Full List Of Special Forces/Navy Seals Killed In Chopper Downing

 

 

 

 

DOD Identifies Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash

 

                 The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died Aug. 6 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.

The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif.,

Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark.,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Mich.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.,

Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah,

Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb.,

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.

The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, ofSaint Paul, Minn.

The soldiers killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colo.;

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.;

Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.;

Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and

Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.

The airmen killed were:

Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.;

Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.; and

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.

All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.

For more information about the sailors, media may contact Lt. Arlo Abrahamson at 757-763-2007 or 757-620-3109.

For more information on Carter, media may contact the Colorado National Guard public affairs office at 720-250-1053.

For more information on Nichols, Bennett and Duncan, media may contact the 11th Aviation Command public affairs office at 502-626-5746 or 502-851-3466.

For more information on Hamburger, media may contact the Nebraska National Guard public affairs office at 402-309-7302 or 402-309-7303.

For more information about the airmen, media may contact the Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs office at 850-884-5515.

Date            Country        Name          Rank         Age         Cause         Province      Place of Death       Branch         State/Region         City        Unit   Stationed    

8-06-2011    US    Vaughn, Aaron Carson    Not reported yet    30    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Strange, Michael    Petty Officer    25    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Pennsylvania    Not reported yet    Seal Team 6    Virginia Beach, VA

8-06-2011    US    Brown, John W.    Medic    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Arkansas    Not reported yet    Seal Team 6    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Mills, Matthew    Not reported yet    36    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Texas    Not reported yet    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Houston, Kevin    Not reported yet    36    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Ratzlaff, Tommy    Not reported yet    34    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Arkansas    Green Forest    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Reeves, Robert James    Chief Petty Officer    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Louisiana    Shreveport    Seal Team 6    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Kelsall, Jonas     Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Louisiana    Shreveport    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Bill, Brian    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Connecticut    Stamford    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Workman, Jason    Not reported yet    32    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Utah    Blanding    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Tumilson, Jon T    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Iowa    Rockford    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Spehar, Nicholas    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Minnesota    Duluth    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Nichols, Bryan    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Mason, Matthew    Not reported yet    37    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy         Kearney    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Langlais, Lou    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Campbell, Christopher    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Douangdara, Johnny    Not reported yet    26    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Nebraska    Not reported yet    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Benson, Darrik    Not reported yet    29    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    California    Angwin    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Robinson, Heath    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Michigan    Petoskey    Navy Seal    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Pittman, Jesse    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    California    Willits    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    NAME NOT RELEASED YET    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Vickers, Kraig    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U. S. Navy    Hawaii    Maui    Navy Seals    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Hamburger, Patrick    Not reported yet    30    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U.S. Army National Guard    Nebraska    Grand Island    Not reported yet    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Duncan, Spencer C.    Specialist    21    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U.S. Army    Kansas    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Zerbe, Daniel    Airman    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     Not Reported Yet    Pennsylvania    Not reported yet    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Bennett, Alexander    Specialist    23    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U.S. Army    Washington    Tacoma    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    Carter, David R.    Chief Warrant Officer    47    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     U.S. Army National Guard    Colorado    Aurora    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    NAME NOT RELEASED YET    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     Not Reported Yet    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    NAME NOT RELEASED YET    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     Not Reported Yet    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

8-06-2011    US    NAME NOT RELEASED YET    Not reported yet    0    Hostile – hostile fire – helicopter crash    Wardak    Sayd Abad district     Not Reported Yet    Not reported yet    Not reported yet    Special Operation Forces    Not reported yet

Medvedev Pushing Karabakh Settlement

Baku agreed to Medvedev’s proposals – Russian newspaper

High expectations from the meeting in Kazan, during which Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders discussed the Karabakh conflict, and “its subsequent failure” was conditioned by the fact that “Russian and Armenian diplomats overestimated the scale of political compromises which Baku could accept”  The Moscow News writes referring to its sources.

According to the newspaper, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had to correct the mistakes immediately.

He sent the Azerbaijani and Armenian colleagues, Aliyev and Sargsyan, a letter outlining his vision of the Karabakh settlement.

According to information at newspaper’s disposal, the Russian president found reasonable some arguments of the Azerbaijani side.

