Robinson, Heath Michael

Also known as: SCPO, DEVGROUP

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedAugust 6, 2011

Age34 years old

Location of DeathAfghanistan, Philippines, Horn of Africa

Cause of DeathKilled in action when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was aboard (call sign Extortion 17) was shot down by enemy fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

Conflict Operation Enduring Freedom

Senior Chief Petty Officer Heath Michael Robinson, 34, of Boyne Falls, Michigan, was a U.S. Navy SEAL assigned to Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He died in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011, during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Their Story

Senior Chief Petty Officer Heath Michael Robinson served in the U.S. Navy's Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as SEAL Team Six. His service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom spanned multiple theaters, including Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa, according to official records.

Robinson was killed in action on August 6, 2011. The incident occurred in Wardak province, Afghanistan. A U.S. military helicopter, a CH-47 Chinook, was shot down by Taliban insurgents.

The crash resulted in the single greatest loss of life for U.S. forces in the Afghanistan war. Thirty-eight people died: thirty U.S. service members, including 22 SEALs from Robinson's unit, seven Afghan commandos, and one Afghan interpreter.

Robinson was 34 years old. He was a native of Boyne Falls, Michigan. The mission was part of a rapid reaction force responding to an engagement between U.S. Army Rangers and insurgents.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, began in October 2001. It concluded in December 2014, transitioning to a follow-on mission named Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

The loss of the helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, marked a profound moment in the conflict. It underscored the persistent threat from insurgent forces even as U.S. strategy shifted toward drawdown and transition.