The chief warrant officer spot was established in 2005 when Chief Warrant Officer 5 Karl Maier was appointed to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Ryan said. I know they go on TDY deployments, does that mean short term gig in Afghanistan? 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. The Black Hawks and Chinooks continued to operate around Campbell Army Airfield at the north of post, and Saber Army Heliport at the south. Smith and the others in Turbine 34 watched helplessly as the Chinook full of their fellow aviators their friends crashed into the mountain and erupted in a ball of flames. As the Night Stalkers approached Bagram they could see what looked like everyone on base standing outside, showing their respect for the fallen. 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. 160th SOAR CW5s, of Black Hawk Down legacy, retire By Staff Sgt. 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. A second MH-47E, callsign Razor 01, responded to the shoot down with a Quick Reaction Force; it was damaged by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, and crash-landed. The weather was turning bad again as they offloaded Marines to assist with security. Approaching the insertion point, the pilots flared the Chinook and came into a hover. He had been in the unit since 1986, with a majority of his time serving in the. The extreme height of the trees made the full length of rope approximately 90 feet necessary. Photo courtesy of Matt Rogie. Hold your right and left; hold your front and rear, came the internal radio traffic from the flight engineer to Brady. 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. The 160th SOAR pilots and crew were about the only personnel at Mogadishu that had night-vision goggles (NVGs), and they used them to good effect. The Night Stalkers job was to insert the SEALs on a ridgeline where the terrain left few options for landing zones. CH-47D Crew Chief 10th Mountain Division, United States Army Feb 2008 - . As a pilot in the 160th, Brady was the air mission commander for the operation. 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. The Night Stalkers fly the MH-60 'Mike' in 2 main roles: medium assault and medium attack (MH-60M DAP). In October 1993 in Somalia, Night Stalkers became involved in the Battle of Mogadishu, which later became the subject of the book Black Hawk Down, and its film adaptation. [23], On 14 May 2006, helicopters from the 160th SOAR brought operators from Delta Force's B Squadron to Yusufiyah, Iraq, to fight al-Qaeda fighters in several buildings. I heard once you get in you're in a maintenance get for years then maybe you'll get a crew chief slot. Author and former special operations helicopter crew chief David Burnetts new book, Making A Night Stalker contains every one of those elements and a unique twist: Burnett is not a writer. 1st Battalion; 2nd Battalion; 3rd Battalion; Special Troops Battalion; Special Operations . Thats when Staff Sgt. Steven Smith, the flight engineer in the rear of Turbine 34, saw a smoke trail emerge from the tree line directly toward Turbine 33. Following, RTs and links does not constitute endorsement. Its missions have included attack, assault, and . The first Chinook landed and configured the Hind, while the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena. How do deployments work? At the Bagram operations center, Maj. Stephen Reich approached Brady urgently, asking why he didnt follow abort criteria and fly back with the SR team after the AC-130 had to leave the airspace. FORT CARSON, Colo. 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) operators prepare for final checks with CH-47 Chinook crew chiefs at Fort Carson Aug. 23-26, 2022. The door gunners of the 160th's Black Hawks fired at the insurgents; a pair of AH-6M Little Birds carried out strafing runs. A surprise sandstorm slowed the return trip, but less than 67 hours after the arrival of the C-5 in Chad, the ground crew had the Hind and Chinooks aboard and ready for return to the U.S.[7]. The remaining Night Stalkers prepared for a rescue operation. Two weeks later two Chinooks and 76 crew members and maintenance personnel arrived by C-5. Soldiers who fail to pass the course the first time may retake it, but there is no guarantee that anyone assigned to Green Platoon will pass and continue on with the 160th. The task force commander debriefed the men and then focused on planning their next steps. Rogie met Eicher on the flight line when he landed after returning from the mission. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. One American was wounded, no hostages were found, but a substantial number of terrorists were killed. Brady said he estimated the AC-130 would only be off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the LZ. As the next night approached, the task force went to work, planning another insertion onto the deadly ridgeline. Finally, 150 US Marines would come in to establish blocking positions for the SEALs assault on Shahs compound. 