Faas, John Weston

John Weston Faas was a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy, assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he had reportedly served on deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa during his military career.

On August 6, 2011, Faas was killed in the Tangi Valley of Wardak Province, Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, he died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device (IED) blast during a dismounted patrol. The incident occurred in a volatile region known for insurgent activity.

Faas died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, marked by a surge of U.S. forces and a focus on counterinsurgency and training Afghan national security forces. The Taliban remained a resilient adversary in rural provinces like Wardak.

Faas was one of 30 U.S. service members killed when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was shot down in the same valley three days later, on August 9, 2011. The proximity of the two incidents underscored the intense period of combat in the region. His death was reported by major news outlets, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which noted his local ties.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart. Faas is memorialized on a veterans' monument in his hometown and is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota.

John Weston Faas was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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