Downing of Extortion 17: The Single Deadliest Incident of the US War in At the flight controls were David R. Carter of the Colorado Army National Guard and copilot Bryan J. Nichols, a Kansas-based Army reservist. When the shock subsided, questions arose and persisted. U.S. Army Helicopter "EXTORTION 17" Shot Down - PBS.org [11], At 02:00, the special operations task force commander and the Immediate Reaction Force commander decided to add additional (non-SEAL) reinforcements, increasing the size of the team to 33. In March 2002, two MH-47s were downed by machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire while close to ground level. 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. [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. According to his book, No Easy Day (detailing his participation in Operation Neptune Spear), Mark Owen (the pen name of former SEAL Operator Matt Bissonnette) stated that nearly all of the Operators on that mission were handpicked from Red Squadron. The RPG is not a laser. The Final Mission of Extortion 17: Special Ops, Helicopter Support "One. Touch device users can explore by touch or with swipe . On the anniversary of the Extortion 17 tragedy, we remember the heroic men who were felled rushing into battle, as they had done hundreds of times . 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. "All of this raises the distinct possibility of a cover-up as to . Director Franois Garcia Writer Sandeep Panesar Stars Robert O'Neill (archive footage) Patricia Economo Enrique Garcia Then they have to stick the landing. I didnt want to die., He remembered the words of his old flight instructor: Never stop flying the aircraft.. 360 EXTORTION 17 ideas | extortion, navy seals, seal team 6 - Pinterest At any moment, they could come under rocket attack. Early life On board the Chinook CH-47D were 15 members of SEAL Team Six, 15 SEAL Team Six Support personnel, 1 Bomb Dog, 7 . The second slammed into one of the Chinooks rear rotor blades and exploded, severing 10 feet of it. Its the worst day in our history by a mile.. 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. Mission commanders, believing that Tahir was likely among one of the groups, deployed an Immediate Reaction Force (IRF) to interdict them while the Rangers held the compound. 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. The Final Flight of Extortion 17 It was the deadliest helicopter crash in the history of U.S. special operations. 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 suspicious August 6th, 2011, CH47-D Chinook helicopter crash in Wardak Province, Afghanistan which claimed the lives of 38 American military personnel.Of those 38 lost, 22 were members of Navy SEAL Team 6, the Naval Special Warfare unit responsible for the killing of notorious 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden . The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania. [22][20] Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, confirmed that eight of the movement's fighters had been killed in the assault on the compound. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Six weeks later, at around 10:40 p.m., an assault team of Army Rangers and Afghan special operations forces were dropped into an LZ on a mission to capture or kill a Taliban commander named Qari Tahir, who had been responsible for a series of attacks and ambushes in the Tangi Valley, not far from Shank. "Over two years after Extortion 17 was shot down, the families still have these unanswered questions," said Klayman. The CH-47 "Chinook" was carrying some of this nation's bravest and most capable military . Photo by Jake Simkin for Coffee or Die Magazine. 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. American intelligence officials identified this individual as "OBJECTIVE GINOSA." - Afghanistan: Honoring the Heroes of Extortion 17 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. BUT the Chief Command and those who elected him will pay for there failure to seek Yahwahs guidance before going to war or to vote for a new president! | August 6 marks six years since deadly 'Extortion 17' helicopter crash August 2011 Attack on U.S. Extortion 17: What really happened on America's deadliest day in On such missions, the Chinook pilots nearly always fly at night, wearing night vision goggles, or NVGs. The guy was incredibly skilled.. He would eventually do two tours and become commander of a Chinook unit during his second deployment in 2011. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. This is the Group Burial for unidentified remains of casualties of the Chinook helicopter (CH-47D 89-00175) which crashed in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. It wasnt preventable. As they started their descent, Lee heard a loud popping noise. Play FALLEN ANGEL Call Sign: Extortion 17. Its like taking a paper towel roll, cutting it in half and strapping it to your eye, Lee said. 