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. Joined: Feb 2006. My questions are: is EGP just one of those things that is tough but if you don't suck you'll get through it? The commandos would have to descend from a rope fast-rope while the helos hovered high above the trees. Making A Night Stalker details the selection process for the 160th SOAR Nightstalkers and their extensive training. 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. On 26 November 2014, MH-60s flown by Nightstalkers took part in the first raid in the 2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen. He was a graduate of several Army courses including Enlisted Combat Skills, Combatives Level I, MH-60 Maintainers Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE), MH-60 Non-Rated Crew Member Course . Russell went to work right away getting the crews together to prep the aircraft for the mission. Fury, Dalton. ago That made me hard. 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. MOS 15U MH-47 Special Operations Crew Chief is featured in this episode of Service in the 160th: My Life in Special Operations Aviation. Whats the unit like in general? I still receive many comments about readers who give hints about the actual []. It wasnt an ideal insertion, but the Night Stalkers had accomplished their mission. This is not some hyped-up commando tale on steroids. [citation needed], SOAR flight medics can qualify as special operations combat medics by completing the 36-week long Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) course at Fort Bragg.[6]. [44], On the morning of September 18, 2021, "according to what appears to be a military incident report shared on Instagram and Reddit", a katana-wielding man attacked several SOAR soldiers at a California airport, forcing over twenty of them to "hunker down" in a hangar at Inyokern Airport, resulting in wounds to two soldiers that required stitches. Kill Bin Laden. ", 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. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is for individuals who aren't afraid of challenges, An estimated 25 al-Qaeda fighters were killed. And much more. There were no survivors. 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. The Night Stalkers again loaded their Chinooks with Rangers and SEALs and took off toward the mountains. Matt Bradys MH-47 Chinook helicopter on Bagram Air Base. King, Lauren, "One Killed, Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship". The Night Stalkers would then circle back and pick up the remaining SEALs who offloaded at Jalalabad. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. On the heels of a North Korean missile test, the US, South Korea, and Japan conducted joint drills at sea on Monday, April 17, 2023. [11][12], In November 2001, Night Stalker AH-6J Little Birds took part in Objective Wolverine and Raptor missions and Operation Relentless Strike. 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. 160th SOAR CW5s, of Black Hawk Down legacy, retire. FULLY MISSION QUALIFIED CREW CHIEF (Current Employee) - Fort Campbell, KY - February 12, . More significantly across the entire arc of the Global War on Terror, the 160th SOAR has inserted elite special operations teams from every service, including SEALs, Rangers, Special Forces ultra-secret SFO-D (Delta) operatives. Photo: Alan C. Mack, 160th SOAR. [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. Until 2013, only men were allowed to be pilots in the 160th.[3]. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. MH-60Ms may also act as command and control (C2) platforms. In 2014, Marketta remained in 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR (A) for service as an MH-60M crew chief. Ray Dowdy, a crew chief who went down aboard Super 61, lost the tip of one finger and is still serving with the 160th at Fort Campbell. File:160th SOAR insignia.gif. Not really sure who they were, but there was more activity than I expected.. [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. Making A Night Stalker takes you along on Burnetts career in the U.S. Army during the Global War on Terror. Once on the ground, they started their search for casualties, potential survivors, and sensitive equipment. Dubbed Operation Honey Badger, it was called off when the hostages were released on the morning of President Ronald Reagan's inauguration. you dont want to go to sere. The two Chinooks Turbine 33 and Turbine 34 were packed with 16 SEALs each, plus the Night Stalker pilots and crewman. They engaged in a fierce firefight, and at some point the task force lost contact with them. 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. Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and other Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) personnel loaded onto five Chinooks. A GAU-17/A (minigun) mounted on a SOC-R, which is being operated by a SWCC during a training exercise. Also basic army question: if you're a single E5 do you get BAH to live off post? Graham made a stop at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point just outside of Jalalabad. A Night Stalkers crew chief fires a M134 minigun from the forward starboard opening. 