“That is why Azerbaijan was the first to respond to this signal,” the newspaper writes.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov arrived in Moscow in mid-July and handed his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a reply message from Aliyev. However, he declined to comment on its contents.

“According to some information, Azerbaijan agreed to the provisions which were recorded in Medvedev’s letter. However, nothing is reported about Sargsyan’s response,” Russian political expert Aleksey Vlasov told The Moscow News.

Therefore, Vlasov considers the Russian president plans first to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart.  According to him, the next trilateral meeting will take place only after Moscow will ensure that all parties are willing to sign the document  they had to sign in Kazan.

If the talks with Aliyev are held successfully, they will be followed by a meeting with Armenian leader Sargsyan. The next would be a trilateral meeting in late August or early September and signing of an updated and modified “road map”.

On August 9 Dmitry Medvedev will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Sochi to discuss the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

 

Egypt Sufis plan mass rally to counter Salafist and Wahhabi muscle flexing

Ahram Online

Traditionally apolitical, Egypt’s Sufis decide to join liberals in a mass rally under the banner ‘For the Love of Egypt’ in response to the encroachment of Salafists and other Wahhabi-oriented Islamists on Egypt’s political arena

3 million people attend El-badawi Sufi moulid in Tanta city, Egypt

Related

• Egypt’s Sufis, joined by Copts, call for a million-man march on Friday the 12th

Sheikh Mofamed Abdel Khaleq El-Shabrawi, the leader of the Shabrawia Order, one of the largest Sufi spiritual orders in Egypt, said that Sufis are planning a massive rally on Friday 12 August in Cairo to call for national unity and a civil state.Salafists have been tugging the rope towards a theocratic government, whereas most political forces are tugging towards a ‘civil state’, which accepts the status quo with regards to the recognition of Islam in the Constitution and would replace the de facto military rule with a civilian one.

Sufi and various pro-democracy political forces have been discussing ways to respond to this rising tide of conservative Salafist forces.

Sufi leaders, who tend to favour religious tolerance and generally abstain from politics, were alarmed after hundreds of thousands of Islamists organised mass protests around the country on 29 July to call for the establishment of an Islamic state in Egypt.

In Egypt, at least six million people – or one in every three young men – belong to one or another of the more than 40 Sufi orders.

Millions of followers of Sufi orders, both men and women, attend more than 40 massive moulids(festivals that honour specific spiritual iconic figures of different orders) throughout the country.

Many Islamist and Salafist political forces have attacked several Sufi mausoleums in the aftermath of the 25 January Revolution, and charge that Sufi rites and practices, especially gender-mixing, are un-Islamic.

Sheikh El-Shabrawi said that Sufis will focus their Friday rally on advocating for national unity, and, therefore, they have decided to call the event: For the Love of Egypt.

El-Shabrawi added that Sufis might opt not to hold their rally in the central Tahrir Square in order not inconvenience the public during the holy month of Ramadan.

Sufi leaders and other forces had planned to stage a huge indoor rally next Friday’s action at the Nasr City conference hall in north eastern Cairo, but that plan has since morphed into a RamadanIfitar (breaking of the fast meal) in Tahrir Square.

The iconic square has been locked off to gatherings and people by the army and security forces since they violently cleared the sit-in there last Monday.

Taliban Spokesman Hints That Afghan High Peace Council Scamming More Money, Claiming Talks

Mullah Omar not willing to hold peace talks with Afghan government: Taliban

Kabul, Aug 6(ANI): The Taliban has dismissed reports that their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had shown willingness to hold peace talks with the Afghanistan government.

 

According to TOLOnews, a Taliban spokesman, who contacted them, said that the Afghan High Peace Council wants to raise some more funds by making such claims.

He said that there haven’t been any direct or indirect contacts between the Taliban and Karzai government.

 

“When our leader Mullah Omar could resist against 49 countries, how come he could say he is ready for talks? This is a baseless claim. The puppet peace council makes these claims just to keep foreigners’ money flowing into the council,” the spokesman said.

 

“They are making untruthful promises. These claims would not result in anything and would not turn into reality,” he added.

 

Earlier, a senior member of the Afghan High Peace Council had said that Omar was willing to hold peace talks with the Karzai government.

 

“Mullah Mohammad Omar is ready to join the peace process and he no more sticks to not holding talks with the Afghan government,” Ismaiel Qasemyar had said. (ANI)