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  • The Final Mission of Extortion 17

  • Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six, and the Deadliest Day of the US War in Afghanistan
  • By: Ed Darack
  • Narrated by: John Pruden
  • Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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The Final Mission of Extortion 17

By: Ed Darack
Narrated by: John Pruden
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Publisher's Summary

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.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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Enjoyable but confusing storylines

Great story of Afghanistan helicopter crews & missions but darts between different people, timelines in a confusing manner. Overall it’s a great listen but you must stay focused & need background context if you wish to stay completely tuned into the storyline.

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