by Don Brown
There were thirty of them. They all gave their lives for their country, the single greatest loss of life in the history of US Special Forces.
Their deaths got some attention at first and, at first, different and conflicting accounts surfaced about what had happened.
Despite the cries of a vocal few, cries barely loud enough to finally achieve a short congressional hearing that gave no meaningful answers to anything, the nation has largely forgotten.
By the time four Americans were murdered one year later in a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, the tragic cover-up of Extortion 17 was rapidly fading out of the public consciousness. The military’s false narrative had seemingly been accepted by the powers that be, and the media grew more anxious to focus on the deaths of four Americans in Libya than the senseless and uncalled for deaths of thirty Americans, mostly US Navy SEALs, in another part of the world, where the Middle East blends into mountainous Central Asia.
Yet, to put all this in perspective, more than seven times as many Americans died in Extortion 17 than at Benghazi. In the words of Major General Paul Vallely (Ret), “Before Benghazi, there was Extortion 17.”
But Benghazi is more sound-bite friendly: an ambassador. A secretary of state. A film. The White House. The national security advisor. A refusal for a request to help. A stand-down. Sunday talk shows. Talking points. Plenty of meat for the press to dig its teeth into.
And that’s a good thing. The American people deserve to know the truth when their government has foolishly and unnecessarily placed Americans in harm’s way, and when life is lost as a result of that foolishness.
But in a glitzy world of sound-bites and ratings and presidential politics, Americans sometimes get lazy and forget to seek the truth on behalf of those average Americans serving their country whose names don’t instantly command the attention of a national audience.
With great respect and reverence to the men who died at Benghazi, all who honorably served the United States, the men of Extortion 17 also served their country with honor and sacrifice.
With no disrespect intended for the amazing life lived and service rendered by Ambassador Chris Stevens, was the life of an ambassador somehow more important than that of a twenty-five-year-old enlisted cryptologist serving the Navy SEALs, who was taking up arms and risking himself and his life on behalf of his country?
All life is equally important. The lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens and twenty-one-year-old Specialist Spencer Duncan, of Olathe Kansas, who was killed on Extortion 17, are equally important.
Someone try telling young Braydon Nichols that his daddy’s life isn’t just as important as any of the men with higher-profile names and titles who were lost, or that Bryan Nichols’s life wasn’t important enough that the American people should find the collective strength, determination, and doggedness to insist on answers that go beyond the dog-and-pony show of a meaningless congressional investigation.
Someone try telling Charles Strange that his boy Michael’s life wasn’t important enough to demand answers.
Sadly, the respect and honor they all deserve cannot be adequately expressed in the limited pages of this book, or any forum for that matter.
But their mission and their service should never be forgotten, and their sacrifice should fuel an uncompromising demand for the full truth behind the reason for their deaths.
In the end, the press may lose interest. The pop culture may have been too distracted to have ever known. But God will never forget them.
As General John J. Pershing, the great commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I said: “Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”
Index
AC-130 gunship and crew
aircraft descriptions and use, 128
burn time and illumination, 135–40, 142–45, 152–53, 161
mission, 127
pre-assault permission denials, 127–28, 158, 185, 188–89, 193
Afghanistan, history of, 3–4
Afghan military
flight swap-out, 25, 52, 69–70
Green-on-Blue violence, 23, 73–81
investigation and interviewing of, 257–58, 262, 284
mission knowledge of, 19
Taliban infiltration, 252–53
US military alliance with, 73–74, 259–64
Afghan passengers (Mystery Seven)
congressional hearing and media questions on, 236
cremation of remains and DNA destruction, 42, 65, 73, 231, 243–47
identification repercussions, 64
identity of, vii, 19, 23–26, 45, 47–53, 56–57, 283, 284
Karzai loyalty of, 255
Mattis’s report and omissions on, 65–66
no identifiable remains, 25, 41, 42, 245
ramp ceremonies for, 241–42
