Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer John Faas

Navy Chief Petty Officer John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, MN was assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL team. He died August 6, 2011, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which he was riding was shot down. He was one of 30 servicemen killed that day.

CPO Faas was born on October 31, 1979. As a boy, he was active in sports and martial arts, earning a black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 12. He attended Minnehaha Academy, where he was captain and quarterback of the football team. He also loved academics and graduated as the valedictorian in 1998. CPO Faas enlisted in the Navy in 1999, entered Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) training in 2000, successfully graduated in 2001 and ultimately served with the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

CPO Faas had a passion for classical and religious literature and for martial arts. A SEAL family friend said he was “always good-hearted and a kind person,” and that the children of many SEAL families called him “Uncle John.”

CPO Faas was survived by his parents, Robert and Gretchen.