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. Setting the record straight: Myths and misinformation about Extortion 17 [9][11], Meanwhile, the group of Taliban fighters split in two. [29], Other reports alleged that the Taliban had laid an elaborate trap for American special-operations forces, luring them in with false information. Downing of Extortion 17: The Single Deadliest Incident of the US War in He said, "And now, to our honor roll of American Service Personnel killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The shootdown was the single, deadliest loss of U.S. forces in the war. Sgt. The five other Navy casualties were NSW (Naval Special Warfare) support personnel; in addition to these, three AFSOC operators, one Combat Controller and two Pararescuemen, all members of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, died in the crash. The 30 American Servicemen killed in action (KIA) with the downing of Extortion 17. Operating with no lights save for the faint green glow of night vision goggles and cockpit instrument panels, the two helicopters, call signs Extortion 17 (one-seven) and Extortion 16, lifted into the darkness and accelerated toward a destination less than 20 miles west. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. The crash occurred in Tangi Joi Zareen, in the district of Sayd Abad in Wardak Province after it was struck by an. So if there was a added black box installed on this Aircraft there should be a maintenance record? 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 the ground assault force rushed toward Tahirs compound, Extortion 17 and 16 sped back to base, where they were refueled, and awaited word to extract the team, evacuate wounded, or race reinforcing troops to Juy Zarin. There remained many mysteries about the Extortion 17 shoot down. "[31][32] NBC News reported that the Pentagon released the names of the 30 Americans killed. Find the perfect extortion17 stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. What are the odds? A hearing was set to get answers to questions surrounding the high-profile shoot-down of an American helicopter in Afghanistan and how the remains of the fallen service members were handled. Two were still alive." As he did, he felt the craft leveling off. 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. The team boarded Extortion 17 with Dave Carter and Bryan Nichols at the controls. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment(General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas, Staff Sgt. Extortion 17 could be a bigger scandal and betrayal of Americans than Benghazi. AC-130 gunships orbiting overhead directed two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to fire on and kill five enemy fighters. American, French and Afghan National Police forces carried out a three-day sweep of the area, and the area was then deemed secure. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. Why did it happen? Several minutes later, a 20-man Pathfinder team (specializing in downed-aircraft rescue and recovery) arrived at the site. 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. A few minutes past 2 a.m.on August 6, 2011, at a dusty forward operating base40 miles south of Kabul, Afghanistan, the rotors of two U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks began to turn. Robert J. Reeves: A Navy SEAL who died in Extortion 17 - Spec Ops Magazine Extortion 17 Is A Bigger Scandal and Betrayal Than Benghazi Here, in silence, are the names and photographs of all 30 men. [36][37], After the shootdown of Extortion 17, the insurgent responsible used a two-way radio to brag to others about the act. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. Extortion17 hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Now deep in the Tangi Valley, their night vision goggles showing the world around them in greenish hues, the IRF team members readied to hit the ground running as the pilots slowed Extortion 17 and descended toward the village. The group fired 2-3 RPG rounds from a two-story building from a location some 220 meters south of the helicopter. Sgt. He said that insurgents had assumed a strong tactical position without knowledge of the helicopter's flight path. With a keen understanding of the propaganda value of downing Coalition helicopters, the Taliban single them out as targets. Were asking people to do incredible things. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. It is considered the worst loss of American lives in a single incident in the Afghanistan campaign, surpassing Operation Red Wings in 2005. Through sensors on manned and unmanned aircraft, U.S. forces observing the mud walls and terraces of the village saw new groups of fighters gathering and maneuvering. All hand picked by Red Squadron really makes your neck hair standup! Theres no precedent for this. Its a math problem. As the operation got underway, our airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, including an MQ-9 Predator, detected a group evading the Rangers, moving towards the north. [11], In 2013, Congressman Jason Chaffetz said that he would hold an investigation of the United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security into the matter. The Costliest Day in SEAL Team Six History - HISTORY In March 2009, the U.S. 10th Mountain Division established a base in Tangi Valley after increased Taliban activity in the area. 