On Aug. 11, the Pentagon released the names of 30 U.S. service members killed Aug. 6, 2011 when a rocket-propelled grenade fired by a Taliban insurgent downed their Chinook helicopter on a combat mission — the deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the decade-long war in Afghanistan.

Composite of the 30 U.S. troops killed in the downed helicopter in Afghanistan. (Photo credit: AP)

DOD Identifies Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash

News Release No. 705-11
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
August 11, 2011

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following soldiers were killed:

Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 David R. Carter, 47, Centennial, Colo. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Colorado National Guard, Aurora, Colo.

Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bryan J. Nichols, 31, Hays, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.

Army National Guard Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Nebraska National Guard, Grand Island, Neb.
(Sgt. Hamburger was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.)

Army Reserve Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, Tacoma, Wash. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), U.S. Army Reserve, New Century, Kan.

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

The following airmen assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C., were killed:

Air Force Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, Tallahassee, Fla.
He served as a pararescueman.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, Long Beach, Calif.
He served as a combat controller.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, York, Pa.
He served as a pararescueman.

Related reports on this site

Darkest Day in Afghanistan War (Aug. 7, 2011)

Iraq-Afghanistan Casualties (Aug. 12, 2011)

Related video

41 Americans killed this week in Afghanistan (NBC Nightly News, Aug. 11, 2011) — Six more Americans were killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, in addition to the 30 shot down in the Chinook helicopter over the weekend. In all, 41 Americans have died in Afghanistan just this week. NBC’s Richard Engel reports. (03:29)

Remember Their Sacrifice

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Afghanistan Casualties

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