US troops killed in Afghanistan chopper crash

The Army Times story:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/08/ap-special-ops-troops-killed-in-afghanistan-helo-crash-080611/

 

CNN reporting it was a shootdown.

 

CNN also says it was a Chinook, and the SEALs were on a rescue mission for another group that was pinned down.
Sounds an awful lot like Operation Redwing, the mission made famous in the book "Lone Survivor." Same deal, where a mission went bad, a relief party was sent in and shot down and a bunch of SEALs killed. In that case, the insurgents (who were probably looking for a helicopter coming in) shot an RPG up the Chinook's ramp as it settled down to unload. They never had a chance.

 

Remind me again why we are even there, at the cost of hundreds of lives and billions of dollars that are bleeding this country dry.

 

Yep, according to the report I saw.

 

Because there is money to be made.

Some company will make nice coin replacing that helocopter. Everything we do over there costs money and some company is making a profit.

 

You have to spend money (ours) to make money (theirs).

 

I keep reading the SEALS who died were on a mission to rescue a unit pinned down in a firefight. Uh, I've yet to see anything about what's happened to the squad that was to be rescued. Anybody know?

R.I.P. brave men. (And let's get out of that hellhole).

 

This is my concern as well.

I fear there were two tragedies, and we've only learned of one so far.

 

Shit. I'd just met an Army Ranger today. After we were done talking I was thinking how nice it would be to not hear news like this so often.

Rest in peace, and thanks to those who serve and those who have.

 

Once again war time news is all sketchy and wrong at first. They weren't joining a firefight and the tragedy didn't leave other troops hung out to dry. A collective Whew!
According to the Washington Post:
The SEALs killed Saturday were on a nighttime mission to kill or capture two high-level insurgents known for organizing devastating roadside bomb attacks on American convoys, officials said.

 

The stories I've read haven't described it as a rescue. It was a raid, which makes sense since it seems it had similar personnel - the dog, interpreter - to the Osama raid. That's how it's been described in the Times and Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia/dozens-of-us-troops-feared-killed-as-nato-helicopter-crashes-in-afghan-offensive/2011/08/06/gIQAlbT2xI_story.html