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. Their target: an Afghan named Qari Tahir and his group of fighters. 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. New documentary investigates events surrounding Extortion 17 helicopter Neither did the risk he and his pilots faced every night. Extortion 17 and 16 weren't MH-47s and their crews were not Night Stalkers. At 31 U.S. military personnel killed, the shoot down of Extortion 17 represents the greatest single-incident loss of U.S. lives in Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan, surpassing the 16. Lee remained in Afghanistan flying combat missions for another eight months before returning home in the spring of 2012. 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. Lawmakers hold hearing on deadly 'Extortion 17' helicopter crash in Intelligence on August 6th indicated Qari Tahir was in Tangi Valley, just a short helicopter flight from the SEAL base camp. 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. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. First, the Obama administration's Defense Department's crash report stated that there were no eyes in the sky over the Chinook . Caring is more than just slapping a bumper sticker on your car, he said. Our area of operation was the entire country of Iraq, and every mission was at night, says David Pat Gates, a pilot with Carters unit , the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (2-135th), a Colorado Army National Guard unit based in Aurora, Colorado. Today. The landing zone was small, and the commanders didnt want to split up the strike force. The following was transcribed from the above video press conference. Air Force Officer Speaks Out for First Time About Downing of Extortion Around 2:40 a.m., an Apache pilot flying in support came on the radio and shouted: Fallen Angel. It was brought down by multiple shots. There is still a tremendous level of chance for a tragedy of such huge magnitude.. [11][12], As the Rangers approached the target compound, ISR aircraft observed several people leaving the compound. [9][11], Almost an hour later (01:50), the aviation brigade commander approved a new landing zone for infiltration of the SEAL team. They were part of his command. EXTORTION 17 COVER-UP OF SEAL TEAM SIX SHOOT-DOWN | BWCentral Will this ever be exposed! by FighterSweep Staff Apr 25, 2017 Retired Air Force Captain Joni Marquez is claiming the Pentagon hid the truth and lied about the circumstances that led to a Chinook helicopter crash that. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas, Tech. Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, California, Tech. To reach the crash site, one must wind slowly through the ancient, narrow streets of the villages of Logar to reach the Tangi Valley in Wardak. Extortion 17 hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Carter and Nichols continued the descent. Qari Tahir, the man our forces were attempting to capture or kill on August 5, 2011, isone of many Taliban leaders who dedicate their lives to a corrupt agenda that seeks to eliminate freedom, equality, and prosperity in exchange for a medieval society built on violent extremism and wanton destruction. Extortion 17 - The Brian Bill Foundation Their deaths are the greatest single loss of life ever suffered by the U.S. Special Operations community in the 24-year history of the U.S. Special Operations Command. ], Four years after the downing of Extortion 17, there were many theories about a possible government coverup. The crew of Slasher 02, the AC-130 circling above, flipped the switch on their powerful light. [11] At 22:37 (local time) on the night of 5 August, a platoon of 47 U.S. Army Rangers left a forward operating base in Logar Province via two CH-47D transport helicopters, one of which would later be involved in the accident. Insurgents fired at the Chinook, severed one of. So the whole team went in one Chinook helicopter Extortion 17. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. Editor's Note: On August 6, 2021, 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. For example, on 8 June 2011 another Chinook helicopter was engaged from five to six locations (i.e., points of origin) with 14 rocket-propelled grenades, forcing the crew to abort their mission. 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. The hardest LZ Id ever been into, Lee said. Lee heard the call, and he knew what it meant. You also want to come in from a different direction for the element of surprise.. At the time of the Juy Zarin raid, the battalion had been flying in Afghanistan for about two weeks. We didnt do fast-rope inserts, building insertions, or anything like that. Subsequent to their Iraq deployment, the unit flew the SEALs of Team 6 on practice raids around Fort Carson, Colorado, and during nighttime urban training in Denver, further cementing the 2-135ths reputation with special operations units. Extortion 17 is a name etched in our minds as one of the worst losses our military has ever experienced. 