Steven R. Leuschel, PhD

Catholic husband & dad of 4. Continuous Improvement Manager. Author of Mentoring at Toyota Georgetown and Relentless a Gold Star Father's Pursuit of Truth.

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

Gold Star Father Charles Strange Releases Second Edition of Relentless: A Gold Star Father's Pursuit of Truth on the 15th Anniversary of Extortion 17

Co-authored with Steven R. Leuschel, PhD, the powerful new edition chronicles one father's unyielding 15-year fight for answers about the single largest loss of American life in the Global War on Terror.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — August 6, 2026 — Align Kaizen Publishing today announces the release of the second edition of Relentless: A Gold Star Father's Pursuit of Truth, co-authored by Charles Strange and Steven R. Leuschel, PhD. Released on the 15th anniversary of the August 6, 2011 shootdown of the Chinook helicopter known as Extortion 17, the book delivers a gripping, firsthand account of a father's determined quest for truth surrounding the deaths of 30 American servicemen—including 17 Navy SEALs—eight Afghan partners, and the military working dog Bart.

On that night in Afghanistan's Tangi Valley, Petty Officer First Class Michael J. Strange, a cryptologic technician supporting SEAL Team 6 / DEVGRU, was among those killed when an enemy rocket brought down their aircraft. What followed for his father, Charles Strange of Philadelphia, was not closure but a relentless campaign for answers. Drawing on 1,364 pages of government documents, eyewitness accounts, and years of advocacy that reached the Pentagon, Congress, and the White House, Relentless presents the Strange family's perspective on events tied to the bin Laden raid (Operation Neptune Spear) and the subsequent investigation into Extortion 17.

"If your son, one of the world's leading cryptologists, grabbed you and said, 'You'll never believe what's happening in this country,' and then died two months later, would you ask questions?"
— from the book's preface
Charles Strange never stopped asking. The second edition updates this extraordinary story with new material reflecting 15 years of pursuit, underscoring contradictions between official narratives and the documentary record the family obtained.

Co-author Dr. Steven R. Leuschel, a leadership researcher, publisher, and continuous improvement professional partnered with Strange to structure the narrative as an oral-history-driven account triangulated with primary sources. "This is not speculation," Leuschel notes. "It is a father's lived experience, supported by government records and the voices of those closest to the events. Charles's determination embodies the very meaning of the word relentless."

The book opens with a moving dedication to all 30 Americans lost that night, including Michael Strange, and features a prologue, Chapters examine the mission, the Little Creek debriefing, the Colt investigation, the 1,364-page document release, battles with the NSA, congressional hearings, meetings at the Pentagon and White House, and the broader failures that continue to demand accountability.

https://t.co/YXYYL0dvdo
https://t.co/DaT7wCDdTT

Full premium color hardback available soon.
Will be on Amazon, Barnes/Noble

[U.S. Department of the Interior @Interior]

239 years ago today, our Founding Fathers signed the Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. 🇺🇸

On Constitution Day, we honor the enduring document that established the framework for our system of self-government and remains the foundation of our Republic.

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

Powerful video. Christ is King! Now is a great time to turn to Him.

Brought Him to Tears - A Catholic Priest's Recent Mystical Experience wi... https://t.co/5eLemrkpj9 via @YouTube

[Nick Noe @realnicholasnoe]

This is true, I know this for a fact. If President Trump chooses to declass, you’ll all find out. It was documented… Congress had it in their report.

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@FoxNews #Extortion17

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: Former CIA Director John Brennan subpoenaed to testify before Florida grand jury, lawyer says, as DOJ investigates whether there was a conspiracy to deprive Trump of civil rights

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@mandoomscroll @rainygday @C__Herridge @realDonaldTrump He was key in facilitating the modus vivendi…

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@C__Herridge @realDonaldTrump Just wait until you get to the part where John Brennan facilitated payments from Saudi wife to hijacker

[Brad Garlinghouse @bgarlinghouse]

Is it any surprise that BIS is testing with XRPL.. low fees (check) fast settlement (check) and proven track record (check).
https://t.co/M5AFdXYvz5

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11/2001 ponder on the question of why then most elite team in the world, SEAL
Team 6, was set up and shot down 3 month after the Osama bin Laden raid, Operation Neptune Spear?

Those who think they know and say it was a coincidence are not educated on Extortion 17 nor 9/11/2001

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

We added a military glossary to the second edition of Relentless…

#Extortion17

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@CarlHigbie Let the truth be told about Extortion 17 then….

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

The Extortion 17 families wrote a rebuttal to General Mattis….one sentence from the unanswered rebuttal is below…also published in our book Relentless.

“In conclusion, the pressing questions are: could the shootdown of this CH-47 Chinook ferrying 38 elite troops been prevented, and if so how?”

This is the question that motivates me to write about this tragedy because I believe the answer is yes.

In Relentless, we’ve diagnosed many failures that led to the setup and shoot down of Extortion 17. Some of those failures were purposeful and some may have been accidental. But asking why repeatedly to understand the both the entire scenario and the deep reasons behind each failure point is a necessary step in preventing recurrence.

In time, I hope we are able to access each failure as a problem to solve, to put countermeasures in place to keep such a tragedy from happening again.

#Extortion17 #RootCauseAnalysis #Leadership

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@eMTBrides Neither

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

Why would Mattis agree with the report that doesn’t answer basic questions?

#extortion17
https://t.co/QFBawLlQM0

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@ShawnRyan762 The power of prayer 🙏

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@realnicholasnoe @DoWCTO This will be interesting @factcheckdotorg

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@RandPaul Accountability needs to goes back further than COVID

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

@chrisri00140946 @Beardvet Extortion17 was a setup, we shouldn’t assume idiots, but yes idiots for setting up the men and thinking they’d get away with it

[Rand Paul @RandPaul]

The good news out of Fort Knox: the gold is still there.

The bad news: since 1971, when we cut the dollar loose from gold, more than 85% of the dollar's value has vanished

https://t.co/AwNvuylFDo

[Steven R. Leuschel, PhD @stevenleuschel]

In our book Relentless: A Gold Star Father's Pursuit of Truth we demonstrate that Extortion 17 was set up. In this aspect of the investigation we learned that the insurgents may have been receiving information about coalition forces movement from at least one local resident...with no follow up interviewing any Afghans.
#Extortion17
https://t.co/6GtYaYmJ01