watched commanders and individual American troops consistently lean far to the side of restraint to encourage Afghans to side with American interests long after U.S. forces have left. That assault team captured Tahirs compound and some of his men. Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Vaughn was one of the SEAL Team 6 operators who died in the crash. The first round sailed past the helicopter. Several minutes later, a 20-man Pathfinder team (specializing in downed-aircraft rescue and recovery) arrived at the site. Touch device users can explore by touch or with swipe . [9][11], Meanwhile, the group of Taliban fighters split in two. The helicopter carrying the SEALs proceeded to the landing zone alone, without external lighting. As is routine on such missions, two Apache attack helicopters provided extra cover and security for Extortion 17, while circling above was an AC-130 aircraft, a gunship that also provides surveillance. [2][38], On 10 August 2011, the U.S. military stated that the insurgent who fired the rocket-propelled grenade had been killed only two days afterward in an F-16 airstrike, saying only that intelligence gained on the ground provided "a high degree of confidence" that the person was among those killed in the airstrike from two days earlier, but providing no other details. Six minutes from their estimated landing time, Extortion 16 broke away from the lead Chinook and orbited at a location close enough to help if needed. Following a scorched earth tactic may have killed the two shootersand possibly a greater number of innocentsprior to Extortion 17s return that night, but counterinsurgency doctrine dictates that such tactics lead to potentially far worse long-term consequences. Commanders frequently request CH-47 Chinooks to insert troops. In this week in military history, we explore the aerial attack on a U.S. Army helicopter with the call sign "Extortion 17" in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. Photo: We pay Tribute Chief Petty Officer Nicholas H. Null Operation Extortion 17 August 6, 2011 You may leave a condolence for his family on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/L2lB37qizaI Comebacks Photo Photo: We pay Tribute to Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills Operation Extortion 17 August 6, 2011 Battalion Regiment Warrant Officer 2023 Smithsonian Magazine ], Four years after the downing of Extortion 17, there were many theories about a possible government coverup. Whether enemy fire brought down the Chinook or a tree strike would never be known for sure. Aired: 08/01/21 Rating: NR [11] Seventeen U.S. Navy SEALs remained in reserve at the forward operating base. According to officials, the team included 17 SEALs, five Navy special operations troops who support the SEALs, three Air Force airmen, a five-member Army air crew and a military dog, along with. The mission was flown by conventional pilots flying unmodified CH-47Ds. In mid-2011, combined with a U.S. Army aviation battalion, they had spent weeks conducting operations nearly every other night in Wardak and surrounding provinces south of Kabul to capture or kill Taliban forces, disrupt attack plots, and deny them sanctuary on this strategic approach to Kabul City. The conspiracy theories didnt bother Lee at first. In combat, its mission is to transport large teams of elite assault troops, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, to and from the battlefield. It was a good crew, it really was. (Smithsonian Books, September 2017). [7][20][21], Fifteen of the Navy SEALs that were killed were members of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU),[5][22][20] while the other two Navy SEALs were from an unidentified West Coast-based unit. [11], Separately, ISR aircraft continued to observe the unengaged group from the compound. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The downing of a Chinook helicopter gunship (known by its call sign Extortion 17) in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011, has for years been shrouded in mystery, with the . The landing zone was small, and the commanders didnt want to split up the strike force. Air Force C-17 Crashes Just After Takeoff in Alaska | Dangerous Aerobatics (With Real Video) TheFlightChannel 2.1M views 1 year ago Feature History - Chinese Civil War Feature History 1.9M views. The events that unfolded that night are commonly referred to as Extortion 17, the call sign for the helicopter transporting the special operations personnel. August 6, 2022 marks 11 years since Extortion 17. Yesterday, the Pentagon released the names of the 30 troops-- Navy SEALs, soldiers, and airmen, killed in the helicopter downed by Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan last weekend. That night, nearly 10 years after the U.S. had gone to war in Afghanistan, Lee believed they were the best team for this dangerous mission. I am so proud to be an American and I thank all of the families left behind to mourn their loss. #neverforgotten #screwedbygovt #demmandanswers. Just three months earlier, members of a counterpart SEAL Team 6 squadron successfully raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden. To address some unanswered questions, the committee received briefings, classified and unclassified, on the operational component leading up to the loss of the 30 servicemen and eight Afghan nationals and the postmortem handling of the 30 American servicemen on Extortion 17. To lose even one precious life is too many, and the United States lost 38 soldiers that day. Darack did extensive research of what happened next. With 38 people killed on board, it was the largest single-day loss of life in naval special warfare history and the largest single-day loss of life during the war in Afghanistan. When the two Chinooks had first touched down in the village, a group of eight fighters armed with AK-47 rifles and RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers bolted from the compound. Immediately after Ryan shared an intimate photo of his own, the cybercriminal demanded $5,000, threatening to make the photo public and send it to Ryan's family and friends. Rest in peace, gentlemen; you will not be forgotten. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. Photo by Sgt. 29 Photos Documentary 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. On 6 August 2011, a U.S. CH-47D Chinook military helicopter operating with the call sign Extortion 17 (pronounced "one-seven") was shot down while transporting a Quick Reaction Force attempting to reinforce a Joint Special Operations Command unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Tangi Valley in Maidan Wardak province, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan. The crash killed all 38 people on board including 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. Around 2:40 a.m., an Apache pilot flying in support came on the radio and shouted: Fallen Angel. Naval Special Warfare support personnel: Two, 3 U.S. Army Reserve personnel (Aircrew) from the, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 20:01. The shooters origin remains a mystery. Every mission is potentially life-threatening. But Tahir and a group of his fighters escaped. [7][27][28] During the battle, American forces observed a small group of Taliban trying to flee the scene. Terms of Use It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. Intelligence had revealed Tahir to be the senior Taliban chief of the Tangi Valley region, with probable ties to upper-echelon Taliban leadership in Pakistan. Your Privacy Rights Austin Williams visits the gravesite of U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher C. Campbell in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 30, 2016. But U.S. forces didnt know about every fighter during the raid, and they lost track of at least twoone of whom fired the deadly shot. What we saw is that if the enemy knew where you were going to attack, they would back some guys with RPGs off 500 meters or so, to shoot during an ingress, Glover explains. It just wasnt.. But we are still sending people to another country to fight, and we need to understand why were doing that, he said. The SEAL task force was monitoring this activity, and they were soon called upon to deploy quickly into the northern end of the valley to intercept Tahir and capture him and those moving with him. American forces continued to carry out operations in the area (mostly via helicopter and using special forces), encountering resistance from Taliban fighters on several occasions. [43][45], 2011 Afghanistan Boeing Chinook shootdown, United States Air Force Combat Control Team, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Tangi Valley, Wardak province, Afghanistan, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Naval Special Warfare Development Group's, Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, Call Sign Extortion 17: The Shoot-Down of SEAL Team Six, List of aviation accidents and incidents in the war in Afghanistan, "Elite Force Died in Bid to Save Comrades", "Taliban shot that brought down American Chinook killing 30 US commandos was 'lucky', officials believe", "Taliban shoot down US helicopter in Afghanistan; 38 killed", "Worst US loss of life in Afghan war as helicopter crash kills 38", "US military helicopter crash in Afghanistan kills 38", Executive Summary (Crash of CH-47D Aircraft in Wardak Province, Afghanistan on 6 August 2011), "Families suspect SEAL Team 6 crash was inside job on worst day in Afghanistan", "DOD Identifies Service Members Killed in CH-47 Crash", "Tragedy devastates special warfare community", "Friends remember three area soldiers killed in Afghan crash", "Chinook Crewmembers Line of Duty Deaths", "US special forces Afghan helicopter downed by Taliban", "Chopper crash kills 31 U.S. troops, 7 Afghans", "Copter Downed by Taliban Fire; Elite U.S. Unit Among Dead", "Impact on special forces of Navy Seals helicopter loss", "SEAL Team 6 Families Believe the 2011 Chinook Shootdown in Afghanistan was Planned | Navy SEALs Blog by USNavySEALs.com", "Army delayed Chinook helicopter's black box until it was too late", "Obama stonewalls SEAL Team 6 helicopter crash probe, watchdog says", "US helicopter shot down in Afghanistan was sent in after night raid went awry", "US military probes deadly Afghan helicopter crash", "What happened on night of deadly Afghanistan helicopter crash? The United States military continually works to improve protection for transport helicopters and their occupants, according to Glover and Brady. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. His account of the brave pilots, crew, and passengers of Extortion 17 and . Afghanistan has long been a counter-insurgency campaign: The United States strategy has been to win Afghan trust through cooperation and aid. Pinterest. He said, "And now, to our honor roll of American Service Personnel killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. In her first interview about the incident, Marquez said: "I had the sensor operators immediately shift to the eight insurgents the helicopters had taken out. The basis of the provocative hit military documentary Fallen Angel Call Sign: Extortion 17. Recovery of wreckage from the crash site lasted until 9 August 2011. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Ranger assault helicopters had already engaged the enemy and killed six of eight Taliban fighters, causing the other two to retreat. [42], In 2017, Air Force captain Joni Marquez, the firing officer on an AC-130 gunship that had accompanied Extortion 17 on the final flight, made a similar claim. Carter and Nichols continued the descent. While classification veils the specifics of these tactics, particularly for special operations raids, manned gunships can detect potential threats through a range of sensors and immediately attack if needed. The resulting explosion destroyed the aft rotor assembly. Im a 25 year veteran involved in many support missions and I find this downing of Ext 17 very suspect indeed! [29], Other reports alleged that the Taliban had laid an elaborate trap for American special-operations forces, luring them in with false information. "The downing of Extortion 17 was a catastrophic and unprecedented tragedy for our nation," Reid testified. Lee heard the call, and he knew what it meant. Lee, now a captain, was placed in command of a Chinook helicopter unit at Forward Operating Base Shank. On such missions, the Chinook pilots nearly always fly at night, wearing night vision goggles, or NVGs. Early media reports suggested that the Army had been tardy to recover flight recorders from the downed Chinook, and, as a consequence, the recorders had been swept away by the flood. August 6, 2017 marks six years since 30 American military servicemen and a U.S. military dog were killed when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter call sign Extortion 17 was shot down in Afghanistan. The Final Mission of Extortion 17: Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six, and the Deadliest Day of the U.S. War in Afghanistan Hardcover - September 19, 2017 by Ed Darack (Author) 223 ratings Editors' pick Best History See all formats and editions Kindle $13.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover 130 Extortion 17 ideas | extortion, seal team 6, navy seals Extortion 17 119 Pins 9y K Collection by Kim&Pauly Us Soldiers Troops Fallen Soldiers Military Personnel Military Men American Soldiers American Heroes Naval Special Warfare Fallen Heroes We were told at that time we were the first unit to make it through a rotation without having anyone killed.. Learnt of this today, very surprising after ladens raid was covered in the media here. According to Glover, improved systems in place enable U.S. forces to monitor a target for days or even weeks prior to an operation, so they theoretically will know of even well-hidden potential RPG shooters throughout a village before transport helicopters first touch down.