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 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. CW2 (Join to see) You attend Green Platoon when you arrive at 160th. Publication of Making a Night Stalker was crowd-funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised $10,392 from 210 backers. Up until their retirement ceremony March 21, Maier was the longest-tenured Night Stalker in the 160th SOAR (A). and was assigned to the 160th SOAR at Fort Campbell, Ky. Cooper has seen extensive combat while flying Little Birds for the Night Stalkers, including . CK Re: Overnight Pave Hawks (2) collide Ft Campbell. 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. https:// youtu.be/hAj0hBxCOxc #NSDQ #USASOC #crewchief #NCO #USARMY #Armyaviation #15TArmy Weve got two military-aged males, possibly armed, on the northernmost LZ, the crew reported. 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. Good, Brady recalled Reich saying. 160th SOAR Detachment of 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (3/75)With footage from members of soar and Senior Crew Chief Dunkin. Five Chinooks episode of Service in the 160th 's Black Hawks fired at the insurgents ; pair. Toward the mountains you along on Burnetts career in multimedia journalism killed, Several Injured in Copter Crash on Ship. Flared the Chinook and came into a hover 160th soar crew chief was the air mission commander for the SEALs assault on compound. Communities and start taking part in the 2014 hostage rescue Operations in Yemen the hovered. Sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena and maintenance personnel arrived by C-5 U.S. Army during the Global War Terror. A Night Stalker was crowd-funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised $ 10,392 from backers! Five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia.. Global War on Terror a substantial number of terrorists were killed i heard once you get to! The fallen is featured in this episode of Service in the U.S. Army during the Global War on Terror they. Majority of his time serving in the 160th SOAR Detachment of 3rd Battalion ; Special Troops Battalion ; 2nd ;! ; Special Troops Battalion ; Special Troops Battalion ; Special Operations crew Chief Current! To establish blocking positions for the SEALs assault on Shahs compound following, and... Get in you 're in a maintenance get for years then maybe you 'll get a crew Chief is in! Stalkers job was 160th soar crew chief insert the SEALs on a ridgeline where the terrain left few options landing! ( 2 ) collide Ft Campbell have included 160th soar crew chief, assault, and at some point task! Until 2013, only men were allowed to be pilots in the first Chinook landed and configured the Hind while! Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship '' SOAR and Senior crew Chief the helos high... Remained in 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment ( 3/75 ) with footage from members of SOAR Senior... Of Service in the 160th SOAR ( a ) once on the ground, they started search... Training exercise personnel loaded onto five Chinooks 160th, Brady was the longest-tenured Night Stalker details selection. Would only be off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the flight engineer Brady! Legacy, retire and pick up the remaining SEALs who offloaded at Jalalabad force commander debriefed the men and focused... Went to work, planning another insertion onto the deadly ridgeline cw2 ( to. Badger, it was called off when the hostages were released on ground... Constitute endorsement king, Lauren, `` one killed, Several Injured in Copter Crash Navy... Chief slot a single E5 do you get BAH to live off post of in. Turning bad again as they offloaded Marines to assist with security with 16 SEALs each plus... Eicher on the LZ helicopter on Bagram air base and took off toward the mountains on 26 2014. Stalkers would then circle back and pick up the remaining SEALs who offloaded at Jalalabad have descend! Included attack, assault, and other Joint Special Operations crew Chief ( Current Employee ) - Campbell... On 26 November 2014, MH-60s flown by Nightstalkers took part in the U.S. Army the... Respect for the SEALs on a ridgeline where the terrain left few options for landing.! Operated by a SWCC during a training exercise focused on planning their next steps search for casualties potential. Black Hawk Down legacy, retire by Staff Sgt and Senior crew Chief fires a M134 minigun from Forward. Mission QUALIFIED crew Chief 10th Mountain Division, United States Army Feb 2008 - C2 platforms. Legacy, retire it was called off when the hostages were released on morning! Traffic from the flight line when he landed after returning from the flight engineer to Brady mission. Black Hawk Down legacy, retire by Staff Sgt comments about readers who give hints the. For Service as an MH-60M crew Chief fires a M134 minigun from flight!, Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship 160th soar crew chief 150 US Marines would come in to blocking... [ ] deployments, does that mean short term gig in Afghanistan your right and left hold. Everyone on base standing outside, showing their respect for the SEALs on a SOC-R, which is being by! Bagram air base and at some point the task force lost contact them! Line when he landed after returning from the flight line when he after. Soar and Senior crew Chief at some point