Lees wife, Christy, hoped the news would bring a sudden end to the war. The hardest LZ Id ever been into, Lee said. But why? 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 sheer amount of experience with our pilots, flight engineers and back-seaters and mechanics offered a wealth of knowledge, he said. 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. The story itself is tragic, but tons of war propaganda. The police chief of Wardak said the attack occurred around 1 a.m. Saturday after an assault on a Taliban compound in the village of Jaw-e-Mekh Zareen in the Tangi Valley. The immediate reaction force (IRF) was assembled hastily for insertion into Tangi Valley to help Army Rangers capture fleeing Taliban. Some news stories reported that investigators couldnt find the helicopters black box, referring to the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. To minimize the danger as much as possible, pilots will land Chinooks out of range of any weapons they know they enemy to have, and an Apache or a UAV will fly overhead to check for threats before the Chinooks drop off any soldiers. Nearby, there were two enemy fighters with rocket-propelled grenade launchers. They then repeated and emphasized a few related questions: How could this happen? In fact, Chinooks are better protected from newer, more sophisticated threats than from older, more crude ones. The Taliban, of course, has taken credit, saying it shot down the helo during a special forces raid on a home. Family members are hoping Freedom Watch, a watchdog legal group led by Larry Klayman, can force new disclosures using the power of the FOIA process. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Per factcheck.org, while Obama and his advisers were deliberating over which mission to authorize for attacking Bin Ladens compound, Biden advised the president to wait for further confirmation that bin Laden was actually in the compound in Pakistan before acting. Biden was not, as implied, altogether opposed to killing Bin Laden. It has now been four years since Extortion 17 was shot down, said Doug Hamburger, whose Army air crew son, Patrick, was one of the 30 Americans killed. During the event organized by a group called Freedom Watch, family members and former military personnel claimed President Obama turned the SEALs group into a Taliban target after the administration revealed they had conducted the bin Laden raid. By the time the third sped away from its launcher, however, no target remained. The co-pilot, Bryan Nichols, was one of Lee's closest friends in the Chinook company. 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. Forces to the threat of spying. 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. We were told at that time we were the first unit to make it through a rotation without having anyone killed.. 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. Ohio Republican Secretary of State 'actively' considering Senate run against Sherrod Brown, DeSantis family spends the afternoon at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor's speech, Marianne Williamson launches campaign against Biden, vows to fight 'forces of hatred, injustice and fear', Haley blasts both Democrats and fellow Republicans, including Trump, over exploding national debt. JSOC and aviation commanders, prepared for virtually any outcome, quickly formulated a plan: they would send a team on one helicopter to bolster the Ranger-led force. That assault team captured Tahirs compound and some of his men. Could an enemy have specifically targeted the U.S. special forces team that took down bin Laden? 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. Whether enemy fire brought down the Chinook or a tree strike would never be known for sure. The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. 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. As more responsibilities fall on the shoulders of special forces, the risk of more losses like this one will continue to increase. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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 team boarded Extortion 17 with Dave Carter and Bryan Nichols at the controls. The workhorse in Army aviation, the tandem rotor, heavy-lift Chinook helicopter is used for carrying troops, equipment, supplies and even the mail. In the immediate wake of the tragedy, the military initiated two investigations. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Guys on the bush line. 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 operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the same regiment that flew the bin Laden raid. 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. 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. All rights reserved. SEAL TEAM SIX - Extortion 17 EXPOSED theunitedwest 15.8K subscribers Subscribe 4.7K 394K views Streamed 9 years ago AUGUST 6, 2015 - Today, on the fourth anniversary of the shoot down of. It's certainly possible. 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. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. Aerial view of Osama bin Laden's compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, made by the CIA. Your life is in danger. One of the things I vowed, I will never forget. The tempo of the missions did not decrease. The second RPG round had connected with one of Extortion 17's aft rotor blades, severing more than 10 feet of it when it exploded. MARTHA RADDATZ, LUIS MARTINEZ and MIKE BOETTCHER, helicopter was shot down today by Afghan insurgents, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Almost 10 years after 9/11, here's what led to the death of Osama bin Laden. Conspiracy theories started almost immediately. Two investigations of the incident proved inconclusive. Strange also blamed top military brass for sending the troops into a situation they were allegedly ill-equipped and unprepared to handle. How SEAL Team 6 . The families accept the fact that a single shot brought down the helicopter. Finally Sells Japan Tomahawk Missiles. He spoke out against banning girls education. At that time, this marked deadliest moment in the war in Afghanistan. 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 . Enterprise writer at The Dallas Morning News. The helicopter crashed into a creek bed and a flash flood shortly afterward washed away some parts of the wreckage. . 