(CNN) -- Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn "wouldn't want to leave this Earth any other way than how he did," his wife told CNN, a day after she learned her husband was one of 30 U.S. service members killed in a helicopter crash Saturday in Afghanistan. "He loved his job," Kimberly Vaughn said. "There was no way -- even if you could tell him that this would have happened he would have done it anyway. All those men are like that. They're selfless." The Navy confirmed that 22 SEALS and eight other U.S. service members died when a CH-47 Chinook crashed in the restive Wardak province early Saturday morning. It was the single largest loss of life for U.S. troops since the Afghan war began in late 2001.
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NEW: Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn leaves behind 2 children and his wife
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NEW: He loved his job," Vaughn's wife says
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NEW: Navy SEAL Tommy Ratzlaff "died defending everyone he loved," nephew says
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Sgt. Patrick Hamburger of Nebraska was "selfless," his brother says
Navy SEAL
Navy
Navy SEAL
Navy SEAL
Vaughn's grandmother called him "a great American" who wanted to be a @placeholder ever since he was a boy.
Patrick Hamburger
@placeholder knew he was about to embark on an important and secret mission when he spoke to his family for the last time a few days ago, his brother said.
Afghanistan
Afghan
It was his selflessness that led him to @placeholder, he said