Owens, William Ryan

Also known as: SCPO, TAC DEV SQD THREE

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedJanuary 29, 2017

Age36 years old

Location of DeathGULF OF ADEN, UNKNOWN

Cause of DeathKilled in action during a raid against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in al-Bayda province, Yemen.

Conflict Operation Inherent Resolve

Senior Chief Petty Officer William Ryan Owens, 36, of Edelstein, Illinois, was a U.S. Navy SEAL assigned to Tactical Development Squadron THREE. He was killed during a raid in Yemen on January 29, 2017.

Their Story

Senior Chief Petty Officer William Ryan Owens was a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL with over a dozen deployments. He was a member of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as SEAL Team Six, and was assigned to Tactical Development Squadron THREE at the time of his death. Owens, a native of Edelstein, Illinois, was 36 years old.

Owens died on January 29, 2017, during a pre-dawn raid in Yemen's central al-Bayda province. The operation, authorized by the U.S. government, targeted a suspected compound of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). According to U.S. Central Command, Owens was mortally wounded in a firefight that erupted during the mission. The raid also resulted in the deaths of several other U.S. service members wounded and an estimated 14-25 AQAP fighters.

The raid occurred under the legal authority of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and was part of the broader U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve. This military campaign, which began in August 2014, was focused on defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Counterterrorism operations against AQAP in Yemen, while a separate effort, were often conducted concurrently by U.S. special operations forces.

Owens's death was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The operation and its high casualty count generated significant public and political debate in the United States regarding its planning and strategic value. President Donald Trump, who had approved the raid, paid tribute to Owens during his first address to a joint session of Congress in February 2017, where Owens's widow was in attendance.

Owens was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor in combat. He was also promoted to the rank of senior chief petty officer. He is survived by his wife and three children. A Navy expeditionary sea base was later named the USNS *William R. Owens* in his honor.