SurelySerious Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Dozens of U.S. Troops Killed in Afghan Chopper Attack KABUL, Afghanistan -- A military helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos, the country's president said Saturday. An American official said it was apparently shot down, in the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war. The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak late Friday. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene. NATO confirmed the overnight crash took place and that there "was enemy activity in the area." But it said it was still investigating the cause and conducting a recovery operation at the site. It did not release details or casualty figures. "We are in the process of accessing the facts," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman. But a senior U.S. administration official in Washington said it was apparently shot down. by insurgents. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated. The toll would surpass the worst single day loss of life for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001 -- the June 28, 2005 downing of a military helicopter in eastern Kunar province. In that incident, 16 Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a mission to rescue four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. Three of the SEALs being rescued were also killed and the fourth wounded. It was the highest one-day death toll for the Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II. Also in the WSJ: Afghan Chopper Crash Kills 31 U.S. Troops, 7 Afghans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrodgsxr Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B52gator Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Damn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BQZip01 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneStar Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkey Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR800 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 AP & Fox News reporting that over 20 of those killed were from SEAL Team Six WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press has learned that more than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. The operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. That's according to one current and one former U.S. official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because families are still being notified of the loss of their loved ones. One source says the team was thought to include 22 SEALs, three Air Force air controllers, seven Afghan Army troops, a dog and his handler, and a civilian interpreter, plus the helicopter crew. https://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/06/afghan-president-31-americans-killed-in-helicopter-crash/?test=latestnews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaJu Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masshole Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, along with seven Afghan commandos. It was the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war. https://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/08/06/nato_helicopter_crashes_in_east_afghanistan/?p1=News_links America's credit downgrade is bad news, but I feel worse that we lost a lot of heroes. Some things can be fixed, but you cannot replace these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxfreak54 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 31 true bad asses that will surely be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco130 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsplayr Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 (edited) Son of a bitch...what a loss. To the fallen Edited August 6, 2011 by nsplayr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK... Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truman08 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LL Windshear Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingGuy Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 An unspeakable loss. God bless those heroes and their families. Anybody have any insight as to why a chinook would have been used in this kind of raid? Not being a helo guy, it makes sense to me that something smaller would normally be used for those types of missions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoleIt Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Tragic. A great loss to this nation. Them, them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsplayr Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Anybody have any insight as to why a chinook would have been used in this kind of raid? Not being a helo guy, it makes sense to me that something smaller would normally be used for those types of missions? Where are your troops and may I count them? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Pipes Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullet Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitman Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 To those brave troops who died in this crash, fighting for our country, and to those who will bring the fight to the enemy in the coming days 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B*D*A Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Godspeed gents. X 31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backseatdriver Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Rough day for the SOF community. Here's a toast... If you are looking for a way to honor their sacrifice, please consider making a donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). For those of you not familiar, SOWF provides scholarships for the children of special operators killed in combat or training. They are a well respected charity within the SOF community. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearedHot Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 30 more comrades in arms...what price freedom. God bless their families tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now