remains, handling of, 242
security breaches and, 57–59, 64–65
tracking device theories, 238–39, 257
unauthorized swap-out, 25, 52, 67–72
Air Weapons Team, 195–97, 207
Allen, John, 78
Apache (AH-64D) helicopters and crew
aircraft risk assessments, 110
enemy combatants and assault, 187–88, 191–94
ground illumination, 136–40
as investigation witnesses, 38, 44–45
landing zone confusion, 126–31
mission, 127
night conditions and visibility, 172–77
pre-assault fire permission denial, 158, 185, 189–90, 193
shoot-down accounts, 146–49
sparkle request, 125, 126–27, 135–36
Armstrong, Neil, 121
Article 31 (UCMJ), 58–59, 61, 63, 64
autopsies
bullets, 41, 65, 265–78, 281, 283, 284
metal fragments, 275–76, 280–81
ballistics testing, 266–76, 280
Base Shank, 1, 5, 6
Benghazi terrorist attack, 40, 45, 286–87
Bennett, Alexander, 8, 9–10, 94
Betrayed (Vaughn, B., with Morrill and Blake), 69, 70
Biden, Joe, 29, 30, 31–32, 33, 35
Bin Laden, Osama, killing of
announcement of, 27–28
helicopter attacks as retaliation for, 115–17
operation planning and execution, 28, 29–35, 52, 86
retaliation for, 31, 32–34
SEAL identity security and confidentiality breach, 28–30
shoot-down chronology, 2, 13
black box (flight data recorder)
description and purpose, 198, 233–34
disappearance of, 203–16, 234, 280, 284
Executive Summary omission, 65, 215–16, 222
flood theory, 201–2, 216, 223–24, 240
function and purpose, 233–34
not on aircraft explanation, 229–30, 233, 239–40
recovery attempts, 198–203
Blake, Cari, 69
Boal, Mark, 34, 35
Brennan, John, 31
British press, 41, 43, 169, 237–38, 248–51, 256, 262–63, 284
Brodsky, Aaron, 227
Brown, Kirk, 227
bullets, 41, 65, 265–76, 280, 281, 283, 284
burn (ground illumination), 135–40, 142–45, 152, 161
Bush, George W., 27, 28
Carter, David, vi, 8, 21, 84, 87, 88, 178–83
Carter, Laura, 87
CENTCOM (US Central Command), 37–38. See also Mattis, James
Chaffetz, Jason, 225–26, 236–40, 243
Chinook (CH-47D) helicopters, 96–111, 114, 118–19. See also Extortion 16; Extortion 17
Colt, Jeffrey. See als
o Colt Report; Executive Summary
black box briefing information, 215–16, 222–24
investigation conclusions and military contradictions, 42
investigation orders and restraints, 19, 22–23, 54–59, 63
investigation report submission, 23, 37
Colt Report. See also Executive Summary
Afghan government relationship with Taliban, 257
Afghan interviews, 257–58, 262
Afghan military alliances, 260
Afghan passengers identity investigation, 23–26, 45, 47–53, 68
background on, 37–39
black box information, 199–203, 211–16
bullets, 271, 275
burn time and illumination, 135–40, 142–45, 152–53
chronology details, 221
classification and declassification of, 22, 38–39, 45–46
communication loss and delay, 119–23
confidentiality methods, 44–45
day of shoot-down chronology, 19–21
description and contents, 22, 38
distance-to-shooter forensics, 40–41, 158–71
Extortion 17 missions, 178–83
helicopter safety record, 96–111
investigation for, 19, 22–23, 37, 54–59
landing zone confusion, 130–31, 178
Lima Bravo unit crash site arrival time, 210
military’s official position, 39
night conditions and visibility, 172–77
no identifiable remains, 41, 42
pilot qualifications, 89–95
post-shoot-down response and investigation, 21–24
recovery operation, 199, 218, 219–20, 221
rules of engagement, 36, 41, 43, 114, 127–28, 158, 188–92
security breaches, 42
shoot-down account and testimony, 146–54
shooter point of origin, 40–41, 228–29
sparkle request, 124–40
submission of, 23, 37
Taliban intelligence, 115–17
versions of, 55
Combat Assessment Team (CAT), 22, 158–59, 166, 194, 228–29
congressional hearings, 43, 225–41, 242, 243, 252
convening authority, 63
cook-off rounds, 266–76, 280
courts-martial, 57, 61, 63
cover-up, overview, and summary, 281–85, 286
Crocker, Ryan, 79–80, 259, 261
Crozier, Ezekiel, 97, 100, 102, 108
Daily Mail (newspaper), 169, 171, 231, 237–38, 249, 251, 255, 257, 263
dereliction of duty, 57–59, 62
Devillier, John, 226–27
Di Maio, Vincent J. M., 269–71, 282
distance-to-shooter forensics, 40–41, 158–71, 194, 228–29, 284
DNA destruction, 42, 65, 73, 231, 243–47, 284
Doherty, Glen, 46
Duncan, Spencer C., vi, 8, 9–10, 94, 287
enemy combatants, 187–94
enlistment expectations, 9
Executive Summary (Colt Report, Enclosure C)
Afghan passenger identities, 45, 65–66, 181, 283
Afghan-Taliban negotiations, 257
autopsy results, 65
black box, 65, 215
cremation of remains, 65
description and contents, 22
ground illumination, 144
identifiable remains, 245
Mattis’s final report contradictions, 22–23, 40–41
military responsibility, 159
mission planning and execution, 90, 93, 94, 113, 114, 117
official conclusions, 23, 25, 69
