08/06/2026
August 6, 2011 marks 15 years since Extortion 17.
On August 6, 2011, a CH-47D Chinook helicopter with the call sign Extortion 17 was shot down in the Tangi Valley, Wardak Province, Afghanistan, while moving to reinforce Army Rangers. It was the single greatest loss of life in Naval Warfare history.
On board were 30 American service members — 17 Navy SEALs, 5 Army aircrew, 3 Air Force Special Operators — and one Military Working Dog, Bart, along with 7 Afghan Commandos and 1 Afghan interpreter who fought beside them.
We speak their call sign with reverence. We speak their names with gratitude.
At Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services, we understand that some burdens are carried quietly for a lifetime. The horse does not ask you to explain it. It simply stands with you, and carries it with you.
Today, we stand with the Gold Star families, the teammates, and all who loved them. We honor their courage, their brotherhood, and the promise they kept to never leave anyone behind.
We will not forget. We will continue to serve in their honor.
Never Forgotten. Extortion 17