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. Capable of loitering overhead for hours undetected, small fleets of unmanned craft passed imagery to mission planners before and during the raid at Juy Zarin, allowing them to recognize individual fighters, learn their habits, pinpoint where they slept, and identify the types of weapons they carried. Pinterest. The mission was flown by conventional pilots flying unmodified CH-47Ds. It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. It was the deadliest helicopter crash in the history of U.S. special operations. Two of the SEALs were from a West Coast SEAL unit, but the others were from the Gold Squadron of Naval Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU, sometimes known as SEAL Team 6, said the NSW source.. REMEMBERING EXTORTION 17 - Survive the News 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. It requires the highest level of skills from the pilots because they are some of the most dangerous operations.. PDF AFGHANISTAN: HONORING THE HEROES OF EXTORTION 17 - GovInfo In April 2011, American forces turned over control of Combat Outpost Tangi to Afghan government forces. The events that unfolded that night are commonly referred to as Extortion 17, the call sign for the helicopter transporting the special operations personnel. 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extortion 17 crash photos

Lee is 36 now, a civil attorney in Dallas, a world away from Afghanistan. On the Extortion 17 crash, credible journalism was produced on this subject by Ed Darack in his book, "The Final Mission of Extortion 17." The SEALs who died in the crash belonged to Gold Squadron, while the SEALs who killed bin Laden belonged to Red Squadron. While the goggles are better than nothing, they turn everything green, distort depth perception and limit peripheral vision. Extortion 17 sped alone toward the landing zone. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Anthony Nin Leclerec / U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) There were a total of 38 individuals onboard Extortion 17. He was probably in the top 1 percent of Army aviators, Lee said. In July 2010, an RPG-wielding fighter put a round into the tail boom of a Marine AH-1W Super Cobra, downing it and killing both pilots. To find answers to many of the outstanding questions regarding Extortion 17, a congressional oversight committee held a hearing on February 27, 2014. Every mission is potentially life-threatening. Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Vaughn was one of the SEAL Team 6 operators who died in the crash. Rest in peace, gentlemen; you will not be forgotten. [11], Separately, ISR aircraft continued to observe the unengaged group from the compound. (U.S. Army photo by Rachel Larue/Arlington National Cemetery/released). The first grenade missed Extortion 17. Advertising Notice The squadron that this SEAL belonged to was never mentioned. Downing of Extortion 17: The Single Deadliest Incident of the US War in At the flight controls were David R. Carter of the Colorado Army National Guard and copilot Bryan J. Nichols, a Kansas-based Army reservist. When the shock subsided, questions arose and persisted. U.S. Army Helicopter "EXTORTION 17" Shot Down - PBS.org [11], At 02:00, the special operations task force commander and the Immediate Reaction Force commander decided to add additional (non-SEAL) reinforcements, increasing the size of the team to 33. In March 2002, two MH-47s were downed by machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire while close to ground level. 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. [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. According to his book, No Easy Day (detailing his participation in Operation Neptune Spear), Mark Owen (the pen name of former SEAL Operator Matt Bissonnette) stated that nearly all of the Operators on that mission were handpicked from Red Squadron. The RPG is not a laser. The Final Mission of Extortion 17: Special Ops, Helicopter Support "One. Touch device users can explore by touch or with swipe . On the anniversary of the Extortion 17 tragedy, we remember the heroic men who were felled rushing into battle, as they had done hundreds of times . 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. "All of this raises the distinct possibility of a cover-up as to . Director Franois Garcia Writer Sandeep Panesar Stars Robert O'Neill (archive footage) Patricia Economo Enrique Garcia Then they have to stick the landing. I didnt want to die., He remembered the words of his old flight instructor: Never stop flying the aircraft.. 