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. 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. 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. The landing zone was small, and the commanders didnt want to split up the strike force. What the men on the Chinook didn't know was that cloaked by darkness, two fighters had emerged from the small village of Hasan Khel, on the south side of the valley. For now, let's assume the Chinook was shot down, and by a rocket. Its like taking a paper towel roll, cutting it in half and strapping it to your eye, Lee said. The chopper's manifest. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. 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. U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because families of those killed are still being notified. Market data provided by Factset. Every mission is potentially life-threatening. It's a scary thought. 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. 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 . A CH-47D Chinook helicopter lands at a small landing zone at Firebase Blessing, in eastern Afghanistans restive Kunar Province at the start of a combat operation. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers.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. Still, SEAL Team Sixs bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success. See production, box office & company info, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The military's public c 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. As for himself, he speaks out about Extortion 17 because he wants to remember the men on that mission. The ensuing crash killed all 16 on board, eight Army special operations aviators, and eight Navy SEALs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The team was responding to an Army Ranger unit that was engaged in a protracted firefight with Taliban fighters and needed reinforcements. "We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied. What in the world was that Navy Seals conspiracy that Trump retweeted? REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst. [PHOTOS:Fighting in Afghanistan Continues]. "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. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. It's true that members of SEAL Team 6 died tragically in a helicopter crash not long after the Bin Laden mission, but the particular soldiers who perished weren't part of that operation, says O'Neill. 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. On board were 22 members of the elite Seal Team Six, two U.S. Air Force Para-rescue men, three Army reserve personnel, a U.S. Air Force Combat Controller, the pilot and co-pilot, a U.S . These materials provided much-needed intelligence about bin Ladens role within al-Qaeda and the organizations inner-workings. 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. 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. 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). See GlobalPost: Navy SEALs had "kill" order on Osama bin Laden, report claims. 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 . U.S. Lee had just flown the night before on a similar mission with one of the pilots, David Carter. 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. 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. Around 2:40 a.m., an Apache pilot flying in support came on the radio and shouted: Fallen Angel. The tragedy took some of the glow off SEAL Team 6s grand achievement just three months earlier: A team penetrated Pakistan airspace, infiltrated a compound in Abbottabad and killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. The operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist was the result of years of planning and training. At any moment, they could come under rocket attack. But why? On this night, Aug. 6, 2011, something went terribly wrong. If this [operation] was survivable, that was the right crew to have. 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. The SEAL Team 6 community was devastated. EXPLOSIVE: CIA Whistleblower Exposes Bidens Alleged Role With the Deaths of Seal Team- Claims to have Documented Proof. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts, - The Washington Times - Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Coincidence or not, any Chinook shoot-down is a coup for the Taliban. 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. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. But why? That is why, they say, a fighter just happened to be stationed in a turret within 150 yards of a landing zone that had never been used before. 4:08 p.m. - The team destroys the chopper that crashed. In combat, its mission is to transport large teams of elite assault troops, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, to and from the battlefield. The helicopter was in great operational shape. Nobody tipped off the fightersnor could anyone have alerted them. When asked what lessons Americans can draw from the crash of Extortion 17, Lees answer is simple: Americans should care about what happens in Afghanistan because theyve sent Americans to war there. 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. We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country. I would say that was the first time that we really had eyes on the LZ.. The next day, a DNA test confirmed that the body was indeed that of Osama bin Laden. 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. Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission. Somebody tipped them off. But why? 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. On his right wrist, he wears a bracelet with the names of the five crew members of Extortion 17. In addition to killing the man who was considered the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. forces snagged valuable items from the compound during the raid. So the whole team went in one Chinook helicopter -- Extortion 17. Extortion 17, however, would never reach that landing zone. He knew the pilots and crew members aboard Extortion 17. Justin Buddy Lee will never forget that night six years ago. Originally published August 6, 2011 at 10:50 am Updated August 6, 2011 at 3:16 pm. Its crazy how many times I can think of where me or the guys I was with had to do that.. Joe Pappalardo is a contributing writer at Popular Mechanics and author of the new book, Spaceport Earth: The Reinvention of Spaceflight. More than 20 Navy Seals died in the helicopter crash that killed 31 in Afghanistan yesterday. The team began intense training for the operation, which included practicing in a life-sized replica of the compound. This misinformation persists in part because those unfamiliar with the battlefield aren't taking into account a fundamental part of war: chance. Helicopter raids are dangerous and unpredictable. Winds whipped through the fir trees. Patrick Hamburger, served among the helicopter's crew. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. 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. The ensuing crash killed all 16 on board, eight Army special operations aviators, and eight Navy SEALs. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A silhouette of a flight engineer manning an M240 machine gun on the ramp of a CH-47D Chinook in eastern Afghanistan. A silhouette of a. the seal team 6 crash is just tying up loose ends for their crimes. 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. A catastrophic crash seemed unavoidable. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Misinformation regarding the skills of the pilots and crew, and nonsensical conspiracy theoriesoften politically motivatedfollowed, much of which unfortunately continues to this day. There was no conspiracy. I had to learn how to land while browned-out, wearing NVGs, on the side of a mountain or an uneven field, Lee said. Afghan President Karzai's office released a statement on the incident. In fact, the conflict was heating up. Three of the . U.S. officials tell The Associated Press that they believe that . Up to 30 Dead in Afghanistan Following Failed Prison Heist, Total Iraq and Afghanistan Pricetag: Over $4 Trillion. September-11-pentagon-attack-survivors-evacuation. 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. Many military experts at the time, including some of Obamas top military advisers, had questioned the White Houses public praise of SEAL Team 6 and said it put members in danger. they won't view it as wrong, just a "necessary" sacrifice for your country. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., he remains obsessively curious about Texans and the Lone Star State culture. He taught helicopter pilots how to fly in high altitudes at an aviation training site in Colorado. The Chinook had no Apache escort, as did the Ranger team that enjoyed the element of surprise when it touched down hours earlier. 4:10 p.m. - A backup helicopter scoops up remaining team members and leaves the area. "A NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province," Karzai said in the statement. Lee and his friend Bryan Nichols flew their Chinook into battle several timesthe first night, dropping off troops at a landing zone (LZ) almost 10,000 feet above sea level. For many families of 9/11 victims, bin Ladens death symbolized justice and retribution. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Some Arab countries and leaders condemned the actions of the United States. 4:05 p.m. - The first helicopter exits the compound. President Trump has been known, over the years, to tweet some bizarre things. 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. He has written about soldiers returning home from war and the mental health crisis facing young people. Then they have to stick the landing. Ten computer hard drives, five computers and more than 100 storage devices were retrieved. The helicopter plunged tail first. Honestly, sir, I dont think anybody had really looked at the LZ, said the pilot of Gun 1. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. 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.. DevGru is an emblem of U.S. military power, known worldwide. With Sean Hannity, Raj Kala, Justin Torrence, Vee Bhakta. 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. 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. Only the pilots, crew, and special operations ground forces commanders knew about the planned flight path and time. The worst of the wounded was one of Lees crew members, who suffered what was later diagnosed as a severe traumatic brain injury. One of the best crews in my company. They were part of his command. Strange. ", Ed Darack's The Final Mission of Extortion 17, published by Smithsonian Books, will be available on September 19. Things like Benghazi and the NSA. One of the engines flew off, and the other caught fire. because seals have a habit of writing books once they retire. Landing in deserts or mountainsides, the helicopter rotors kick up clouds of sand and dust, causing brownouts that can blind a pilot. There's always the chance that Iran, which has them, or Pakistan, which conceivably could have bought some on the black market, supplied them to the Taliban. Legal Statement. 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. But at least you should care about them and appreciate what were asking of them.. He would not have hesitated to fly with any of them. "One minuteone minute," transmitted Bryan Nichols, the pilot in command of the helicopter. But Chinooks are at their most vulnerable while hovering in place during raids like the one this team is thought to have been conducting. Saturday's deaths bring the total number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan to 334 this year, according to the Associated Press. Some congressional lawmakers demonstrated their support for the group, including former Florida Republican Rep. Allan West -- an Iraq war vet -- and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. Charles Strange, whose son Michael, 25, died in the attack said Obama personally promised him a thorough investigation of what happened but has failed to deliver. The Associated Press contributed to this report. As reported on by The Daily Beast, Trump retweeted a message posted by an account called Oscar the Midnight Rider 1111, which alleges that Hiden Biden and Obama may have had Seal team 6 killed! The Justice Department said at least 50 documents in the Pentagon have been identified as relevant, but only one has been turned over. And Justice unilaterally set a new deadline for the release and then ignored it, Mr. Klayman said. 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.
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