The 160th SOAR have operated several flavors of MH-47 during its history. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. At midnight on 11 June 1988, two MH-47s flew 490 miles at night without outside navigational aids to the target location, the Ouadi Doum Airfield in northern Chad. In 1987 and 1988, its pilots took part in Operation Earnest Will, the protection of re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf during the IranIraq War. Also known within JSOC as Task Force Brown, it fulfils a few different purposes, including direct combat engagement and support, as . Everyone who is assigned to 160th does Green Platoon. Turbine 33s nose dipped down, and the aircraft slid to the left, appearing to almost recover. As the pilots climbed the last 1,000 feet of elevation, the AC-130 crew providing overwatch on their destination radioed to say they had to leave their position due to a mechanical issue. NSDQ! Smith said everyone on the Chinook was angry. 160th Recruiting: Service in the 160th: My Life in Special Operations Aviation features a Special Operations Aviation 15U MH-47 Maintenance Platoon Sergeant. They shared a laugh as they loaded up for the flight back to Bagram. Nope, I want you to take my spot as the operations officer and monitor from here, Reich replied. How do deployments work? The exchange flights. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR (A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is for individuals who aren't afraid of challenges, The SEAL commander broke down and cried at the desperately needed positive news. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. 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. Today, according to the USASOC, the 160th continues a sustained and active forward presence in the U.S. Central Command area of operations at multiple locations. I wager more than a few literary agents are kicking themselves as they realize they missed out on a historically relevant and uniquely narrated insight into a seldom covered but fascinating story. The commander explained that the ground force commander had already rejected that plan and didnt want to wait any longer. As the first batch of pilots completed training in the fall of 1980, a second attempt to rescue the hostages was planned for early 1981. Russell went to work right away getting the crews together to prep the aircraft for the mission. We strive to achieve lore friendliness, without limiting ourselves. As the Night Stalkers slept, the SR team was discovered by a numerically superior force of enemy fighters. 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). 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 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the 160th SOAR or Night Stalkers, are the critically important aviation support of America's special operations forces. Enlisted Soldiers and NCOs are actively recruited to fill our ranks with the best men and women capable of executing our mission. Arriving at the insertion point on the ridgeline, Turbine 33 descended into a hover. Reply GlockAF . 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. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. 414 Am3ricanTrooper 9 mo. Predator drone marked the person with an infrared laser as he tried to escape in a smuggler's boat. 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. Theyve got their own quick-reaction force. 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 Chief Warrant Officer 4 Matt Rogie arrived in Bagram just before the Night Stalkers came back after dropping off the recovery force. They finalized plans and sent the Night Stalkers on their way. Officers are all volunteers; enlisted soldiers volunteer or are assigned by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. In 2014, Marketta remained in 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR (A) for service as an MH-60M crew chief. 160th SOAR pilots and awesome Crew Chiefs making this happen. And much more. The sun was fading behind Afghanistans Hindu Kush mountains the evening of June 27, 2005, as a team of four US Navy SEALs walked up the ramp and into the back of US Army Capt. The Night Stalkers again loaded their Chinooks with Rangers and SEALs and took off toward the mountains. The commandos would have to descend from a rope fast-rope while the helos hovered high above the trees. 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. Enlisted Soldiers must first qualify and then be selected to join Special Operations. They engaged in a fierce firefight, and at some point the task force lost contact with them. 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. Weve got two military-aged males, possibly armed, on the northernmost LZ, the crew reported. Members of this unit are three-time volunteers: for the Army, for airborne training and for the regiment. 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. As the sites were eliminated the first heliborne SOF teams launched from H-5 airbase in Jordan, including vehicle-mounted patrols from the British and Australian special forces, who were transported by the MH-47Es of the 160th SOAR. Arriving on site, the task force members fast-roped in. Approaching the insertion point, the pilots flared the Chinook and came into a hover. In the tradition of the best journalists, Burnett lets the story speak for itself. After refueling, he continued on to Jalalabad and offloaded. I could see a lot of vehicles with troops armed to the damn teeth, Smith recalled. This is not some hyped-up commando tale on steroids. The assault force (4 AH-6M Little Birds and 4 MH-60L Black Hawks) carried in DEVGRU operators to kill or capture the leader. This is one of only two commands open to Aviation Warrant Officers in the Army. 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. 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. Brady ran over to where his platoon sergeant, Sgt. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dave Currier, left, an MH-60M Black Hawk pilot, and Spc. Our plan of action is for you to get us to the high ground as close to the troops in contact as you can, and were going to fight our way downhill, Brady recalled Kristensen saying. He asked the AC-130 crew for one final report on the four potential landing zones the Night Stalkers had identified for the mission. Making a Night Stalker is well worth adding to any collection of military aviation history. 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. 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. The weather was turning bad again as they offloaded Marines to assist with security. Im glad youre a thinking air mission commander and not simply one that takes a black-and-white view of the situation.. 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. All of us were pretty broken up at that point, Rogie said. Northern Edge 21 Wraps Up Achieving Important Testing Goals Of New Capabilities For The Joint Forces. In late May of that year an advance team went to Ndjamena, Chad, to await their aircraft. They are flown exclusively by the US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). The Hind was abandoned by the Libyans after 15 years of fighting, and was of great intelligence value to the U.S. And finally, the plot ends with a twist that makes every page memorable. Since 2011, Israels Iron Dome has intercepted roughly 90% of rockets targeting populated areas within its borders. 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. On 19 September 2009 in Somalia, the Night Stalkers took part in Operation Celestial Balance, whose target was a senior terrorist leader connected to al-Qaeda affiliated organizations. The three-phase plan called for inserting a four-man SR team the first night, then inserting the second element of SEALs the following night to establish an isolation zone around Shah. One might easily mistake him for a veteran firefighter, a job he once held in Cincinnati, Ohio, years ago before entering the Army in 1985. . Officers in the tradition of the keyboard shortcuts LZ, the task force lost contact with.! From a rope fast-rope while the helos hovered high above the trees the explained. 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