pilot experience contradictions, 92, 93
recovery operation, 206, 208–9, 210, 211, 221
shooter point of origin, 158, 169, 170, 229
unidentified coalition group, 199
explosions, 275–76, 280, 281
Extortion 16 (Chinook transport helicopter, CH-47D)
day of shoot-down chronology, 20–21
purpose vs. mission use, 82–86
Ranger transport mission, 2, 5, 8, 12, 185
Extortion 17 (Chinook transport helicopter, CH-47D). See also pre-landing chronology; recovery operations; shoot-down
flight manifest, 47–53, 57, 63
flight plan, 8–9, 84
helicopter description, vi, 9, 118
pilots of, 2–3, 5–6, 20, 84, 87–95
purpose vs. mission use, 82–86, 112–14, 118–19
Ranger transport mission, 2, 5–6, 8, 12, 178–83, 185
safety record and risk assessments, 96–111, 113–14
single helicopter use and overload, 18–19, 20
flight data recorders. See black box
flooding, 201–2, 216, 223–24, 240
Forward Operating Base Shank (FOB Shank), 1, 5, 6
Freedom of Information Act, 34
friendly killed in action (FKIA), 205, 217, 221
full motion video feeds (FMVs), 125, 126–27, 135–36, 146–49
Gates, Robert, 29–34, 30, 33
Green-on-Blue violence, 23, 73–81, 261
gun tapes, 125, 126–27, 135–36, 146–49
Hamburger, Chris, 10, 11
Hamburger, Doug, 235, 236, 238–39
Hamburger, Pat, 5, 7–8, 9–11, 12, 89, 150
Hamburger, Payton, 10, 150
Hatcher, Julian, 267–69, 270, 271, 282
helicopters. See also AC-130 gunship and crew; Apache (AH-64D) helicopters and crew; Extortion 16; Extortion 17
communication protocols, 119–20
for Special Operations, 86, 110
Taliban attacks on, 35–36, 95–111, 115–17
transport, 2, 5, 82–86, 96–111, 114, 118–19, 185
Hindu-Kush mountain range, 3–4
House Oversight and Government Committee congressional hearings, 43, 225–41, 242, 243, 252
Immediate Reaction Forces (IRFs), 19–20, 25, 71, 186. See also US Navy SEALs
Initial Assault Force (IAF), 185
investigation, 21–23, 37, 54–59, 63, 71. See also Colt Report
Investigation Findings and Recommendations (Colt Report, Enclosure B), 92
Islam, 4–5
Joint Combat Assessment Team (JCAT), 159–71, 177
Joint Combat Assessment Team (JCAT) investigations, 22
Joint Special Operations Command, 52
Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF, Lima Bravo), 159, 199, 203–11, 219–20, 221, 230–31
Judicial Watch, 34
Karzai, Hamid, 73–74, 250, 251–58, 262, 283–84
Kelsall, Jonas, vi–vii, 15, 17, 20
Khan, Haji Yar Muhammad, 255, 262
landing zone confusion, 126–31, 178–83
Langlais, Anya, vii
Langlais, Lou, vii, 15–16, 20
Lapan, David, 245, 250, 278
Lima Bravo unit, 159, 199, 203–11, 219–20, 221, 230–31
Long War Journal, 75–77, 98
Lundquist, Lisa, 75
Lyons, James, 18–19
M-240 (machine gun), 7–8
Mallack, C. T., 277
Mason, Matt, vii
Mattis, James (CENTCOM commander)
Afghan passenger omissions, 25
chain-of-command, 38
convening authority discretion and value judgment, 63
final report of, 22–23, 25, 40–41, 65–66, 69, 263
investigation orders, 21–22, 54–59, 63
investigation report submission to, 22–23, 37
unidentified Afghans as topics avoided, 53
McDonough, Denis, 31
; McNamee, Cheryl, 281
McRaven, William, 29, 30, 51–52, 69, 283
“Memorandum of Appointment” (Colt Report, Exhibit A, investigation order), 21–22, 54–59, 63
military justice system, 56–65
military time, 12
Mohammad, Din, 116
Morrill, Monica, 69
Muhammad (prophet), 4
National Guard, vi, viii, 84–85, 86, 87–95. See also specific names
National Security Subcommittee congressional hearings, 43, 225–41, 242, 243, 252
New York Times, 77–78, 252–53
Nichols, Braydon, 3, 88, 150, 287
Nichols, Bryan J.
behavior theories, 141–42, 178–81
earlier missions, 5–6, 12, 178–83
family, 3, 88, 150, 287
flight experience, 3, 84, 87–88, 91–95, 116–17
landing zone confusion and delay, 21, 119
military career, 2–3
passenger reports, 20
pre-landing communications, 125, 126–31, 141–42
Nichols, Jessica, 3
Nichols, Mary, 3
Night Stalkers, 84–85, 112–13
night vision goggles (NVGs)
ground illumination methods and visibility with, 125, 135, 144, 152, 154
National Guard training with, 91
Taliban access to, 155–57
Obama, Barack, 27–31, 33, 242
Operational Coordination Group, 259–64
Operation Badrto, 31
Operation Lefty Grove
Afghan military knowledge of, 19
mission cover story, 14–15, 186
mission description, 2, 185–86
mission planning and execution negligence, 18–19, 20, 41, 82–96, 114
Taliban intelligence on, vii, 41, 43, 231, 236–38, 248–50, 263, 283, 284
Operation Neptune Spear, 28, 29–35, 52, 86
Pakistan arms market, 155–57
Pakistanis, 169, 238, 248, 249
Panetta, Leon, 29, 33, 34–35
Pathfinders. See US Army Pathfinders
Patton, George S., 60
Petraeus, David H., 253
platforms, 82
point of origin, shooter, 40–41, 158, 169, 170, 194, 228–29, 284