360 EXTORTION 17 ideas | extortion, navy seals, seal team 6 - Pinterest At any moment, they could come under rocket attack. Early life On board the Chinook CH-47D were 15 members of SEAL Team Six, 15 SEAL Team Six Support personnel, 1 Bomb Dog, 7 . The second slammed into one of the Chinooks rear rotor blades and exploded, severing 10 feet of it. Its the worst day in our history by a mile.. 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. Mission commanders, believing that Tahir was likely among one of the groups, deployed an Immediate Reaction Force (IRF) to interdict them while the Rangers held the compound. 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. The Final Flight of Extortion 17 It was the deadliest helicopter crash in the history of U.S. special operations. 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 suspicious August 6th, 2011, CH47-D Chinook helicopter crash in Wardak Province, Afghanistan which claimed the lives of 38 American military personnel.Of those 38 lost, 22 were members of Navy SEAL Team 6, the Naval Special Warfare unit responsible for the killing of notorious 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden . The extreme G-forces killed everyone on board within a fraction of a second, Darack said. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania. [22][20] Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, confirmed that eight of the movement's fighters had been killed in the assault on the compound. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Six weeks later, at around 10:40 p.m., an assault team of Army Rangers and Afghan special operations forces were dropped into an LZ on a mission to capture or kill a Taliban commander named Qari Tahir, who had been responsible for a series of attacks and ambushes in the Tangi Valley, not far from Shank. "Over two years after Extortion 17 was shot down, the families still have these unanswered questions," said Klayman. The CH-47 "Chinook" was carrying some of this nation's bravest and most capable military . Photo by Jake Simkin for Coffee or Die Magazine. 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. American intelligence officials identified this individual as "OBJECTIVE GINOSA." - Afghanistan: Honoring the Heroes of Extortion 17 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. BUT the Chief Command and those who elected him will pay for there failure to seek Yahwahs guidance before going to war or to vote for a new president! | August 6 marks six years since deadly 'Extortion 17' helicopter crash August 2011 Attack on U.S. Extortion 17: What really happened on America's deadliest day in On such missions, the Chinook pilots nearly always fly at night, wearing night vision goggles, or NVGs. The guy was incredibly skilled.. He would eventually do two tours and become commander of a Chinook unit during his second deployment in 2011. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. This is the Group Burial for unidentified remains of casualties of the Chinook helicopter (CH-47D 89-00175) which crashed in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. It wasnt preventable. As they started their descent, Lee heard a loud popping noise. Play FALLEN ANGEL Call Sign: Extortion 17. Its like taking a paper towel roll, cutting it in half and strapping it to your eye, Lee said. 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. Setting the record straight: Myths and misinformation about Extortion 17 [9][11], Meanwhile, the group of Taliban fighters split in two. [29], Other reports alleged that the Taliban had laid an elaborate trap for American special-operations forces, luring them in with false information. Downing of Extortion 17: The Single Deadliest Incident of the US War in He said, "And now, to our honor roll of American Service Personnel killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The shootdown was the single, deadliest loss of U.S. forces in the war. Sgt. The five other Navy casualties were NSW (Naval Special Warfare) support personnel; in addition to these, three AFSOC operators, one Combat Controller and two Pararescuemen, all members of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, died in the crash. The 30 American Servicemen killed in action (KIA) with the downing of Extortion 17. Operating with no lights save for the faint green glow of night vision goggles and cockpit instrument panels, the two helicopters, call signs Extortion 17 (one-seven) and Extortion 16, lifted into the darkness and accelerated toward a destination less than 20 miles west. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. The crash occurred in Tangi Joi Zareen, in the district of Sayd Abad in Wardak Province after it was struck by an. So if there was a added black box installed on this Aircraft there should be a maintenance record? 