The two missing Navy SEALs were identified as Christopher Chambers and Nathan Gage Ingram by U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command, with the release of names coming one day after the U.S. declared the pair dead after conducting an extensive search-and-rescue operation.
Chambers, 37, of Maryland, and Ingram, 27, of Texas, were first reported lost at sea on January 11 while their team seized Iranian weapons bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen. One of the Navy SEALs fell into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia during the overnight mission, prompting the second to dive into the water after him. Neither man has been located since that night.
“We extend our condolences to Chris and Gage’s families, friends, and teammates during this incredibly challenging time,” Captain Blake Chaney, the commander for Naval Special Warfare Group One, said in a statement. “They were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many within the Naval Special Warfare community.”
Chambers was a Navy Special Warfare Operator First Class (E-6), and Ingram was a Navy Special Warfare Operator Second Class (E-5).
“The incident remains under investigation,” Naval Special Warfare Command confirmed.
Both special-forces operators were presumed dead after the Navy’s ten-day search, U.S. Central Command stated Sunday. Airborne and naval craft belonging to the U.S., Japan, and Spain searched more than 21,000 square miles without finding them.
Last Tuesday, CENTCOM announced that the Navy successfully seized various weapons parts belonging to ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles on board an Iranian vessel en route to the Iran-backed Houthis. The night-time raid was the “first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis” since the terror group began attacking merchant ships trying to cross the Red Sea in mid November, the CENTCOM statement read.
Chambers enlisted in the Navy in 2012 and became a SEAL in 2014. Ingram joined the Navy in 2019 and graduated from SEAL qualification training in 2021. Both served with SEAL units based on the West Coast.
“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” Chaney said. “This loss is devastating for NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the nation.”