The Navy SEALs took what is probably the biggest one-time hit they've ever sustained when the helicopter they were aboard was shot down by the Taliban in Afghanistan on August 6th, 2011. A total of 38 people lost their lives, including seven Afghan commandos, 30 American service members, and one civilian interpreter. Of the 30 American service members, three were Air Force air controllers, five U.S. Army air crewmen and 22 U.S. Navy sailors. Of the sailors, 17 were members of SEAL Team Six.
The contingent was flying aboard a CH-47 Chinook in the Tangi Joy Zarin area of Wardak's Sayd Abad district, about 60 miles southwest of Kabul. The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with a rocket while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered. Although none of the 17 SEALs aboard participated in the operation to take out Osama bin Laden, their deployment in this raid would suggest that the target was a high-ranking insurgent figure, although it's now being reported that the SEALs had responded to help Army Rangers who had come under fire, had suppressed the threat, and were in the process of departing when the chopper was hit.
President Obama issued a statement from the White House. It read, in part: "My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the Americans who were lost earlier today in Afghanistan. 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. ..." Afghan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister David Cameron also expressed their condolences.
As next-of-kin were notified, the identities of the troops were released to the public. It wasn't until all next-of-kin were notified that the official list was published:
Assigned to an East Coast-based naval special warfare unit:
• Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.
• Master Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif.
• Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark.
• Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EXW/FPJ) Kraig M. Vickers, 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas.
• Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EXW/FPJ/DV) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La.
• Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit.
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif.
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL/PJ) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.
• Information Systems Technician 1st Class (EXW/FPJ) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah.
• Master-at-Arms 1st Class (EXW) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb.
• Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class (EXW) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia.
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL/SW) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa.
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla.
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.
Assigned to a West Coast-based naval special warfare unit:
• Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif.
• Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minn.
U.S. Army soldiers:
• Chief Warrant Officer 4 David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), of Aurora, Colo.
• Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), of New Century, Kan.
• Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), of Grand Island, Neb.
• Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), of New Century, Kan.
• Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), of New Century, Kan.
USAF airmen killed, all assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron of Pope Field, N.C., were:
• Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.
• Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.
• Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.
Seven Afghan commandos and an Afghan interpreter died alongside the U.S. troops during the nighttime operation conducted in Afghanistan’s Tangi Valley.
Some Pakistani newspapers are reportedly celebrating the death of the troops and falsely claiming that the SEALs onboard had previously participated in the bin Laden takedown.
Since there are a total of 3,000 SEALs available, the loss of 17 in one fell swoop is significant. To put this in a proportional numerical perspective, it would be as if an infantry division of 15,000 suddenly lost 100 soldiers in an aircraft crash. However, the time and expenditure invested in the training of a Navy SEAL far exceeds the training investment in a typical infantryman or other member of the traditional combat arms. It can cost as much as $500,000 to train a Navy SEAL, depending upon how much additional training beyond BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) they receive. SEALs are trained to operate in water, on land, or deploy from the air using a wide variety of equipment and weapons; they must have one primary skill, or rating, and possess secondary skills as well. Aerial deployments can include fast-roping from helicopters, conventional parachute insertions, or HALO (High Altitude/Low Opening) drops from as high as 30,000 feet, replete with oxygen bottles. They must pack in everything they intend to use, because they specialize in operating in denied areas.
To minimize the chance that the monetary investment is not wasted on those who would eventually DOR (Drop On Request), or wash out of BUD/S training, the Navy added a preliminary eight-week Seal Prep School at Great Lakes in Chicago, where aspiring SEALs are given a crash course in the physical standards required to qualify for BUD/S. If they fail the physical fitness tests, they are returned to the Fleet for reclassification.
Two websites provide good background on the Navy SEALs; Navy.com, which provides a general overview, and the Navy SEAL & SWCC website, which offers many more details.
BUD/S: Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL. Provided at Coronado, CA. Lasts for 24 weeks, divided into three phases. Orientation introduces candidates to the BUD/S program, its instructors and the lifestyle to expect here. Phase I is all about physical conditioning, water competency, teamwork and mental tenacity. Midway through, candidates experience Hell Week, which generally begins at o'dark thirty early on Monday morning and lasts till midday Saturday. During that time, candidates are tested to their limits with a series of progressively tougher evolutions. While candidates are fed well, they are deprived of sleep, averaging maybe four hours during the entire week. Probably half of all DORs wash out during this period. Overall, the DOR rate from an average class can be as high as 70 percent.
Phase II, Combat Diving, lasts seven weeks and develops and qualifies SEAL candidates as competent basic combat swimmers. Part of this training includes "drownproofing", where candidates are tossed into a pool with their arms and legs bound, and are required to perform simple tasks. This means that unlike conventional forces, who look upon water as just another barrier to be breached, SEALs learn that the water is their ally. Phase III, Land Warfare, also lasts seven weeks and trains, develops and qualifies SEAL candidates in basic weapons, demolition and small-unit tactics. Part of this training takes place on San Clemente Island.
Supplemental Schools: After completion of BUD/S, SEALs go on to receive both static line and free-fall training at Tactical Air Operations in San Diego. They then enter SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), which teaches standardized Naval Special Warfare Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) – running candidates through a gauntlet of rigorous training courses. They develop expertise in areas that include cold-weather survival, marine operations, advanced combat swimming, close-quarter combat and land-warfare training. TYhe cold-weather training is conducted in Kodiak, Alaska; the U.S. Senate recently approved an appropriations bill that includes $18.4 million for the base at Spruce Camp; $11 million is to be allocated for a new 25,000-square-foot building.
SEALs can go where conventional units cannot, yet inflict just as much damage as a larger conventional unit. The ideal mission is one where the SEALs execute it successfully and with complete deniability; they leave no other traces of their presence. These men voluntarily subject themselves to one of the toughest training regimens in the world. Even those who do not complete SEAL training are not "losers"; they go back to the Fleet as better sailors simply because of the experience alone. These guys are worth every penny we pay them, and then some.
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