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Afghanistan

Today: Remember Extortion 17, when 31 Americans were killed in deadliest day in Afghan war

A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter receives an aerial refueling from a MC-130E aircraft during Emerald Warrior, Duke Field, Fla., March 6, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tony R. Ritter/Released)
August 06, 2018

Today marks the seventh anniversary of Extortion 17 and its last flight, during which all 38 occupants aboard the Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter were shot down over Afghanistan by the Taliban with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Those killed included some of the U.S. military’s most well-trained and experienced fighters, including 15 men from the Navy’s SEAL Team 6, which had just three months prior killed Osama bin Laden.

It is the single greatest loss of American life in Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, or the Afghan War; 31 Americans were killed, including one U.S. military dog.

Today, we remember our fallen brothers. They will never be forgotten as long as we are here to carry on their legacy and they will always be missed. 🔱 #Extortion17 8.6.11 SGT ALEXANDER J. BENNETT SPC SPENCER DUNCAN CWO BRYAN J. NICHOLS CWO DAVID R. CARTER SSG PATRICK D. HAMBURGER TSGT JOHN W. BROWN SSGT ANDREW W. HARVELL TSGT DANIEL L. ZERBE PO1 (SEAL) DARRICK C. BENSON CPO (SEAL) BRIAN R. BILL PO1 (SEAL) CHRISTOPHER G. CAMPBELL PO1 JARED W. DAY PO1 JOHN DOUANGDARA CPO (SEAL) JOHN W. FAAS CPO (SEAL) KEVIN A. HOUSTON LT. CMDR. (SEAL) JONAS B. KELSALL MCPO (SEAL) LOUIS J. LANGLAIS CPO (SEAL) MATTHEW D. MASON CPO (SEAL) STEPHEN M. MILLS CPO NICHOLAS H. NULL PO1 (SEAL) JESSE D. PITTMAN SCPO (SEAL) THOMAS A. RATZLAFF CPO (SEAL) ROBERT J. REEVES CPO (SEAL) HEATH M. ROBINSON PO2 (SEAL) NICHOLAS P. SPEHAR PO1 MICHAEL J. STRANGE PO1 (SEAL) JON T. TUMILSON PO1 (SEAL) AARON C. VAUGHN SCPO KRAIG M. VICKERS PO1 (SEAL) JASON R. WORKMAN 🐾 NAVY SEAL DOG “BART”

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Those killed were 25 American special operations personnel, one pilot and two crewmen of the U.S. Army Reserve, one pilot and one crewman of the U.S. Army National Guard, seven members of the Afghan National Security Forces and one Afghan interpreter, as well as a U.S. military working dog.

The Chinook – along with a second helicopter, call sign Extortion 16 – took off from a forward operating base (FOB) about 40 miles south of Kabul.

The helicopter was sweeping over the Tangi Valley when it was taken down the Taliban.

These are the names of the 31 Americans, including one U.S. military working dog, killed:

  • SGT ALEXANDER J. BENNETT
  • SPC SPENCER DUNCAN
  • CWO BRYAN J. NICHOLS
  • CWO DAVID R. CARTER
  • SSG PATRICK D. HAMBURGER
  • TSGT JOHN W. BROWN
  • SSGT ANDREW W. HARVELL
  • TSGT DANIEL L. ZERBE
  • PO1 (SEAL) DARRICK C. BENSON
  • CPO (SEAL) BRIAN R. BILL
  • PO1 (SEAL) CHRISTOPHER G. CAMPBELL
  • PO1 JARED W. DAY
  • PO1 JOHN DOUANGDARA
  • CPO (SEAL) JOHN W. FAAS
  • CPO (SEAL) KEVIN A. HOUSTON
  • LT. CMDR. (SEAL) JONAS B. KELSALL
  • MCPO (SEAL) LOUIS J. LANGLAIS
  • CPO (SEAL) MATTHEW D. MASON
  • CPO (SEAL) STEPHEN M. MILLS
  • CPO NICHOLAS H. NULL
  • PO1 (SEAL) JESSE D. PITTMAN
  • SCPO (SEAL) THOMAS A. RATZLAFF
  • CPO (SEAL) ROBERT J. REEVES
  • CPO (SEAL) HEATH M. ROBINSON
  • PO2 (SEAL) NICHOLAS P. SPEHAR
  • PO1 MICHAEL J. STRANGE
  • PO1 (SEAL) JON T. TUMILSON
  • PO1 (SEAL) AARON C. VAUGHN
  • SCPO KRAIG M. VICKERS
  • PO1 (SEAL) JASON R. WORKMAN
  • NAVY SEAL DOG “BART”

NEVER FORGET ⠀ Today we Honor and Remember those we lost on August 6, 2011. On that day, the United States sustained the greatest single loss of lives to our Special Operations Forces in American history when U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook, call sign “Extortion 17”, was shot down by Taliban fighters south of Kabul, Afghanistan.⠀ ⠀ Join us as we take a moment to honor the memories of those 30 Americans and one Military Working Dog lost on August 6, 2011:⠀ ⠀ CTR1 Michael J. Strange⠀ SOC Matthew Mason⠀ SO1 Christopher Campbell⠀ SOCM Louis Langlais⠀ MA1 John Douangdara⠀ SOC Jason R. Workman⠀ IT1 Jared Day⠀ SOC Brian Bill⠀ SOC John Faas⠀ SOC Jon (JT) Tumilson⠀ EODC Nicholas H. Null⠀ LCDR (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall⠀ SOCS Robert Reeves⠀ SOC Stephen Matthew Mills⠀ EODCS Kraig Vickers⠀ SOCS Thomas Ratzlaff⠀ SOC Kevin Houston⠀ SOCS Heath Robinson⠀ SOC Aaron C. Vaughn⠀ SO1 Darrik Benson⠀ SO1 Jesse Pittman⠀ SO2 Nicholas Spehar⠀ MWD Bart⠀ SGT Alexander J. Bennett⠀ SPC Spencer Duncan⠀ CWO2 Bryan J. Nichols⠀ CWO4 David R. Carter⠀ SSG Patrick D. Hamburger⠀ TSgt John W. Brown⠀ SSgt Andrew W. Harvell⠀ TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe⠀ ⠀ Never Forgotten. #Extortion17

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