But special forces don't get such a cushion: Because they can react more quickly, they undertake more dangerous missions; their risk tolerance is much, much higher. The story itself is tragic, but tons of war propaganda. Lee, now a captain, was placed in command of a Chinook helicopter unit at Forward Operating Base Shank. But no one died. 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. Despite the risk, operations like these were taking place with such frequency in Afghanistan they only made news when they produced a spectacular success, like the bin Laden mission. About a dozen of the 33 troops in the back of the helicopter suffered broken bones, heavy bruises and scrapes. President Trump has also claimed, including in the first presidential debate, that Biden opposed the raid that took out Bin Laden. 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. While the goggles are better than nothing, they turn everything green, distort depth perception and limit peripheral vision. But the CH-47D has neither a flight nor voice recorder, only an engine performance data recorder for maintenance. The pilots ranked among the most proficient in this type of flying and the Department of Defense. Still, SEAL Team Sixs bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success. And to this day, people are still debating what really happened. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. On a moonless night, an Army Chinook helicopter swept low over the Tangi Valley, a strip of forbidding terrain in eastern Afghanistan teeming with Taliban and located just 35 miles south of the capital, Kabul. Their names and their missions had never been revealed before. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Its almost always a miss.. A Marine speaks into a radio and troops unload a CH-47D Chinook in Afghanistan's Kunar Province. One of the best crews in my company. The workhorse in Army aviation, the tandem rotor, heavy-lift Chinook helicopter is used for carrying troops, equipment, supplies and even the mail. In fact, the conflict was heating up. Things like Benghazi and the NSA. 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. Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission. 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. Osama bin Ladens personal journal was also recovered. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. The conspiracy theories didnt bother Lee at first. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "In releasing their identity, they put a target on their backs," said Doug Hamburger, whose son, Army Staff Sgt. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst. Extortion 17, however, would never reach that landing zone. I find it quite disturbing that the government is not willing to give us the answers we deserve. Over time, certain memories will fade, certain details will fade. He taught helicopter pilots how to fly in high altitudes at an aviation training site in Colorado. The worst of the wounded was one of Lees crew members, who suffered what was later diagnosed as a severe traumatic brain injury. My life is in danger. Military officials told her operating outside of these rules "damages our efforts to win the hearts and minds of our enemies. Enterprise writer at The Dallas Morning News. 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. 4:10 p.m. - A backup helicopter scoops up remaining team members and leaves the area. As for himself, he speaks out about Extortion 17 because he wants to remember the men on that mission. Apparently, someone tipped them off that the SEALs were coming; the helicopter was attacked from three sides in a coordinated ambush. During a press conference on Washington Thursday, family and advocates for the fallen troops called into question the rules of engagement that they say prohibited their sons from being able to return fire, and the White House's decision to announce shortly after the killing of Osama bin Laden that SEAL Team 6 was responsible for the raid. U.S. Central Commands official investigation concluded that a rocket-launched grenade from a Taliban fighter standing near the landing zone clipped a rotary wing, sending the Ch-47 Chinook into a violent downward spin. The SEAL Team 6 community was devastated. But one thing that doesnt fade is never forgetting what they did.. In 2006, he was called into Afghanistan, where he turned 25. They were part of his command. President Obama offered his thoughts and prayers to those killed in the crash. Some of the most highly trained and skilled war fighters in history, the Rangers moved overland to a location where intelligence indicated Lefty Grove and his small cadre of fighters would be holding a meeting. Finally Sells Japan Tomahawk Missiles. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Family members question SEAL Team 6's most deadly incident. With Sean Hannity, Raj Kala, Justin Torrence, Vee Bhakta. He probably doesnt. An Afghan official, speaking anonymously a few days after the attack, speculated that the Taliban had laid a trap, that they had purposely put out false information about a meeting involving the Taliban commander. With David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Jessica Par, Neil Brown Jr.. Planners selected a landing zone that had never been used before. It is not uncommon for commandos to fly some of their missions aboard such aircraft in the war zone, however. Or when something went terribly wrong. If this [operation] was survivable, that was the right crew to have. But why? An official report was released in October 2011 but family members say it did little to fill in the details and left more questions than answers. . 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. 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. The Benghazi attack in 2012 plays a part in some other versions of the tale. 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. You also want to come in from a different direction for the element of surprise.. With Robert O'Neill, Patricia Economo, Enrique Garcia, James Obrien. The co-pilot, Bryan Nichols, was one of Lee's closest friends in the Chinook company. These materials provided much-needed intelligence about bin Ladens role within al-Qaeda and the organizations inner-workings. They stayed fixed on enemy squirters, or runners, until just a few minutes before landing. Coincidence or not, any Chinook shoot-down is a coup for the Taliban. 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. As he did, he felt the craft leveling off. Although the Taliban have claimed to have shot the helicopter down, U.S. officials have only identified the attackers as insurgents. 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. The event was organized by Freedom Watch, a conservative advocacy group, at the National Press Club. Legal Statement. 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. But why? By The Newsroom 6th Aug 2011, 6:30pm 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. Chance, however, a component of war intimately understood by war fighters, can never be completely mitigated. The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru)better known by its former name, Team 6-reportedly suffered the bulk of the casualties. What went so terribly wrong? 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 front rotor shattered, and the back pylon sheared off. Where was the Chinook's black box cockpit recorder? All rights reserved. Market data provided by Factset. 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. "It's something that a lot of people who have never been in combat have a hard time understanding," he said. 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. However, the AP has reported, the Afghan forces never staffed the outpost after American forces left, and the Taliban moved back in. 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 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. "We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied. The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. 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 sheer amount of experience with our pilots, flight engineers and back-seaters and mechanics offered a wealth of knowledge, he said. 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. But it's often foreign to those who observe combat from afar. The CH-47D that embarked on the mission that day had been built in the 1960s, she said, and last retrofitted in the 1985. The next night, the pair had orders to drop off more troops in the same spot. A junior, he was ready to fight, but the war would be over, he figured, before he even got out of college. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. They dont even produce under their own self-imposed deadline, Mr. Klayman told The Washington Times. The Taliban shot at the Chinooks all the time with RPGs and rifles, Darack said. Special forces are very selective on who they partner with, but any collaboration with Afghans opens up U.S. Seven Afghan commandos were also reportedly killed. The immediate reaction force (IRF) was assembled hastily for insertion into Tangi Valley to help Army Rangers capture fleeing Taliban. Honestly, sir, I dont think anybody had really looked at the LZ, said the pilot of Gun 1. In addition to the 30 Americans, the official said there were seven Afghan army soldiers and an interpreter on the helicopter. 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 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.