PROGRAMMING ALERT: The Fox Nation special “Final Flight: The Men of Extortion 17” is available to stream now on Fox Nation.
Fifteen years after Extortion 17 became the deadliest single incident for U.S. forces in the war in Afghanistan â and the greatest loss of life in Naval Special Warfare history â our duty is to ensure the men aboard are never forgotten.
There is an old saying that a soldier dies twice: first, when he draws his final breath; and again, when his name is spoken for the last time.
On Aug. 6, 2011, some of Americas finest warriors died their first death. It is a cliché to say these men were the best of us, but in this case, it is simply true. Gen. “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services, once described such operators as “Ph.D.s who can win a bar fight” â individuals possessing brilliant, highly specialized intellects while also having the grit to get their hands dirty.
SEAL TEAM 6 MEMBER EXPLAINS BLUNT REALITY OF COMBAT AND EXPECTATIONS IN THE BLACK OPS WORLD
Thirty-one Americans, including Navy SEALs, Air Force special operators and Army aviation soldiers, alongside their Afghan commando counterparts, boarded a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to answer a call for support. The helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistans Wardak province, killing everyone aboard. In an instant, they were gone. But their stories remain.
Extortion 17 is not merely a call sign, a date or an entry in the history of a long war. It was personal. The Navy SEALs aboard that helicopter belonged to SEAL Team 6s Gold Squadron. I knew these men. They were my brothers-in-arms.
FOREIGN BLACK OPS MEMBER REVEALS THE SECRET AMERICAN UNIT HE LOVED WORKING WITH IN COMBAT
They were among the most elite warriors our nation has ever produced â highly trained men who operated in the shadows, accepted long periods away from their families and carried burdens most Americans will never fully understand.
They were also among the kindest, most empathetic and respectful human beings you could ever meet.
That is the paradox of the American warrior.
These men possessed a rare and necessary ability. They could dim their empathy like flipping a switch, bring overwhelming violence against evil on our behalf and then return home to be dad again. They were the monsters our enemies feared and the fathers, husbands, sons and brothers their families needed.
AS AN ARMY WIDOW, I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW ORDINARY AMERICANS HONORED MY HUSBAND
On that fateful night, Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment were engaged with the enemy in the Tangi Valley and needed reinforcements. When the call came, the men of Extortion 17 did not hesitate.
They did not debate the danger. They did not take a
