IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 705-11
August 11, 2011

DOD Identifies Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash

                 The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died August 6, 2011 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.

The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Lieutenant Commander (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana

                Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, California

                Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas

                Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii, 

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Connecticut

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Massachusetts

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Missouri

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas, 

                Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, West Virginia

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana

                Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina

                Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah, 

                Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska

                Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa, 

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Florida, and 

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah. 

The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed: 

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, California, and 

                Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota

The soldiers killed were: 

                Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colorado

                Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas

                Staff Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Nebraska

                Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas; and 

                Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas

The airmen killed were: 

                Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida

                Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, California; and 

                Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania

                All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina

                For more information about the sailors, media may contact Lieutenant Arlo Abrahamson at 757-763-2007 or 757-620-3109. 

                For more information on Carter, media may contact the Colorado National Guard public affairs office at 720-250-1053. 

                For more information on Nichols, Bennett and Duncan, media may contact the 11th Aviation Command public affairs office at 502-626-5746 or 502-851-3466. 

                For more information on Hamburger, media may contact the Nebraska National Guard public affairs office at 402-309-7302 or 402-309-7303. 

                For more information about the airmen, media may contact the Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs office at 850-884-5515.

                UPDATE:  August 12, 2011 -- Sergeant Hamburger was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant.

 Kevin Houston, 36, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was in the CH-47 Chinook when it crashed in Wardak province.

 Thirty Americans in all were killed, many of them belonging to the SEAL Team Six unit, members of the same special operations team that killed Osama bin Laden.

 Houston, 36, was a 1994 graduate of Barnstable High School and it was always his dream to be a Navy SEAL.

 Jasen O’Neil, a childhood friend, remembered Houston's journey from local high school football and basketball captain to a decorated member of the country’s most elite military unit.

 “When he was in fifth grade he said he wanted to be a Navy SEAL,” recalled O’Neil. “I didn’t know what a Navy SEAL was in fifth grade but he did.”
 
 O’Neil said he always remembered his friend as an athlete, someone who pushed himself to his own limits, even during a casual swim with his friend.
 “We were swimming in the water and he happened to be out 200-300 yards from the shore, so I think that must have been part of his SEAL training that would allow him to do that,” said O’Neil.

 Houston joined the Navy in 1995 and completed three tours in Afghanistan.

Raised by a single mother, Houston looked to Chris Kelly, of Osterville, as surrogate dad, a father figure.

 A veteran himself, Kelly told News Center 5 that Houston loved to flip through Kelly's Vietnam photo album and ask questions about Kelly's military service.

 "He was just a courageous kid. Fought through some adversity as a kid and truly came out as a hero," O'Neil said.

 Kelly said Houston would wear an American flag between his chest and body plate during his service. This past June, however, on a trip home, Houston gave the flag to his surrogate dad. It was Saturday when he was killed in action.

 The Taliban has claimed responsibility for bringing down the helicopter.

U.S. officials said it was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war.

 “It was shocking and disturbing,” said O’Neil. “I just always thought that Kevin was such a scrapper that no matter what situation he got in -- he would be able to get out. This wasn’t his fault and this is just a terribly sad day.”

 Houston leaves behind his wife and their three children, who all live in Virginia.

HOUSTON, KEVIN R   
SOC   US NAVY 
AFGHANISTAN 
DATE OF BIRTH: 09/20/1975 
DATE OF DEATH: 08/06/2011 
BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 9931 
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson