A Navy SEAL Senior Chief with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group who ran through enemy fire to reach a wounded teammate. He gave his life on August 6th, 2011, in the Extortion 17 helicopter crash in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, at the age of 34.
Service Record
- Branch
- USN
- Unit
- SEAL Team 3, SEAL Team 7, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG)
- Station Assigned
- Oceana, VA
- Hometown
- Detroit, MI
- Family
- Remembered by his family in Michigan; laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Fallen On
- August 6th, 2011

Born on June 5th, 1977, in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Petoskey, Heath enlisted in the U.S. Navy in November 1995. His path to the Teams was not easy: his first attempt at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 1996 did not end in success. He did not quit. Heath returned to Coronado in June 1999, completed the course in January 2000, and earned his Trident.
He went on to serve with SEAL Team Three and SEAL Team Seven before reporting in April 2004 to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, where he would serve for the rest of his career, deploying repeatedly in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On March 17, 2010, during a raid against Taliban forces, Heath's actions embodied everything the Teams stand for. When a teammate went down mortally wounded, he exposed himself to enemy positions to reach him, providing covering fire and overwatch under intense fire to bring his brother back. That single act of valor earned him his fourth Bronze Star Medal. Across his career he was decorated with four Bronze Star Medals, three with Combat "V" for valor, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Presidential Unit Citations, and a long list of honors reflecting what his citations called "bravery," "bold leadership," and "undaunted courage."
On August 6, 2011, Senior Chief Robinson was aboard the CH-47 Chinook helicopter callsign Extortion 17, part of a Naval Special Warfare quick reaction force responding to support U.S. Army Rangers engaged with insurgent forces in Wardak Province. When the helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, all 38 aboard were killed, the greatest single-incident loss of life in Naval Special Warfare history. He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Senior Chief Heath M. Robinson never left a teammate behind, not under fire in Afghanistan and not in the sixteen years he wore the Trident. His courage remains the standard by which the word is measured.
To learn more about Heath M. Robinson and other fallen heroes, please visit:
On behalf of myself and everyone at BoneFrog Coffee, I want to express our deepest condolences to the family of Heath Robinson, who gave his life for our country. Words cannot capture the weight of this loss or the gratitude we feel for his courage and sacrifice. He was more than a warrior, he was a brother, a patriot, and a man who ran toward gunfire to bring a teammate home. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and his memory will live on in our hearts and in the values we strive to uphold. To his family and all those who loved him, we share in your grief and stand with you, honoring his legacy with unwavering respect and gratitude.
Long Live The Brotherhood!!
Tim Cruickshank LCDR, USN (SEAL) Ret. and the BoneFrog Coffee Team
Honor The Fallen
We Will Say Their Names

Nicholas P. Spehar: "I Do It For You", Extortion 17
Read His Story
Jesse D. Pittman: A Smile That Could Light Up a Room, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Jon T. Tumilson: The Dog Who Waited, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Christopher G. Campbell: If Chris Thought He Could, He Would Try, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Darrik C. Benson: Doing What He Loved, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Robert J. Reeves: Brothers From Shreveport, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Stephen M. Mills: Always Giving to Others, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Matthew D. Mason: He Insisted on Going Back, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Thomas A. Ratzlaff: Twelve Deployments of Quiet Valor, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Kevin A. Houston: The Cape Cod Chief Who Lived His Dream, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Louis J. Langlais: The Master Chief Who Led with Calm, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Jonas B. Kelsall: The Officer Who Led with Laughter, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Glen A. Doherty: The Adventurer Who Ran Toward the Sound of Gunfire
Read His Story
Seth C. Lewis: The Warrior in Constant Pursuit of Excellence
Read His Story
Brian R. Bill: A Life of Remarkable Accomplishments
Read His Story
Kevin R. Ebbert: A Healer and a Warrior
Read His Story
Kraig M. Vickers: The Aloha Warrior, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Jason R. Workman: A Small-Town Hero's Ultimate Sacrifice
Read His Story
Aaron C. Vaughn: Faith, Courage, and the Ultimate Sacrifice, Extortion 17
Read His Story
John W. Faas: The Warrior's Heart, Extortion 17
Read His Story
Jason D. Lewis: A Quiet Professional's Ultimate Sacrifice
Read His Story
Matthew John Leathers: A Fearless Operator's Enduring Legacy
Read His Story
Michael P. Murphy: A Leader's Unwavering Courage on Operation Red Wings
Read His Story
Marc A. Lee: The First SEAL Fallen in Iraq, A Legacy of Courage and Sacrifice
Read His Story
Danny P. Dietz: Unwavering Courage Under Fire, Operation Red Wings
Read His Story
Matthew G. Axelson: Valor in the Face of Overwhelming Odds, Operation Red Wings
Read His Story
Daniel R. Healy: The Ultimate Sacrifice, Operation Red Wings
Read His Story
Adam L. Brown
Read His Story
Michael Thomas Ernst: A Life of Courage and Service
Read His Story
Scott Michael Danielson: Fallen in Service to his Country
Read His Story
Nathan Gage Ingram: A Hero Lost at Sea
Read His Story
Christopher J. Chambers: Courage in the Face of Danger
Read His Story
Jeremy Jason Wise: A Silent Warrior, A Lasting Legacy
Read His Story
Job Wilson Price: A Life of Service and Sacrifice
Read His Story
Jeffrey Scott Taylor: A Life of Service, Cut Short in the Mountains of Afghanistan
Read His Story