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 the ground assault force rushed toward Tahirs compound, Extortion 17 and 16 sped back to base, where they were refueled, and awaited word to extract the team, evacuate wounded, or race reinforcing troops to Juy Zarin. There remained many mysteries about the Extortion 17 shoot down. "[31][32] NBC News reported that the Pentagon released the names of the 30 Americans killed. Find the perfect extortion17 stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. What are the odds? A hearing was set to get answers to questions surrounding the high-profile shoot-down of an American helicopter in Afghanistan and how the remains of the fallen service members were handled. Two were still alive." As he did, he felt the craft leveling off. 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. The team boarded Extortion 17 with Dave Carter and Bryan Nichols at the controls. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment(General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas, Staff Sgt. Extortion 17 could be a bigger scandal and betrayal of Americans than Benghazi. AC-130 gunships orbiting overhead directed two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to fire on and kill five enemy fighters. American, French and Afghan National Police forces carried out a three-day sweep of the area, and the area was then deemed secure. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. Why did it happen? Several minutes later, a 20-man Pathfinder team (specializing in downed-aircraft rescue and recovery) arrived at the site. 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. A few minutes past 2 a.m.on August 6, 2011, at a dusty forward operating base40 miles south of Kabul, Afghanistan, the rotors of two U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks began to turn. Robert J. Reeves: A Navy SEAL who died in Extortion 17 - Spec Ops Magazine Extortion 17 Is A Bigger Scandal and Betrayal Than Benghazi Here, in silence, are the names and photographs of all 30 men. [36][37], After the shootdown of Extortion 17, the insurgent responsible used a two-way radio to brag to others about the act. The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. Extortion17 hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Now deep in the Tangi Valley, their night vision goggles showing the world around them in greenish hues, the IRF team members readied to hit the ground running as the pilots slowed Extortion 17 and descended toward the village. The group fired 2-3 RPG rounds from a two-story building from a location some 220 meters south of the helicopter. Sgt. He said that insurgents had assumed a strong tactical position without knowledge of the helicopter's flight path. With a keen understanding of the propaganda value of downing Coalition helicopters, the Taliban single them out as targets. Were asking people to do incredible things. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. It is considered the worst loss of American lives in a single incident in the Afghanistan campaign, surpassing Operation Red Wings in 2005. Through sensors on manned and unmanned aircraft, U.S. forces observing the mud walls and terraces of the village saw new groups of fighters gathering and maneuvering. All hand picked by Red Squadron really makes your neck hair standup! Theres no precedent for this. Its a math problem. As the operation got underway, our airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, including an MQ-9 Predator, detected a group evading the Rangers, moving towards the north. [11], In 2013, Congressman Jason Chaffetz said that he would hold an investigation of the United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security into the matter. The Costliest Day in SEAL Team Six History - HISTORY In March 2009, the U.S. 10th Mountain Division established a base in Tangi Valley after increased Taliban activity in the area. 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. Their target: an Afghan named Qari Tahir and his group of fighters. 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. New documentary investigates events surrounding Extortion 17 helicopter Neither did the risk he and his pilots faced every night. Extortion 17 and 16 weren't MH-47s and their crews were not Night Stalkers. At 31 U.S. military personnel killed, the shoot down of Extortion 17 represents the greatest single-incident loss of U.S. lives in Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan, surpassing the 16. Lee remained in Afghanistan flying combat missions for another eight months before returning home in the spring of 2012. 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. Lawmakers hold hearing on deadly 'Extortion 17' helicopter crash in Intelligence on August 6th indicated Qari Tahir was in Tangi Valley, just a short helicopter flight from the SEAL base camp. 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. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. First, the Obama administration's Defense Department's crash report stated that there were no eyes in the sky over the Chinook . Caring is more than just slapping a bumper sticker on your car, he said. Our area of operation was the entire country of Iraq, and every mission was at night, says David Pat Gates, a pilot with Carters unit , the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (2-135th), a Colorado Army National Guard unit based in Aurora, Colorado. Today. The landing zone was small, and the commanders didnt want to split up the strike force. The following was transcribed from the above video press conference. Air Force Officer Speaks Out for First Time About Downing of Extortion Around 2:40 a.m., an Apache pilot flying in support came on the radio and shouted: Fallen Angel. It was brought down by multiple shots. There is still a tremendous level of chance for a tragedy of such huge magnitude.. [11][12], As the Rangers approached the target compound, ISR aircraft observed several people leaving the compound. [9][11], Almost an hour later (01:50), the aviation brigade commander approved a new landing zone for infiltration of the SEAL team. They were part of his command. EXTORTION 17 COVER-UP OF SEAL TEAM SIX SHOOT-DOWN | BWCentral Will this ever be exposed! by FighterSweep Staff Apr 25, 2017 Retired Air Force Captain Joni Marquez is claiming the Pentagon hid the truth and lied about the circumstances that led to a Chinook helicopter crash that. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas, Tech. Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, California, Tech. To reach the crash site, one must wind slowly through the ancient, narrow streets of the villages of Logar to reach the Tangi Valley in Wardak. Extortion 17 hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Carter and Nichols continued the descent. Qari Tahir, the man our forces were attempting to capture or kill on August 5, 2011, isone of many Taliban leaders who dedicate their lives to a corrupt agenda that seeks to eliminate freedom, equality, and prosperity in exchange for a medieval society built on violent extremism and wanton destruction. Extortion 17 - The Brian Bill Foundation Their deaths are the greatest single loss of life ever suffered by the U.S. Special Operations community in the 24-year history of the U.S. Special Operations Command. ], Four years after the downing of Extortion 17, there were many theories about a possible government coverup. The crew of Slasher 02, the AC-130 circling above, flipped the switch on their powerful light. [11] At 22:37 (local time) on the night of 5 August, a platoon of 47 U.S. Army Rangers left a forward operating base in Logar Province via two CH-47D transport helicopters, one of which would later be involved in the accident. Insurgents fired at the Chinook, severed one of. So the whole team went in one Chinook helicopter Extortion 17. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. Editor's Note: On August 6, 2021, 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. For example, on 8 June 2011 another Chinook helicopter was engaged from five to six locations (i.e., points of origin) with 14 rocket-propelled grenades, forcing the crew to abort their mission. 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. The hardest LZ Id ever been into, Lee said. Lee heard the call, and he knew what it meant. You also want to come in from a different direction for the element of surprise.. At the time of the Juy Zarin raid, the battalion had been flying in Afghanistan for about two weeks. We didnt do fast-rope inserts, building insertions, or anything like that. Subsequent to their Iraq deployment, the unit flew the SEALs of Team 6 on practice raids around Fort Carson, Colorado, and during nighttime urban training in Denver, further cementing the 2-135ths reputation with special operations units. Extortion 17 is a name etched in our minds as one of the worst losses our military has ever experienced. 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. Capable of loitering overhead for hours undetected, small fleets of unmanned craft passed imagery to mission planners before and during the raid at Juy Zarin, allowing them to recognize individual fighters, learn their habits, pinpoint where they slept, and identify the types of weapons they carried. Pinterest. The mission was flown by conventional pilots flying unmodified CH-47Ds. It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. It was the deadliest helicopter crash in the history of U.S. special operations. Two of the SEALs were from a West Coast SEAL unit, but the others were from the Gold Squadron of Naval Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU, sometimes known as SEAL Team 6, said the NSW source.. REMEMBERING EXTORTION 17 - Survive the News 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. It requires the highest level of skills from the pilots because they are some of the most dangerous operations.. PDF AFGHANISTAN: HONORING THE HEROES OF EXTORTION 17 - GovInfo In April 2011, American forces turned over control of Combat Outpost Tangi to Afghan government forces. The events that unfolded that night are commonly referred to as Extortion 17, the call sign for the helicopter transporting the special operations personnel.

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