Relentless

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, and publisher, 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 personal prologue drawn from Michael's own words. 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.