San Juan County mourns death of Jason Workman, Navy Seal from Blanding

With the death of Navy Seal Jason Workman, San Juan County, and the nation as a whole, has lost one of its best warriors.
Workman, an elite Navy Seal, was killed in action in Maidan Wardak province, Afghanistan on August 5, 2011.
Petty Officer First Class Jason Workman will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA with full military honors. Funeral services had not been announced as of the press deadline.
A memorial service is still in the planning phases in Blanding.
Members of the Workman family from San Juan County, including his parents and brother, traveled to the East Coast to greet the body and participate in funeral services.
Homes throughout San Juan County flew flags in recognition of Workman’s service and sacrifice.
The Blanding native, age 31, had served in the United States Navy for the past eight years. As a member of the elite Seal Team Six, Workman was one of the best trained and most accomplished members of the U.S. Armed Services.
He was killed in a Chinook helicopter when it was brought down by enemy fire. In total, 38 men were killed in the accident, including, reportedly, Workman’s entire troop.
The helicopter was ferrying the group of Navy Seals to a firefight involving Taliban troops and U.S. Army Rangers. The helicopter was arriving in the area when it was hit. It has been reported that all those who were in the helicopter were killed instantly.
While there are roughly 2,500 Navy Seals, there are believed to be just four squadrons of the Seal Team Six. Workman is believed to have been a member of the Gold squadron, known as a “Premier” squadron. The Red squadron, an “Assault” squadron, is believed to be the group that was involved in the death of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in May, 2011.
For many years, the existence of the secretive Seal Team Six was not even officially acknowledged by the United State government. The majority of the group’s activities are highly classified.
While the group was disbanded in 1987 and renamed the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU, it is still generally called Seal Team Six. It is one of three special mission units of the United States military. Seal stands for Sea, Air and Land.
Workman is a 1997 graduate of San Juan High School, where he excelled in sports and academics. An accomplished athlete, Workman was a leader for the Broncos on the football field, basketball court and baseball field. He earned a host of All-State awards.
Workman served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil and Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Southern Utah University.
After graduating from SUU, Workman joined the United States Navy with the intention of becoming a Navy Seal. He served in the Navy as a Seal for the past eight years, including several years as a member of the elite Seal Team Six.
Workman is the son of Betty and Rodney Workman of Blanding. He is survived by his wife, Stacey; 21-month-old son, Jax; parents; and three brothers, Corey (Eva) Workman of Blanding, Stephen Workman of New York, NY, and Timothy (Joan) Workman of New Jersey.
Workman is the fourth serviceman, and second member of the special forces from San Juan County, to be killed in action in the Middle East.
Lance Cpl. Quinn A. Keith, of Blanding, was killed on September 6, 2004. The Marine was killed in a car bomb attack near Fallujah, Iraq.
Sgt 1st Class Nathan Winder, of Blanding, was killed in Iraq on June 26, 2007. He served as a Special Forces Medic in the U.S. Army.
SFC James E. Thode, a platoon sergeant from the Blanding armory, was killed in action in Afghanistan on December 2, 2010.
In total, 27 local members of the military have been killed in action, including five in the Vietnam War, 14 in World War II, and four in World War I.

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