The Apache gunships noted the presence of “squirters,” (hostile Taliban). Meanwhile the CH-47D seemed to be hoovering in place over the landing zone. He asked the AC-130 for some illumination, but not with the proper words. The radio transmissions were presumed to be from the pilot. Both pilot and co-pilot were experienced but had limited combat experience. It was dark, but the CH-47D had sophisticated GPS that had worked precisely when it landed the Rangers. The three-minute check was nearly four minutes late, and the pilot seemed confused about the landing zone. However, Extortion 17 would be accompanied by two Apache AH-64D attack helicopters, each with two pilots in tandem, and an AC-130 gunship coordinating from about 7,000 feet.Įxtortion 17 reported the planned six-minutes-out check exactly on time. The Seals would have preferred one of the Special Operations modified MH-47s for the more dangerous mission, because it could sweep in at lower levels, was more heavily armed, and more maneuverable. The total on board would be 38, with 30 Americans and eight Afghans.Īpparently, a new intelligence report indicated that the Taliban leader sought had been confirmed at another location, not far from the Rangers, but in the dangerous and Taliban-active Tangi River Valley stretching southwest from Kabul. These Afghan soldiers were not the Afghan soldiers originally on the manifest. At the last minute, seven Afghan soldiers were loaded on. In addition to three Army National Guard crewmembers, 17 Seal Team Six troopers were loaded on the helicopter along with an Afghan interpreter and 10 additional Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force Special Operations personnel. They had not been back to base 30 minutes, when Extortion 17 was immediately assigned a new mission. The mission was precise and smooth, and the two choppers returned to base to await further instructions for picking up the Rangers when needed. They dropped off the Ranger platoons about a mile and a half from the “hot” area. Their Call Signs were Extortion 16 and Extortion 17. Their mission was to capture or kill a Taliban terrorist leader, Qari Tahir, reported to be in their target area. Ninety-nine feet long with a 60-foot wingspan, the usual load for CH-47Ds was a crew of three and 32 fully armed soldiers. The huge twin-engine, two-blade CH-47Ds were the transport workhorses of U.S. On August 6, 2011, very early in the morning, two CH-47D Army National Guard helicopters headed southwest from a small base near Kabul, Afghanistan, carrying two platoons of Army Rangers. There are presently about 1,300 military members of Seal Team Six. It is one of the most elite fighting forces in the world. It is the Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) established in 1980. Seal Team Six is still the common name for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. There were four attacks using RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades), resulting in one helicopter loss but no fatalities. In the next three months, the Taliban made a special effort to take down U.S. The Taliban swore to take vengeance on the United States and specially on Seal Team Six. However, a few weeks later, Vice President Biden openly praised Seal Team Six in giving the Obama Administration credit for the operation. President Obama and the Defense Department had agreed that Seal Team Six would not be named in press releases. Bin Laden was operating from Afghanistan at the time and protected by the Taliban. Anderson, USAREUR Public Affairs / Released)īin Laden was the Al-Qaeda mastermind of the terrorist air attack on New York City and the Pentagon in Washington that killed over 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. Seal Team Six had launched their highly secret special operation by helicopter from Afghanistan. On May 2, 2011, members of Seal Team Six tracked down and killed Osama Bin Laden in his hideout in Pakistan.
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