
The Final Mission of Extortion 17
Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six, and the Deadliest Day of the US War in Afghanistan
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Narrated by:
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John Pruden
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By:
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Ed Darack
On August 6, 2011, a US Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter approached a landing zone in Afghanistan 40 miles southwest of Kabul. The helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was on a mission to reinforce American and coalition special operations troops. It would never return. Insurgents fired at the Chinook, severed one of its rear rotor blades, and brought it crashing to the ground. All 38 onboard perished instantly in the single greatest moment of sacrifice for Americans in the war in Afghanistan.
Those killed were some of the United States' most highly trained and battle-honed commandos, including 15 men from the Gold Squadron of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known popularly as SEAL Team 6, which had raided a Pakistan compound and killed Osama bin Laden just three months earlier.
The downing of Extortion 17 spurred a number of conspiracy theories, such as the idea that the shootdown was revenge for bin Laden's death. In The Final Mission of Extortion 17, Ed Darack debunks this theory and others and uncovers the truth behind this mysterious tragedy. His account of the brave pilots, crew, and passengers of Extortion 17 and the events of that fateful day is interwoven into a rich, complex narrative that also discusses modern joint combat operations, the history of the Afghan war to that date, US helicopter use in Afghanistan, and the new and evolving military technologies and tactics being developed to mitigate such tragedies now and in the future.
©2017 Ed Darack (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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Bravery in Detail
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A well presented account of this tragedy
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Clearly well researched.
Thank you for your focus dedication and compassion in writing this story.
Riveting & Sad
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I have read two government reports, and now this book, on the largest loss of life's in the history of Spec Op Combat Soldiers, in a far off land that strategically means nothing to this country. I sensed in this book it may be the government version, as hard questions on this mission were definitely not answered or even approached.
It is worth listening to, and in the end, the fact is the US lost the finest youngsters this nation has ever produced, and cannot imagine the grief the families and loved ones went through at the loss of a son, or brother, and imagine that pain will never leave them. As a US Veteran, I remember that day like it was yesterday, as my son was serving in the AF that very day, and although he was far away, I do remember think
My Sincere Condolences To All
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Wow I'm definitely going to recommend.
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The buildup to the events is well told, with crew background and relative events which lead up to the disaster.
The narrator sounds like Major Dad, which is a big plus to the aforementioned flag wearers. It’s fitting for the story.
Unavoidable jingoism but otherwise pretty good
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Honest Look at an American Tragedy.
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Full On Military
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Amazing story of bravery and commitment
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really great
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