The two Apaches had arrived on station, drawing heavy gunfire, but nonetheless giving Turbine 34s crew back in the operations center a good look at the crash site. Command Page; Rangers History; Battalions. St Martin's, 2008. Then the realization hit: He was now in charge. We strive to achieve lore friendliness, without limiting ourselves. There were 100-foot-tall trees on all sides of the Chinook, and they were so close the pilots had no room to sway as they descended. Not really sure who they were, but there was more activity than I expected., Brady rushed to the operations center where Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Eicher was telling the task force commander that they should wait until dark before sending the QRF because going in during daylight would subject them to more danger. As they were turning around, Graham saw five Black Hawks performing a star-cluster evasion. The action, pace, detail and excitement of Making a Night Stalker are contrasted by its honesty and candor. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. As he watched the two Chinooks taxiing onto the runway, he locked eyes with Russell, his platoon sergeant. It doesnt make sense., But he knew and lived by the Night Stalkers promise to every customer: If we put you in, well stop at nothing to get you out even if its technically someone elses job.. The United States Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as Night Stalkers, is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and special operations forces. The Chinooks took off toward the mountains once again, but as they climbed in elevation, severe weather rolled in. New theories about the Stealth Black Hawk emerge as the UH-60 turns 40. Apply to Flight Instructor, Faculty, Assistant Instructor and more! Their distinctive 101st "Screaming Eagle" patches remained on their uniforms. In April 1988, two CH-47 Chinooks, a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy, and 75 maintenance personnel and crew flew to White Sands AFB, New Mexico to rehearse the mission. Making a Night Stalker is well worth adding to any collection of military aviation history. Life in the 160th I have spoken to AD and 160th recruiters Background: Army NG Crew chief (15T) E4, been in about 4 years but still have very limited maintenance experience and just recently RL1 crew chief. One American was wounded, no hostages were found, but a substantial number of terrorists were killed. Reich, who had been designated mission commander for phase two of the operation, felt the QRF was his responsibility. 15U MH-47 Crew Chief; 15U MH-47 Maintenance Supervisor; 160th Recruiting Enlisted; Multimedia; 160th Recruiting; 160th Recruiting 2 . While one of the helicopters crash landed on arrival,[35] all on board survived. The Night Stalkers, officially known as the 160 Special Operations Aviation Regiment, are the best helicopter pilots and crews in the world. The task force commander denied the request and ordered Turbine 34 back to Jalalabad. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Matt Rogie arrived in Bagram just before the Night Stalkers came back after dropping off the recovery force. All soldiers receive intensive training upon joining the 160th and are required to pass the Green Platoon course. With signs of belly landing. Fort Campbell, KY goarmysof.com/160th/SOARrecr Joined May 2019 106 Following 8,094 Followers Replies Media Brady knew that surveillance aircraft going off station without backup was supposed to result in aborting the mission. In 2014, Marketta remained in 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR (A) for service as an MH-60M crew chief. Officers are all volunteers; enlisted soldiers volunteer or are assigned by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. After leaving the 160th SOAR, he was assigned as the commander of the 2nd Aviation Detachment at West Point, flying the UH-72 Lakota. slumlord #18295189 03/30/23. After a brief tenure with the infantry, he became a rotor-wing pilot then excelled his way into the vaunted 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) The Night Stalkers say no more! Brady told his operations NCO to give him a minute to gather more information to get the next plan of action in place. Exclusive: first high-resolution close-up pictures of the stealth drone in Iran. The JSOC troops, along with their newly arrived reinforcements, went to work recovering those killed in action as well as sensitive equipment that could not fall into enemy hands. The 160th SOAR has the mission of infiltrating behind enemy lines or into other denied territory to insert or extract U.S. or allied special operations personnel. Northern Edge 21 Wraps Up Achieving Important Testing Goals Of New Capabilities For The Joint Forces. As the lead aircraft descended, it became clear the LZ was on a steep slope of the mountain, making descent difficult due to the front rotors approaching the mountainside faster than the rear of the aircraft. Im guessing morning PT in 160th is pretty nuts? ago That made me hard. Rogie met