William Owens (Navy SEAL)

William Ryan Owens (March 5, 1980 – January 29, 2017) was a decorated United States Navy SEAL senior chief petty officer. He died in the Yakla raid in Yemen, making him the first American to die in combat under the first Trump administration.

Early life

Owens was born on March 5, 1980, in Peoria, Illinois. He grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Chillicothe, Illinois. Owens' parents worked at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, where his father was a policeman and a military veteran while his mother was a detective. One of Owens' brothers retired from the Navy SEALs and the other brother works for the Hollywood Police Department. Owens attended Illinois Valley Central High School and graduated in 1998.

Career

Owens joined the United States Navy on August 24, 1998. He served in the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Maryland from 1999 until 2001. Owens then reported to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (BUD/S). He graduated BUD/S Class 239 in 2002 and subsequently completed SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). Owens was then assigned to SEAL Team ONE in Coronado, California from January 2003 to January 2007. In 2007, he volunteered for Naval Special Warfare Development Group and completed a specialized selection and training course. He was on five tours of duty during the course of his career as a Navy SEAL. He became a chief petty officer in 2009, and was promoted to senior chief petty officer a week after his death. CNN reported that during these tours, he helped rescue comrades who were pinned down and wounded, and guided in MEDEVAC choppers while under fire.