Off-Topic Tier one Special mission unit; special operations; military

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'His Military Career Was A Small Part Of What Made Him A Great Man' — Remembering Jon Tumilson

As part of our Leaving Afghanistan series, host Ben Kieffer remembers the life of Navy Seal Jon Tumilson with Tumilson's sister Joy Tumilson McMeekan. Tumilson's helicopter was shot down while serving in Afghanistan. He was one of 30 Americans killed on August 6, 2011.

www.iowapublicradio.org

“I think your greatest fear when you are a Gold Star family member and lose somebody... as time goes on, people will start to forget."

 

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SCPO Kevin Houston, from West Hyannisport, Mass.

He enlisted in the Navy January 1995 & after passing BUD/s class 282 in May of 1999, was assigned to SEAL Team 2. After 4 deployments with Team 2, he went to Green in December 05 & after passing OTC was drafted into the Legendary TACDEVRON 3 (Gold Squadron). He would go on 6 more deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan & HOA rising to the rank of E-8 SOCS Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator.

Was most notably known for being in on a famous raid against an HVT & fighting valiantly while being ambushed in Afghanistan, vastly outnumbered & held the rear of his unit’s position & saved the lives of multiple teammates.

- On the night of 26 November 2008, Chief Houston and his Joint fire team came under significant enemy fire from several insurgents while conducting a raid targeting a key Taliban leader. CPO Houston led his team's response, immediately returning and suppressing the enemy fire. During the engagement, enemy combatants were using a tunnel within the compound to attempt to flank the assault force. CPO Houston realized this grave threat to his teammates and led a high-risk clearance of the tunnel. As they cleared the tunnel, Houston was wounded but continued leading his team on the exfil & neutralizing the enemy combatants while securing the unit's flank. Largely due to his intrepid leadership & bravery on this objective, his unit removed numerous enemies from the battlefield and eliminated a Taliban bombing cell.
(This mission earned him a Bronze Star with Valor)

They were going after Mullah Najibullah a.k.a Abu Tayeb, who was responsible for the kid-napping of an American journalist David Rohde, that also resulted in death of 3 US Army Sergeants from 425th Infantry from F Company in June of 08, & then was responsible for the shooting down of a UH-60 just a month before this incident took place. And on that same night, Abu orchestrated a car bombing on the US embassy in Kabul, that’s why TACDev-5 (Gold) was hunting him down & were close to capturing him...

He was also personally responsible for the capture & killing of several high ranking members of Al-Shabaab in Kismayo & Barawa. And that’s not even scratching the surface of all the combat operations in the Kunar, Paktika & Ghazni provinces that he was apart of & pivotal in the success of completing objectives...

He was one of the most tactically proficient Operators in Gold history.

Unfortunately, he would end tragically passing away just 3 years later on Aug. 6th 2011, in the Wardak province, Afghanistan, from the result of a Taliban combatant shooting down the CH-47D Chinook that the SEAL Team was on while conducting an operation with a RPG. This more famously known as the tragedy Extortion 17; where 38 (30 American Military personnel) people on board the Aircraft were killed in the crashed, including 17 Navy SEAL DEVGRU Operators, 2 AFSOC PJ’s, 1 AFSOC CCT, a pilot, 2 crewmen, 1 Reserve Pilot & 1 National Guard crewmen, 7 Afghan National SF’s & an interpreter.

Awards:
- Bronze Stars 2x with V
- Purple Heart
- Joint Service Commendation Medal with V
- Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals 2x
- Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Battle E Ribbon
- Navy E Ribbon
- Good Conduct Medals 3x
- National Defense Service Medal
- Afghanistan Campaign Medals 2x
- Iraq Campaign Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
- Rifle Marksmanship Medal 4x
- Pistol Marksmanship Medal 2x

 

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'His Military Career Was A Small Part Of What Made Him A Great Man' — Remembering Jon Tumilson

As part of our Leaving Afghanistan series, host Ben Kieffer remembers the life of Navy Seal Jon Tumilson with Tumilson's sister Joy Tumilson McMeekan. Tumilson's helicopter was shot down while serving in Afghanistan. He was one of 30 Americans killed on August 6, 2011.

www.iowapublicradio.org

“I think your greatest fear when you are a Gold Star family member and lose somebody... as time goes on, people will start to forget."

In May of 1972, we were exchanging assignments with another unit. Chinooks would lift us to the location, they'd get on the bird, unload them where we came from, back and forth.

I had just got off the Chinook with about 30 others, and 27 of the other unit got on and lifted off.

I'd paused a bit - I think to dig something out of my ruck - and the bird we just got off of - blew up midair - and killed all 27 1st Cav guys and five crewmen.

Never found out why.

Sometimes, **** just happens.

 

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In May of 1972, we were exchanging assignments with another unit. Chinooks would lift us to the location, they'd get on the bird, unload them where we came from, back and forth.

I had just got off the Chinook with about 30 others, and 27 of the other unit got on and lifted off.

I'd paused a bit - I think to dig something out of my ruck - and the bird we just got off of - blew up midair - and killed all 27 1st Cav guys and five crewmen.

Never found out why.

Sometimes, **** just happens.

 

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