Eicher on the flight line when he landed after returning from the mission. He tells the tale from the perspective of the common man, the common soldier. Its a wild ride. When you hear all four directions, everyone gets pretty tense, Brady said. [30] On 9 September 2009 in Afghanistan, Night Stalkers inserted the British SBS and SFSG into Kunduz Province to rescue Times journalist Stephen Farrell after he and his Afghan interpreter were captured by the Taliban. Assigned to replace Eicher as senior flight lead, he was trying to learn as much as he could before hopping into an aircraft and joining the mission. I could see the grass being blown by the rotor wash and all the remains bags being lined up in a row 16 of them, Rogie recalled. He would have been on that bird were it not for the last-minute change. After the 1980 Operation Eagle Claw attempt to rescue American hostages held in Tehran, Iran, failed, President Jimmy Carter ordered former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James L. Holloway III to figure out how the U.S. military could best mount another attempt. Grahams aircraft pulled off to the right to circle around and insert their payload of SEALs after Turbine 33 moved off to allow their entrance. [42] CNN reported that on 27 October 2017, a US helicopter from 4th Battalion 160th SOAR crashed in Logar province, Afghanistan, killing one and injuring 6 more US service members, the crash was not a result of enemy action. At the time there were no U.S. helicopter units trained in this kind of stealthy, short-notice Special Operations mission. Aviators, maintainers and aviation crewmembers of the RAF conducted exchange flights with Soldiers of 160th SOAR to share and learn how each respective unit operates. Believing the gunship could make it back on station in time for the insertion, Brady made the call to continue the mission. Three war-weary escorts one of them a SEAL and the other two Night Stalkers Daniel Bell and Chris Eicher sat off to the sides, grimly staring off into space. Erik Kristensen in the command operations center. Brady had no way of knowing at the time, but it would be the last time anyone at Bagram would ever see three of those four Americans alive. Finally, 150 US Marines would come in to establish blocking positions for the SEALs assault on Shahs compound. They are famous for the roles they played in both the Battle of Mogadishu and the mission to kill Usama Bin Laden but are revered throughout the special operations community for acts of valor that often never see the light of day due to the classified nature of their work. This is one of only two commands open to Aviation Warrant Officers in the Army. The 160th had only lost helicopters during daylight missions at that point theyre called, Chesty Puller: The Corps Most Decorated Marine, US and Allies Conduct Drills in Face of North Korean Threat, How Israels Iron Dome Protects the Country, Dirty Boat Guys: An Expansive History of Navy SWCC, 2-Day BRCC Fundraiser Nets $55K for Screaming Eagles, Russias Pacific Fleet Put on High Alert for Snap Drills, Red Tails The Legendary Tuskegee Airmen of WWII, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The strike groups included one flight of MH-60L DAPs and four "Black Swarm" flights, each consisting of a pair of AH-6M Little Birds; a FLIR-equipped, target-spotting MH-6M; and a pair of U.S. Air Force A-10As. I have a degree and job at a large gov consulting firm Walking toward the flight line, the SEAL commander quipped, What made you want to fly such ugly helicopters?, Theyre not much to look at, but they get the job done, Brady fired back. Publication of Making a Night Stalker was crowd-funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised $10,392 from 210 backers. Everyone who is assigned to 160th does Green Platoon. I have a few friends in the 160th but they aren't too much help. Bradys maintenance officer woke him and said the SR team was in trouble and the Night Stalkers had orders to spin up and pull the team out. The 160th SOAR is the unit that flew the special MH-X Stealth Black Hawk helicopters and MH-47G (or classified variant) Chinook during Operation Neptunes Spear, the raid to capture Osama bin Laden. . https:// youtu.be/hAj0hBxCOxc #NSDQ #USASOC #crewchief #NCO #USARMY #Armyaviation #15TArmy Up until their retirement ceremony March 21, Maier was the longest-tenured Night Stalker in the 160th SOAR (A). The OH-6 Cayuses, aircraft that had vanished from the division's regular inventory after Vietnam, were hidden on base in an ammunition holding area still known as the "SHOC Pad", for "Special Helicopter Operations Company". Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice. The Hind was abandoned by the Libyans after 15 years of fighting, and was of great intelligence value to the U.S. A new Night Stalker pilot arrives at a unit as Basic Mission Qualified (BMQ). Kevin Schoonmaker, a native of Van Detten, N.Y., currently with Co. D, 4th ARB, 227th Avn. Smith said everyone on the Chinook was angry. Following, RTs and links does not constitute endorsement. Graham reported the situation back to Bagram. File:160th SOAR insignia.gif. Turbine 33s nose dipped down, and the aircraft slid to the left, appearing to almost recover. The task force commander debriefed the men and then focused on planning their next steps. As demand for highly trained special operations aviation assets bloomed, the regiment activated three battalions, a separate detachment, and incorporated one Army National Guard unit, the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation (OK ARNG). [20], On the evening of 13 December 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces in Operation Red Dawn, he was exfiltrated by a MH-6 Little Bird from the 160th SOAR and he was taken into custody at Baghdad International Airport.[21]. Back at Jalalabad, the commanders decided they had no choice but to wait for better weather and try again the next night. ", "Death waits in the dark! At 9 p.m. on 19 March 2003, the first strike of Operation Iraqi Freedom was carried out by members of the 160th SOAR, on Iraqi visual observation posts along the southern and western borders of Iraq. 160th Recruiting: Service in the 160th: My Life in Special Operations Aviation features a Special Operations Aviation 15U MH-47 Maintenance Platoon Sergeant. In 2004 they took part in the rescue of three Italian contractors and one Polish businessman held for ransom by Iraqi insurgents. As a pilot in the 160th, Brady was the air mission commander for the operation. Based on publically available images on the ground and from satellites, the 160th SOAR had a small presence of a couple of transport helicopters in Kabul when the city fell to the Taliban on . He told Reich pushing the mission back would allow Shah to continue his terrorist activities, likely leading to the death of locals and US military in the area. All the men were anxious, angry, and ready to retrieve their brothers in arms. [28] On 24 April 2008, Company D, 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR was inactivated at a ceremony conducted at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, as part of a regimental transformation plan. Thats when Staff Sgt. CENTCOM mistakenly posted a video on the internet of a flight of four MH-60Ms of the 160th SOAR conducting a mid-air refueling over Iraq in October 2014, the video was hastily taken down. A Night Stalkers crew chief fires a M134 minigun from the forward starboard opening. David Pliego, UH-60 Blackhawk crew chief, 4th Bn., 160th SOAR, as he struggled to swim 30 meters in his flight gear and treaded water for what seemed like hours - only to be told his. They then used explosives to clear out a large enough area for Chinooks to land when they came back. After landing, Graham saw the same five Black Hawks that had peeled off earlier parked on the runway. Throughout that night of 5 December 2015, a group of Rangers engaged in a firefight with enemy troops near the Afghan-Pakistan border; after about 5 a.m. their commander called for an extraction after they learned of a larger enemy group approaching. [41], The Washington Post reported that 160th SOAR took part in the Yakla raid in Yemen on 29 January 2017, distinguishing itself when its helicopters flew repeatedly into heavy enemy fire to support U.S. Navy SEALs pinned down on the ground. In 2018 Shelton became a MH-60M Crew Chief. The odds of enemy fighters hearing the echo of the dual-rotor helicopter increased every second it remained in a hover. In thirteen years in the 160th SOAR, he completed sixteen deployments, flying variations of the MH-47. RM HEBE06 - A U.S. Army crew chief, right, with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) and an Air Force loadmaster with the 15th Airlift Squadron prepare to unload a MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Aug. 23, 2011. A U.S. Army crew chief, right, with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) and an Air Force loadmaster with the 15th Airlift Squadron guide an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while 110823-F-WA575-004.jpg 4,256 2,832; 4.55 MB This is post/unit dependent. As the next night approached, the task force went to work, planning another insertion onto the deadly ridgeline. [38][39] On 4 July 2014, during Operation Inherent Resolve, the Night Stalkers inserted Delta Force operators into Syria to rescue James Foley and other US hostages. Does anyone know how prior service contracts work? Their war-weary faces were chiseled stone as they watched the task force solemnly load 16 flag-draped interment cases into the C-17. Since the SEALs werent sure where exactly the compromised team was located, Kristensen believed inserting at a position of tactical advantage was the best option. Not wanting to burn valuable time waiting on approval from the task force commander for the audible, the Night Stalkers continued on without the Apaches. He and Eicher hurried back to the operations center. They tell a well-paced, compelling story. I have a degree and job at a large gov consulting firm. He is still serving in the Army. ", Some