"It's something that a lot of people who have never been in combat have a hard time understanding," he said. The families accept the fact that a single shot brought down the helicopter. Strange also blamed top military brass for sending the troops into a situation they were allegedly ill-equipped and unprepared to handle. That June, the U.S. military launched Operation Hammer Down to drive out insurgents entrenched in remote strongholds of eastern Afghanistan. A silhouette of a flight engineer manning an M240 machine gun on the ramp of a CH-47D Chinook in eastern Afghanistan. The Associated Press is reporting that a rocket attack took down the Chinook (probably a MH-47) , quoting an unnamed source in Washington D.C., but this has yet to be confirmed officially. All rights reserved. The families of some of the 17 SEAL Team 6 commandos who were killed in an ambush in Afghanistan during a helicopter flight to help Army Rangers pinned down by Taliban gunmen accused the. Telling stories about ordinary people involved in extraordinary events is his passion. In combat, its mission is to transport large teams of elite assault troops, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, to and from the battlefield. Flying low, the pilots have to maneuver a machine weighing up to 50,000 pounds over mountains, under cover of darkness, in swirling wind and dust, wearing night vision goggles. As they made their approach, there was a line of thunderstorms nearby. It's certainly possible. They knew. 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. In addition to the 30 Americans, the official said there were seven Afghan army soldiers and an interpreter on the helicopter. Virginia-based Navy SEALs in a training exercise. Could an enemy have specifically targeted the U.S. special forces team that took down bin Laden? At this difficult hour, all Americans are united in support of our men and women in uniform who serve so that we can live in freedom and security.". The Taliban, of course, has taken credit, saying it shot down the helo during a special forces raid on a home. 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. Landing in deserts or mountainsides, the helicopter rotors kick up clouds of sand and dust, causing brownouts that can blind a pilot. 4:08 p.m. - The team destroys the chopper that crashed. Lee is 36 now, a civil attorney in Dallas, a world away from Afghanistan. The fighting lasted at least two hours, he said, the New York Times reported. At that time, this marked deadliest moment in the war in Afghanistan. We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country. 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 SEALS intentionally . The co-pilot, Bryan Nichols, was one of Lee's closest friends in the Chinook company. The hardest LZ Id ever been into, Lee said. Military officials told her operating outside of these rules "damages our efforts to win the hearts and minds of our enemies. Insurgents in Iraq have used Russian-made SA-7s, shoulder-fired missiles tipped with infrared homing devices, against U.S. and British aircraft. The helicopter crashed into a creek bed and a flash flood shortly afterward washed away some parts of the wreckage. President Trump has also claimed, including in the first presidential debate, that Biden opposed the raid that took out Bin Laden. "We have an ideology problem with this war, and we need to address it. 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. 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. Hours earlier, pilots Carter and Nichols and crewmembers Specialist Spencer Duncan, Sergeant Pat Hamburger, and Sergeant Alex Bennett, along with pilots and crew of a sister Chinook, Extortion 16, inserted a strike force in the central Tangi Valley. As they started their descent, Lee heard a loud popping noise. International reactions to bin Ladens death ranged from favorable to mixed. Here are the . A junior, he was ready to fight, but the war would be over, he figured, before he even got out of college. Mr. Klayman said the NSA has agreed to provide some information. Youve got [Apaches] flying around, so theres a lot of noise going on and, basically, this entire valley knows that theres something happening in this area. 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.. 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. "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. Nearby, there were two enemy fighters with rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Lees second deployment started in May of 2011. Click here for reprint permission. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Planners had created an absolutely sound mission. The next day, a DNA test confirmed that the body was indeed that of Osama bin Laden. 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. Located in a remote and dangerous province in eastern Afghanistan, the base was the target of near-constant rocket attacks from Taliban insurgents. Enterprise writer at The Dallas Morning News. 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. A man reads the front page of a newspaper featuring the news that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was shot dead deep inside Pakistan in a night-time helicopter raid by US covert forces, ending a decade-long manhunt for the mastermind of the September 11 attacks. On April 29, 2011, President Barack Obama authorized a small special operations team, known as SEAL Team Six, to carry out a raid on the compound. 