My apologies if I'm wrong on designations but the controversy of this downing was that they should've been on the military armored version, but only the civilian version was available, or so goes the cover story. Would they have loaded this many SEALs into one vehicle? Mades no sense to me at the time.
Thank you for your service, by the way.
No apologies needed. In fact, I didn't know there is a civilian version of the Chinook. Yes, MH-47 is another version of the same platform, but I don't know what the difference is. I'm working on old experience, so I can be wrong.
As for the SEALS being shot down, I haven't read anything anywhere about any conspiracy, but still believe it was shortsighted to put so many SEALS on one aircraft. Sometimes, the bad guys just get lucky. That was an incredible loss. I mourned for days for my Shipmates. I worked with them at Coronado and helped load them and gear on the helos on the USS New Orleans (LPH-11).
They are the best this country produces, along with Marine Force Recon, Army Ranger/Delta, Air Force Combat Controllers (also loss on that helo) and other covert forces. BTW, CIA also has many spec ops combat operatives, but they never get any credit due to their clandestine nature. They get a star on a wall and nobody ever knows who they are or how often they put their lives on the line.