EXTORTION 17 Memorial Ruck
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain-More than 60 service members and civilians volunteered for an arduous 31-mile ruck-march onboard Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota on Aug. 6, 2026. The march honored the memory of 38 lives lost when Extortion 17 crashed in Afghanistan 15 years ago.
Extortion 17 was the call sign of the CH-47D Chinook helicopter that was shot down by a Taliban rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.The crash killed all passengers and crew, including 30 U.S. service members, seven Afghan National Army commandos, and one military working dog. It remains the single deadliest day for U.S. Special Operations Forces and Naval Special Warfare in history.
Among the U.S. casualties were the flight crew from the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, alongside members of Navy SEAL Team Six, Navy special operations support personnel, and the Air Force 24th Special Tactics Squadron. The grueling 10-hour march started at 7 p.m. and followed a route around the perimeter of NAVSTA Rota. After each lap around the installation, the marchers paused briefly to read the obituaries of each fallen service member. Participants were asked to complete as many laps as possible; a core group of 50 service members finished the entire march.
“It felt like the way to honor the sacrifice of those individuals that perished on the helicopter,” said Information Systems Technician Master Chief Eric Alden, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8)information and security manager. “This will help inspire the next generation …and hopefully build some bonds and get the next generation off on the right foot.”
The group of Sailors, Marines, Airmen and civilians motivated one another to continue lap after lap under the blazing summer sun and into the darkness of night. As the night faded into dawn and the final lap loomed in front of them, the remaining marchers added weighted plates to the rucksack and pushed through the final miles. With one mile to go in the memorial march, the participants gathered to honor the loss of the military working dog lost in the crash; a Belgian Malinois named Bart. The final mile was completed barefoot on the grass fields of the base fitness center following a reading of Bart's record of military service. It was led by Master-at-Arms Second Class Jason Moscatel, a NAVSTA Rota military working dog handler.
“It is about how we come together and face adversity.” said Moscatel. “We need to honor each member through action, and this ruck is the perfect chance.” The event organizers from EODMU 8 hope to make the memorial ruck an annual event onboard NAVSTA Rota, ensuring the sacrifices of our fallen service members remain cemented in our legacy of service to our nation.
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