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. However, the AP has reported, the Afghan forces never staffed the outpost after American forces left, and the Taliban moved back in. 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. David Tarrant. Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission. 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. Navy SEAL Team Six, the heroic unit that killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011, is in grave danger due to the reckless actions of the Obama administration. Their names and their missions had never been revealed before. While the vast majority of attempts to down helicopters failed, the lucky shot that took down Extortion 17 had a precedent. KABUL, Afghanistan -- A helicopter crash in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province has killed 30 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan soldiers, the country's president said on. Related: Marcus Luttrell's savior claim's 'Lone Survivor' got it wrong. While the goggles are better than nothing, they turn everything green, distort depth perception and limit peripheral vision. Its one reason Twitter has put in place safeguards encouraging users to read links before retweeting them. All Rights Reserved. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because families of those killed are still being notified. The Chinook is often used to assist in disaster relief, delivering food and water after earthquakes and floods. "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. They start the movie showing George W Bush saying that after 9/11 we will hunt down those responsible. Lee earned his wings at Fort Rucker, Ala., then deployed to Pakistan, where he did humanitarian missions, learning to fly into and out of mountainous terrain. It means being informed. But what if it was a more advanced missile? The quick reaction force included SEAL Team 6 and other special operations personnel. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. A Defense Department special operations official told a House subcommittee last year that there is no indication the mission was compromised by the Afghans. Get everything off your social media. It had been loaded well within its limits. Afghan President Karzai's office released a statement on the incident. These helicopters have been well protected from long-range missile attacks for years, but still have few defenses against a simple RPG fired at short range while the Chinook hovers in place. All of us know that going into it.". But this might just take the cake. The front rotor shattered, and the back pylon sheared off. She also said the team was hindered by rules of engagement that prohibited their firing on potential targets unless they could see a weapon. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. What in the world was that Navy Seals conspiracy that Trump retweeted? And to this day, people are still debating what really happened. Some Arab countries and leaders condemned the actions of the United States. As more responsibilities fall on the shoulders of special forces, the risk of more losses like this one will continue to increase. Its crazy how many times I can think of where me or the guys I was with had to do that.. In fact, the conflict was heating up. 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. 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 RPG that struck Extortion 17 threw the helicopter into an uncontrollable spin. More than 20 Navy Seals died in the helicopter crash that killed 31 in Afghanistan yesterday. It's unclear how far away the helicopter was from the initial firefight when it went down and unclear how the troops in the firefight got to the crash location, the official said. The operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist was the result of years of planning and training. Caring is more than just slapping a bumper sticker on your car, he said. Not all will end as well as bin Laden's takedown, as PM noted in July. ", "The hearts and minds of our enemy are more valuable to our government than my son's blood," she said. President Trump has been known, over the years, to tweet some bizarre things. But some say the official report, which contained no direct criticism of decision-makers that day, did not delve deeply enough. The Benghazi attack in 2012 plays a part in some other versions of the tale. But why? "President Karzai expressed his deep condolences because of this incident and expressed his sympathy to Barack Obama.". Osama bin Ladens personal journal was also recovered. 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. 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. Conspiracy theories started almost immediately. On this night, Aug. 6, 2011, something went terribly wrong. Helicopter raids are dangerous and unpredictable. Just as ridiculous as saying [President George W.] Bush was responsible for 9/11, Lee said. A US helicopter crashed in Afghanistan yesterday killing 31 special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy Seals unit that killed Osama bin Laden. By The Newsroom 6th Aug 2011, 6:30pm Doug Hamburger, whose son Patrick was killed, called the incident an ambush that could have been prevented. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru)better known by its former name, Team 6-reportedly suffered the bulk of the casualties. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Nobody tipped off the fightersnor could anyone have alerted them. The U.S. Army knows the risks when it plans air assault operations in Afghanistan. At the pilots request, the AC-130 flashed an infrared spotlight, which could be seen only through night vision goggles, to light up the landing zone. One source says the team was thought to include 22 SEALs, three Air Force air controllers, seven Afghan Army troops, a dog and handler, and a civilian interpreter, plus the helicopter crew. The crash killed 38 people, including 15 Navy SEALs. 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. While the press conference was long on speculation and short on concrete evidence, the family members and their supporters didn't pull any punches. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. U.S. 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. 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,. The parents of three SEALs. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved, the 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. 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. By what name was Fallen Angel: Call Sign - Extortion 17 (2021) officially released in Canada in English? Honestly, sir, I dont think anybody had really looked at the LZ, said the pilot of Gun 1. 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. They fail to mention it was Saudis who orchestrated 9/11, yet he elected to go after Iraq and Afghanistan. After Vice President Joe Biden revealed that SEAL Team 6 carried out the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011, Strange said the members of his son's team gave startling indications to their families they were about to meet their demise. Image:U.S. PresidentDonaldTrumpholds a campaign rally at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. October 13, 2020. The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. If this [operation] was survivable, that was the right crew to have. One of the engines flew off, and the other caught fire. I thought I hit a tree,he said. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. Aaron Vaughn's mother, Karen, also demanded an explanation for why her son and his team were not using a special operations aircraft, such as the Chinooks flown by special operations pilots, which have specialized defenses designed to fly commandos deep behind enemy lines. Back in May, the families of the SEALs went public with concerns that the Obama administration was at least partially responsible for the deaths [] They heard a helicopter coming, they grabbed their RPGs, and they fired in quick succession, Darack said. The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. No one saw two Taliban armed with grenade launchers standing on a mud-brick turret well within range of the descending chopper. On his right wrist, he wears a bracelet with the names of the five crew members of Extortion 17. 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. 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. They are also pretty tough; the only comparable loss to this one was a Chinook shot down in 2005. SEAL Team Six was assigned three pre-invasion missions: two clandestine political missions relating to regime change on the island, and reconnaissance from the sea of the new airfield under construction on the island's southwest coast. The entire operation, which lasted only 40 minutes from start to finish, was the culmination of years of calculated planning and training. Over time, certain memories will fade, certain details will fade. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. He finished his contract with the Army shortly afterward, and that September enrolled in Southern Methodist Universitys Dedman School of Law. The helicopter was in great operational shape. Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, was one of the U.S. Navy SEALS killed in the helicopter crash. President Trump has been known, over the years, to tweet some bizarre things. These missiles add ultraviolet tracking to infrared seekers, making them less susceptible to the flares that Chinooks fire to try to throw incoming missiles off course. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. On the fourth anniversary of the worst one-day loss of military life in the war on terror, families of the dead say they are aghast that the government will not honor basic requests under the Freedom of Information Act. The next night, the pair had orders to drop off more troops in the same spot. In all, 17 members of the SEAL Team 6 counterterrorist force were on board the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, along with its Army National Guard aircrew, several support personnel and seven Afghan commandos. 4:05 p.m. - The first helicopter exits the compound. The helicopter plunged tail first. 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. 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. Still, SEAL Team Sixs bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success. 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. But why? Chance, however, a component of war intimately understood by war fighters, can never be completely mitigated. Whether enemy fire brought down the Chinook or a tree strike would never be known for sure. 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. A volley of three rockets total sped toward the general direction of the approaching Chinook, all launched within a few seconds of each other. Market data provided by Factset. "We simply didn't know those guys with those RPGs were there," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. WASHINGTON The families of Navy SEAL Team 6 members killed in a disastrous August 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan blamed the government for the tragedy, during an emotional press conference in Washington Thursday. See GlobalPost: Navy SEALs had "kill" order on Osama bin Laden, report claims. The subject of the tweet, per The Beast, is Alan Howell Parrot, a falconer-turned-CIA whistleblower who was once the star of a documentary called Feathered Cocaine.. He spoke out against banning girls education. Two investigations of the incident proved inconclusive. SEAL TEAM SIX - EXTORTION 17 COVER UP theunitedwest 15.8K subscribers Subscribe 683 53K views Streamed 7 years ago WOW, watch author Don Brown blow the lid off of the official government report. He grew up in Tyler, went to Texas A&M, joined the Corps of Cadets and stared in shock at the news thattwo planes slammed into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. However, a shoot down does not necessarily mean insurgents have changed their tactics or hardware. But it's often foreign to those who observe combat from afar. Somebody tipped them off. Finally Sells Japan Tomahawk Missiles. A catastrophic crash seemed unavoidable. Every mission is potentially life-threatening. 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. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon in February signed an order requiring the Obama administration to release documents on a continual basis through the spring and summer. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. 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. 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 . 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. Our families are in danger,' " Vaughn recalled. We were told at that time we were the first unit to make it through a rotation without having anyone killed.. U.S. officials tell The Associated Press that they believe that . 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. For many families of 9/11 victims, bin Ladens death symbolized justice and retribution. 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 . Are such missiles appearing in Afghanistan? He would not have hesitated to fly with any of them. An initial investigation indicates the helicopter was shot down by insurgents in the volatile Tangi valley of Wardak province, several hours south of Kabul. Although the Taliban have claimed to have shot the helicopter down, U.S. officials have only identified the attackers as insurgents. And Justice unilaterally set a new deadline for the release and then ignored it, Mr. Klayman said. I will never forget what they did, he 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. Since filing a lawsuit, Mr. Klayman says, he has been stonewalled by the Justice Department, the Defense Department, the CIA and the National Security Agency. One of the other things that we did talk about kind of what youre hitting on, sir, is about the fact that, you know, for three hours we had been burning holes in the sky, the officer told investigators. No one is planting victory gardens, and were not rationing. Lee, now a captain, was placed in command of a Chinook helicopter unit at Forward Operating Base Shank. The pilots, crew and Chinook helicopters of "Extortion Company," the conventional Army aviation unit to which Extortion 17 belonged, had supported over 90 percent of raids conducted by Rangers and SEALs of JSOC in that region; the flight in question was nothing out of the ordinary. They dont even produce under their own self-imposed deadline, Mr. Klayman told The Washington Times. Coincidence or not, any Chinook shoot-down is a coup for the Taliban. Family members question SEAL Team 6's most deadly incident. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. I would say that was the first time that we really had eyes on the LZ.. That assault team captured Tahirs compound and some of his men. He has written about soldiers returning home from war and the mental health crisis facing young people. 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. Winds whipped through the fir trees. 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. And thats fine; thats what you signed up for, Lee said. 4:10 p.m. - A backup helicopter scoops up remaining team members and leaves the area. Its planners and pilots must use whatever intelligence is available (which is usually pretty thin information, and comes from earlier attacks) to plan the flight route. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. Hamburger added. Chinooks are American forces' preferred helicopters in Afghanistan because they are powerful enough fly over mountains while carrying a full complement of troops. 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. In fact, Chinooks are better protected from newer, more sophisticated threats than from older, more crude ones. The story itself is tragic, but tons of war propaganda. The incident comes just months after DevGru's raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. There is still a tremendous level of chance for a tragedy of such huge magnitude.. Planners selected a landing zone that had never been used before. 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. 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 Is Russias Only Aircraft Carrier Cursed? Call Sign Extortion 17: The Shoot-Down of SEAL Team Six is a 2015 non-fiction expose, written by best-selling author and former U.S. Navy JAG Officer Don Brown, about the 2011 Chinook shootdown in Afghanistan of a United States Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter.