Jesse D. Pittman: A Smile That Could Light Up a Room, Extortion 17
A Navy SEAL with SEAL Team 5 who fought wildfires before he fought for his country, and volunteered for a fourth combat deployment. He gave his life on August 6th, 2011, in the Extortion 17 helicopter crash in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, at the age of 27.
Service Record
- Branch
- USN
- Unit
- SEAL Team 5
- Station Assigned
- Coronado, CA
- Hometown
- Willits, CA
- Family
- Survived by his parents, Terry and Ida Pittman, and his brother, Corey.
- Fallen On
- August 6th, 2011
Born and raised among the redwoods of Northern California, Jesse graduated from Willits High School in 2002 and went to work as a wildland firefighter with CAL FIRE, spending his early adulthood training around Lake Mendocino and testing himself against the outdoors he loved.
In 2005, Jesse volunteered for the U.S. Navy with a single goal in mind: becoming a SEAL. He graduated SEAL training in 2006, earned his Trident, and reported to SEAL Team 5 out of Coronado, California. He went on to complete three combat deployments, and when the opportunity came for a fourth, he volunteered without hesitation.
Those who knew Jesse remembered a man defined as much by his warmth as by his skill as an operator. "Such a sweet smile that could light up a room," one friend recalled. Another put it simply: "Could never have a bad day around Jesse...he could squeeze a smile out of a rock." A third remembered him as "one of the most dedicated people I ever met," with a great sense of humor that carried his teammates through hard days.
On August 6, 2011, Petty Officer Pittman 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.
Special Warfare Operator First Class Jesse D. Pittman gave his life at 27, having already spent his short years running toward danger, first as a firefighter and then as a SEAL. His humor, his dedication, and his smile are remembered by everyone who served beside him.
To learn more about Jesse D. Pittman 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 Jesse Pittman, 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 whose smile could light up a room even on the hardest days. 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