MIKE SARRAILLE: Extortion 17's heroes died once. America must never let them die twice

PROGRAMMING ALERT: The Fox Nation special "Final Flight: The Men of Extortion 17" is disposable to watercourse present connected Fox Nation.

Fifteen years aft Extortion 17 became the deadliest azygous incidental for U.S. forces successful the warfare successful Afghanistan — and the top nonaccomplishment of beingness successful Naval Special Warfare past — our work is to guarantee the men aboard are ne'er forgotten.

There is an aged saying that a worker dies twice: first, erstwhile helium draws his last breath; and again, erstwhile his sanction is spoken for the past time.

On Aug. 6, 2011, immoderate of America’s finest warriors died their archetypal death. It is simply a cliché to accidental these men were the champion of us, but successful this case, it is simply true. Gen. "Wild Bill" Donovan, laminitis of the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services, erstwhile described specified operators arsenic "Ph.D.s who tin triumph a barroom fight" — individuals possessing brilliant, highly specialized intellects portion besides having the grit to get their hands dirty.

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Thirty-one Americans, including Navy SEALs, Air Force peculiar operators and Army aviation soldiers, alongside their Afghan commando counterparts, boarded a CH-47 Chinook chopper to reply a telephone for support. The chopper was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade successful Afghanistan’s Wardak province, sidesplitting everyone aboard. In an instant, they were gone. But their stories remain.

Extortion 17 is not simply a telephone sign, a day oregon an introduction successful the past of a agelong war. It was personal. The Navy SEALs aboard that chopper belonged to SEAL Team 6’s Gold Squadron. I knew these men. They were my brothers-in-arms.

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They were among the astir elite warriors our federation has ever produced — highly trained men who operated successful the shadows, accepted agelong periods distant from their families and carried burdens astir Americans volition ne'er afloat understand.

They were besides among the kindest, astir empathetic and respectful quality beings you could ever meet.

That is the paradox of the American warrior.

These men possessed a uncommon and indispensable ability. They could dim their empathy similar flipping a switch, bring overwhelming unit against evil connected our behalf and past instrumentality location to beryllium dada again. They were the monsters our enemies feared and the fathers, husbands, sons and brothers their families needed.

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On that fateful night, Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment were engaged with the force successful the Tangi Valley and needed reinforcements. When the telephone came, the men of Extortion 17 did not hesitate.

They did not statement the danger. They did not instrumentality a vote. They simply flew disconnected into the night.

On that fateful night, Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment were engaged with the force successful the Tangi Valley and needed reinforcements. When the telephone came, the men of Extortion 17 did not hesitate. They did not statement the danger. They did not instrumentality a vote. They simply flew disconnected into the night.

In doing so, they upheld a covenant fewer Americans volition ever understand: When your brothers are successful harm’s way, you go. Even erstwhile the hazard is extraordinary. Even erstwhile decease whitethorn await you.

That is simply a warrior’s life.

We are blessed arsenic a federation that specified men and women inactive unrecorded among america — the "damn few" consenting to transportation the load for the overwhelming majority.

While filming our Fox Nation peculiar "Final Flight: The Men of Extortion 17," commemorating the 15th day of their deaths, I sat down with erstwhile teammates, parents, wives and siblings of the fallen. Fifteen years person passed, but the symptom remains fresh. The chairs are inactive empty. The voices are inactive missed. The holes near down person ne'er genuinely been filled.

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Yet these families person moved guardant — not past the loss, but with it. They transportation the value of their loved ones with the aforesaid quiescent spot those warriors carried for this country. Their sacrifice did not extremity connected Aug. 6, 2011. It continues each greeting they aftermath up and take to support going.

America owes them much than a infinitesimal of soundlessness erstwhile a year.

We beryllium them remembrance done action. We thatch their names. We archer their stories. We thatch our children that state is not self-sustaining. It demands strength, sacrifice, stewardship and emotion of country. We punctual them that the bid they inherited was purchased by men and women consenting to basal betwixt their families and evil.

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Remembrance is not passive. It is simply a work — a work to beryllium worthy of their sacrifice. We cannot repay the men of Extortion 17. But we tin garbage to fto them dice twice.

LCDR Jonas B. Kelsall, 32 

SOCM Louis J. Langlais, 44

SOCS Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34

EODCS Kraig M. Vickers, 36

SOC Brian R. Bill, 31

SOC John W. Faas, 31

SOC Kevin A. Houston, 35

SOC Matthew D. Mason, 37

SOC Stephen "Matthew" Mills, 35 

EODC Nicholas H. Null, 30

SOCS Robert J. Reeves, 32

SOCS Heath M. Robinson, 34

SOC Darrik C. Benson, 28

SOC Christopher G. Campbell, 36

IT1 Jared W. Day, 28

MA1 John "Jet Li" Douangdara, 26

CAD BART

CTR1 Michael J. Strange, 25

SOC Jon T. Tumilson, 35

SOC Aaron C. Vaughn, 30

SOC Jason R. Workman, 32

SO1 Jesse D. Pittman, 27

SO2 Nicholas P. Spehar, 24

Tsgt John W. Brown, 33

SSgt Andrew W. Harvell, 26

TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe, 28

CW5 David R. Carter, 47

CW4 Bryan J. Nichols, 31

SSG Patrick D. Hamburger, 30

SGT Alexander J. Bennett, 24

SPC Spencer C. Duncan, 21

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