L models were upgraded to Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) variants, M variants can be equipped with the Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES), USASOAC Special Operations Training Battalion (co-lead by the 160th SOAR(A)), Light Assault Helicopters Company (MH-6M), Medium Attack Helicopters Company (MH-60M DAP), Medium Assault Helicopters Company (MH-60M), Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G), Extended-Range Multi-Purpose Company (MQ-1C), This page was last edited on 28 March 2023, at 19:26. Brady stood next to a SEAL commander both had to take command of their respective units when Reich and Kristensen were killed on Turbine 33. My questions are: is EGP just one of those things that is tough but if you don't suck you'll get through it? SamOlson. This provisional unit was dubbed Task Force 158, since most of its pilots were Black Hawk aviators detached from the 158th. [40], The Night Stalkers continue to be deployed to Afghanistan as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission after Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan ended in late 2014 and was replaced with Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The first Chinook landed and configured the Hind, while the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena. One of Bradys soldiers in the operations center was asking him a question, but Brady was momentarily frozen with shock. [5] The basic Night Stalker course for enlisted soldiers lasts five weeks;[4] the officer course lasts 20 to 28 weeks. All of us were pretty broken up at that point, Rogie said. Making A Night Stalker takes you along on Burnetts career in the U.S. Army during the Global War on Terror. As the cases were being loaded, a SEAL ran up to the new SEAL commander and placed a written note in his hand. For the Night Stalkers of the famed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the war on terror continued. CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) - Two 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash last week on San Clemente Island, California. Im glad youre here because I am spent, Eicher told him. We have been in the Special Operations community for 12 years. In Afghanistan in 2005: Eight Night Stalkers (four from HHC and four from Bravo company of 3rd Battalion[22]) were killed along with eight Navy SEALs on a rescue mission for Marcus Luttrell, after their MH-47 Chinook helicopter was hit by an RPG (rocket propelled grenade). When I left in 2012, getting off post as a single E6 wasn't even a sure thing. Photo: Alan C. Mack, 160th SOAR. AH-6Ms strafed the two-vehicle convoy, killing the leader along with three other al-Shabaab terrorists, then carried out an overwatch while DEVGRU cleared the vehicles and recovered the body. Posts: 41,531. Their capability was judged too useful to lose, and so instead of returning to the 101st, the pilots and modified aircraft became a new unit. They flew from US Navy warships and leased oil barges in a secret sub-part called Operation Prime Chance, and became the first helicopter pilots to use night vision goggles and forward looking infrared (FLIR) devices in night combat. They rode it all the way in that way.. This is my mission.. Were completely separate commands. The note said that Marcus Luttrell was alive at a nearby village. A helicopter from the 160th SOAR arrived and began receiving heavy fire from the enemy, with an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the 1st Battalion 101st Aviation Regiment escorting the helicopter, put their Apache directly between the U.S. troops, the helicopter and the enemy forces to draw the fire. With that, they retired to their rooms to rest for phase two of the operation the following night. He had a look of competence and professionalism like he was ready to live out the Night Stalker creed, Brady said. The loss weighed heavy on the men. He walked out of the operations center and found Eicher. One by one, the Rangers and SEALs loaded the fallen onto the Chinooks and headed back to Bagram with their brothers. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Helicopter pilots in general are often the black sheep of the military aviation community. MH-47D. The Ranger commander and an attached 2nd Commando Regiment operator organised an all-round defence while the other MH-47E held back the advancing insurgents until its miniguns ran out of ammunition. The door gunners of the 160th's Black Hawks fired at the insurgents; a pair of AH-6M Little Birds carried out strafing runs. His military experience includes being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company F, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). All rights reserved. Thats not possible, Brady replied, confused at how quickly the SEALs had become compromised. On 19 August 2009, four Night Stalkers from D Company, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR lost their lives in a MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash in Leadville, Colorado, during mountain and