Could It Have Been Prevented’? TheBlaze TV’s ‘For the Record’ Investigates Potential Military Mismanagement of the Deadliest Day in the Afghan War

[Rapunzel]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/27/could-it-have-been-prevented-theblaze-tvs-for-the-record-investigates-potential-military-mismanagement-of-the-deadliest-day-in-the-afghan-war/

Could It Have Been Prevented’? TheBlaze TV’s ‘For the Record’ Investigates Potential Military Mismanagement of the Deadliest Day in the Afghan War
Jun. 27, 2013 5:06pm Erica Ritz
 

See how you can watch the full episode of “For the Record” here.

August 6, 2011 marked one of the most tragic days in the United States war in Afghanistan.  On that day, the Taliban shot down a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, killing 30 American soldiers, including 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team Six — the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden just three months before.

It was the largest loss of American life in a single day since the war began.
TheBlaze TVs For the Record Investigates Afghanistan Chinook Crash: Fallen Angel

Brian Bill, John Douangdara, Kevin Houston, Jonas Kelsall, Jon Tumilson, Michael Strange, Stephen M. Mills and Jason Workman, members of SEAL Team 6, were among the 30 Americans killed when an RPG fired by Taliban insurgents downed their Chinook helicopter on August 6, 2011. (Photo via U.S. News)

On Thursday at 8:00 ET, TheBlaze TV’s investigative program For The Record takes an “unflinching” look at how tactical errors and potential military mismanagement of special forces operations factored into the tragedy.

“Could it have been prevented?” host Laurie Dhue asks at the show’s open.  “Or with the strict rules of engagement and restrictions put on U.S. combat personnel — was an incident like this bound to happen?”

One of the questions asked: why had there been a more than 600% increase in Special Forces missions between August 2009 and August 2011, when the number of men in their ranks can only increase by a few percent each year?  What are the ramifications?

Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, former commanding general of U.S. Army Special Forces and head of Joint Special Operations Command, is one of the experts to weigh in on the issues surrounding the tragedy.

Amid the investigation, viewers will hear from the victims’ families as the extraordinary character of the fallen heroes is celebrated.

The loved ones of Aaron Vaughn and John Douangdara, respectively, speak about the upbringing that led their brave relatives to the life they chose, whether it was a life on the farm or fleeing Laos as refugees and “embracing the American dream” in the United States.

They also speak about the last time they saw their loved ones, and what questions remain.

See a preview of the episode, titled “Fallen Angel”:
Complimentary Clip from TheBlaze TV Subscription


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4VFjBzcRE_8

The full episode of For the Record, along with many other live streaming shows and thousands of hours of on-demand content, is available on just about any digital device. Get it all with a FREE TRIAL.

[Rapunzel]

This was an outstanding hour, I was in tears most the hour watching it.......  when you watch this and learn all the details you realize these men were sent in to die....  one of the dead Seals told his mother that you can never tell the Afghans when or where you are going on a mission because they will tell the Taliban and then they will be there waiting for you with hand-held weapons.

[flowers]

It is unreal how obama is going to get away with this too.

[Rapunzel]

It is unreal how obama is going to get away with this too.

Too bad everyone doesn't get the Blaze TV (I have it on DISH) this was a powerful program.

[flowers]

Too bad everyone doesn't get the Blaze TV (I have it on DISH) this was a powerful program.

I would like to have watched it.

[Rapunzel]

I would like to have watched it.

They were all special, special men.  We have lost too many good people to this war.  One of the kids never should have been accepted in the military much less a seal because of a prior injury he had to his leg, yet he persevered and became a Seal with a K-9 partner - who died with them that day.  They are both now memorialized in a sculpture  in a park in their honor in his hometown, the only part of his body that remained was the part of his leg that had been replaced due to his long ago injury.. his mother thought that was fitting somehow.  But there is no doubt these men were sent into an ambush......

[flowers]

They were all special, special men.  We have lost too many good people to this war.  One of the kids never should have been accepted in the military much less a seal because of a prior injury he had to his leg, yet he persevered and became a Seal with a K-9 partner - who died with them that day.  They are both now memorialized in a sculpture  in a park in their honor in his hometown, the only part of his body that remained was the part of his leg that had been replaced due to his long ago injury.. his mother thought that was fitting somehow.  But there is no doubt these men were sent into an ambush......

it was a ambush.

[Rapunzel]

it was a ambush.

Clearly so..  I am certain they will replay this, I want to watch it again.., there was a lot in the hour.  Laurie Dhue used to do a lot of good investigative pieces on FOX and now she is doing it on THE BLAZE. Beck did a good thing hiring her.....  HE is slowly building an outstanding network.  Spending his own money to do it the right way, he doesn't want to be FOX Lite... he is a libertarian and is building basically a constitutional and libertarian-leaning network.. but these investigative reports has been his dream for two years and now they are doing it.. this is the fourth piece she has done since he hired her.  Sadly this is something FOX should have done with its wider audience.

[Cincinnatus]

Agreed. it was an ambush.

The only question I have about that is who was responsible for it. While no doubt this statement is true: one of the dead Seals told his mother that you can never tell the Afghans when or where you are going on a mission because they will tell the Taliban and then they will be there waiting for you with hand-held weapons., that was a known threat and could have been dealt with. Other factors, though, like using the wrong helicopters, the overcrowding, cannot.

I hope the Blaze can get to the bottom of this. It is a national disgrace and a tragedy for the families affected.

[Rapunzel]

Beck has been an unyielding supporter of our military, if anyone will take this on, he will.

[Cincinnatus]

My mind keeps harking back to how Biden outed this unit as the one which took out bin Laden and how this must have created a thirst for revenge on the part of al Qaeda and the Taliban. I have become so cynical and distrusting of this administration I am not even sure if that admission was inadvertent.

[Rapunzel]

My mind keeps harking back to how Biden outed this unit as the one which took out bin Laden and how this must have created a thirst for revenge on the part of al Qaeda and the Taliban. I have become so cynical and distrusting of this administration I am not even sure if that admission was inadvertent.

One of the mothers said when the happened her son called and told her to wipe all record of him and his friends from the families social media so they were not connected to each other, she said he had never sounded to concerned.......