Stephen M. Mills: Always Giving to Others, Extortion 17
A Navy SEAL Chief with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group remembered by his family as a man who was always giving to other people. He gave his life on August 6th, 2011, in the Extortion 17 helicopter crash in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, at the age of 35.
Service Record
BranchUSN
UnitSEAL Team 3, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG)
Station AssignedOceana, VA
HometownFort Worth, TX
FamilyRemembered by his cousin, Tina Mills Cunningham, and his family in Texas.
Fallen OnAugust 6th, 2011
Born on October 25th, 1975, and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Stephen began his naval career at sea, serving three years aboard the destroyer USS Kinkaid before setting his sights on the Teams. He completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 2001, earning his Trident and reporting to a West Coast SEAL team.
In March 2005, Stephen transferred to an East Coast-based SEAL team, and went on to serve with SEAL Team 3 before earning assignment to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the Navy's most elite special mission unit. Over his career he deployed repeatedly in defense of his country, earning two Bronze Star Medals with Combat "V" device for valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with "V" device, four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Combat Action Ribbon, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
His cousin, Tina Mills Cunningham, remembered him simply and warmly: "He was always giving to other people, and he loved his country." That generosity of spirit, friends and family said, defined Stephen as much as his skill as an operator.
On August 6, 2011, Chief Mills 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.
Chief Petty Officer Stephen M. Mills carried a generous heart into a demanding profession, giving of himself to his teammates and his country until the very end. His memory endures in the family and friends who loved him.
To learn more about Stephen M. Mills 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 Stephen Mills, 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 generosity of spirit touched everyone who knew him. 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