environmental training. Kish Air Show: A Rare Opportunity To See The Worlds Last Flying F-14 Tomcat Jets In Action. Two Night Stalker Black Hawks, Super 6-1 (piloted by Cliff Wolcott), and Super 6-4 (piloted by Mike Durant), were shot down in the battle. On 25 August 2017, a Black Hawk helicopter flown by the 160th SOAR crashed off the coast of Yemen while conducting hoist training when it lost power and crashed into the sea, six servicemen survived, one US service member remained missing. I saw this first hand as an H-60 Search & Rescue Swimmer Crew Chief (AW . Select Officer, Warrant Officer, or Enlisted below and you will be redirected to the NEW https://go160thsoar.com recruiting site for MOS field list, requirements, and applications. Brady said it seemed like the whole base turned out to give the fallen a proper sendoff. In June 1988, the unit received a short-notice directive to recover a Soviet made Mi-25 Hind (Mi-24 Hind export version) attack helicopter from a remote location in Chad. Thaddius S. Dawkins II, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command March 28, 2014 FORT CAMPBELL, KY -- As the A Company,. The 160th brought AH-6 helicopters the light helicopter gunship based on MH-6 "Little Bird" and defensive armed penetrators, the MH-60L modified attack helicopter that looks like a Black. With decades of combat experience and a stack of medals to his name, Chesty Puller remains the most accomplished leatherneck in Marine Corps history. Kristensen confronted him about the decision to cut the rope at the LZ and asked if the Night Stalkers would go back and retrieve it. (Original members of the Night Stalkers refer to it as "the day the Eagles came off". Finally, the 50-day SOAMIC provides 160th-assigned Health Care Specialists (68Ws) who have completed the Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) Course advanced training on "in-flight trauma/resuscitative care. Russell went to work right away getting the crews together to prep the aircraft for the mission. Not really sure who they were, but there was more activity than I expected.. Its unlikely any journalist could have told this story the way Burnett does. The 160th SOAR actively seeks and assesses the best-qualified aviators, crew members and support personnel in the Army. When the Little Birds were out of ammo, they would often keep making passes so that enemy . When I met him there on the ground in Jalalabad, Graham was fairly shaken to say the least, Brady recalled. So the enemy is one factor, but the terrain and weather are now a huge factor, and theyre starting to overtake the enemy in terms of danger to the force, Brady said. During the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the Night Stalkers from 2nd Battalion supported two task forces established in early October 2001: Dagger and Sword. On 2 April, a Delta Force squadron operating in Iraq was ambushed by a half-dozen armed technicals from an anti-special forces Fedayeen. The extreme height of the trees made the full length of rope approximately 90 feet necessary. They shared a laugh as they loaded up for the flight back to Bagram. After a series of skills test qualifications, experience, leadership, and oral review boards lasting up to three years, the Night Stalker is designated Fully Mission Qualified (FMQ). Tasked with inserting the SEAL special reconnaissance (SR) team deep into enemy territory in unforgiving terrain, Brady knew the SEALs Lt. Michael Murphy, Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz, Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Axelson had a difficult mission ahead. This application process begins when you submit your packet and ends when you report for duty. Was this review helpful? Theyve got their own quick-reaction force. You hope they could. Thunder boomed as lightning struck all around them. He has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Since 2011, Israels Iron Dome has intercepted roughly 90% of rockets targeting populated areas within its borders. The troopstwo 12-man Green Beret teams from the 5th Special Forces Group dubbed Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 555 and 595[10] plus four Air Force Combat Controllerslinked up with the CIA and Northern Alliance. Then the helos blades started hitting each other, and the aircraft rolled to the right before inverting as it descended to the mountainous terrain below. 35 ] all on board survived up for the last-minute change to prep the aircraft for mission! He was ready to live out the Night Stalkers refer to it as `` the day the Eagles came ''... Before the Night Stalkers came back four directions, everyone gets pretty,... Operations NCO to give him a question, but as they climbed in elevation, severe rolled. Whole base turned out to give him a minute to gather more information to get the plan... Half-Dozen armed technicals from an anti-special Forces Fedayeen, RTs and links does constitute! A ) for service as an MH-60M crew chief ( AW the new SEAL commander and placed a written in. 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