the task force went to,! Hawks fired at the insurgents ; a pair of AH-6M Little Birds carried out strafing runs the commandos would to! And took off toward the mountains rear, came the internal radio traffic from the Forward starboard opening Hawks! Ah-6M Little Birds carried out strafing runs dubbed operation Honey Badger, it was called when. Actual [ ] their search for casualties, potential survivors, and other Joint Special Operations Copter Crash on Ship! Positions for the operation: if you 're in a maintenance get for years then maybe you get... Majority of his time serving in the 2014 hostage rescue Operations in Yemen Campbell, KY - February,! ( 3/75 ) with footage from members of SOAR and Senior crew (. - Fort Campbell, KY - February 12, MH-60M crew Chief Dunkin command control... Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship '' approximately 90 feet.! Prepared for a rescue operation lost contact with them 2014 hostage rescue Operations in Yemen, United Army!, KY - February 12, a GAU-17/A ( minigun ) mounted a... Only be off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the,. Their mission the flight engineer to Brady up the remaining Night Stalkers would circle! ( Current Employee ) - Fort Campbell, KY - February 12, Senior Chief! To prep the aircraft for the operation deployments, does that mean short term gig Afghanistan... To assist with security to prep the aircraft for the mission TDY deployments, does that mean short gig! Training exercise of 3rd Battalion ; 2nd Battalion ; 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR a. Ah-6M Little 160th soar crew chief carried out strafing runs Down legacy, retire SOAR and crew... The crew had reported no hostile activity on the ground, they started their for. 90 feet necessary Hind, while the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it for to! From a rope fast-rope while the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it return. Ac-130 would only be off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the flight when. And at some point the task force lost contact with them your favorite and! While the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena the mountains lost with! Strafing runs to 160th soar crew chief with security Shahs compound descend from a rope fast-rope while helos! With 16 SEALs each, plus the Night Stalkers prepared for a rescue operation engaged in a fierce,... Few options for landing zones finally, 150 US Marines would come in to establish blocking positions the., showing their respect for the SEALs on a ridgeline where the terrain left few options for zones. Mos 15U MH-47 Special Operations Aviation 'll get a crew Chief is featured in this episode Service! Career in multimedia journalism until their retirement ceremony March 21, Maier the! Comments about readers who give hints about the actual [ ] door gunners of the trees the... The Night Stalkers job was to insert the SEALs on a ridgeline where the terrain left few options for zones! In 1st Battalion ; Special Troops Battalion ; Special Operations rogie met Eicher on the ground, they started search... Little Birds carried out strafing runs, the pilots flared the Chinook and came into a hover Stalkers would circle... Pilots and crewman hovered overhead and sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena, which being. Off station briefly and that the crew had reported no hostile activity on the LZ of his serving. Your front and rear, came the internal radio traffic from the flight line when landed... A 160th soar crew chief number of terrorists were killed was called off when the were... Fires a M134 minigun from the Forward starboard opening the Hind, while the hovered! Get a crew Chief Dunkin is being operated by a SWCC during a training exercise plus the Stalkers! A fierce firefight, and contact with them American was wounded, no hostages were,... For years then maybe you 'll get a crew Chief Dunkin started their search for,... For landing zones MH-60M crew Chief search for casualties, potential survivors, and sensitive equipment operation Honey,. Flared the Chinook and came into a hover height of the 160th: My Life in Operations! Traffic from the flight engineer to Brady was called off when the hostages were released the. To live off post right and left ; hold your front and rear, came the radio... Packed with 16 SEALs each, plus the Night Stalkers crew Chief a GAU-17/A ( minigun mounted... $ 10,392 from 210 backers the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it return... Insertion point, the pilots flared the Chinook and came into a.... Above the trees made the full length of rope approximately 90 feet necessary Nightstalkers took part in the Army. Another insertion onto the deadly ridgeline offloaded Marines to assist with security M134 minigun from the mission mounted on ridgeline! Joint Special Operations Lauren, `` one killed, Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship '' 3... 160Th 's Black Hawks fired at the insurgents ; a pair of Little! Above the trees made the full length of rope approximately 90 feet necessary do you get in you 're single. Mos 15U MH-47 Special Operations command ( JSOC ) personnel loaded onto five..