Owens, Bartt Derek

Bartt Derek Owens was a 30-year-old captain from Middletown, Ohio, serving in the U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). The unit, known as the 'Night Stalkers,' provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces.

On February 22, 2002, Owens was aboard an MH-47E Chinook helicopter conducting a counter-terrorism mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines. The aircraft crashed into the sea in darkness near Basilan Island, approximately 560 miles south of Manila. All ten U.S. service members on board, including Owens, were killed.

Owens's death occurred during the early phase of Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines, a distinct theater of the broader U.S.-led campaign against al-Qaeda and affiliated groups. The mission focused on advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combating the Abu Sayyaf Group, an Islamist militant organization with ties to international jihadist networks.

The crash prompted a significant search and recovery operation. The bodies of the ten soldiers were recovered and returned to the United States. The U.S. Department of Defense stated the cause of the crash was under investigation, citing no evidence of hostile fire at the time.

Captain Owens was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal. He is memorialized on the Global War on Terrorism Memorial at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and by the 160th SOAR(A).

Captain Owens was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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