Officer candidates must complete SERE before attending Green Platoon. "Everyone learned valuable lessons from the battle of the Black Sea in Mogadishu," retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Greg Coker, a distinguished AH-6 Little Bird pilot, told Insider. According to CPT Federer*, Our student validations are done by IPs [Instructor Pilots] from the line companies. Aviation (Rated) warrant officers must meet the following requirements: Note: You also must have 500 Total Rotary Wing Hours (or 50 PIC Rotary Wing hours if less than 500). Due to the difficulty, some Soldiers dont make it past training and instead get placed in a related job within the regular Army. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ( 160th SOAR ), better known as the Night Stalkers, were flying in full force near Dam Neck, Virginia last week, hauling around Navy SEALs and . Actually, the active Army does have some Lakota's (LUH-72). There will be zero feedback from anyone until the end, and that leaves you with a sense of doubt (at least it did for me). My manner is that of the Special Operations Quiet Professional, secrecy is a way of life. The MH-6 is only in the 160th SOAR. If youre not used to swimming with that stuff it will definitely degrade your performance. (Only officers and warrant officers can become pilots, though enlisted soldiers can technically be pilots if they fly UAVs with E Company.). At the same time, the helicopter flies at a very low altitude at a very high speed. Currently, 1st Bn. If you want to be a SOAR helicopter pilot youll attend Warrant Officer Flight School, also known as WOFT. Made up of five specialized units, each bringing their own unique strength, Takes on the Armys most challenging missions, Requires extensive training to ensure physical and mental resiliency, They are combat experts who specialize in conducting raids within enemy territory, They take on high priority and high-pressure missions, They require Airborne qualification, a General Technical score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)the Armys placement testof at least 105, and extensive training, They are guerrilla warfare experts who use unexpected and unconventional techniques, They fight terrorists and insurgents abroad, They require secret security clearance eligibility, Airborne qualification, an ASVAB placement test GT score of at least 100, and extensive training, They are aviation experts who use cutting-edge aircraft to surprise enemiesanywhere and any time, They operate the most advanced military aircraft in the world, including Black Hawk helicopters, They are communication experts who persuade our allies and enemies to act in our nations best interest, They leverage cultural expertise, language skills, and military deception to sway opinions and actions, They require secret security clearance eligibility, an ASVAB placement test GT score of at least 100, and extensive training, They are diplomacy experts who help reduce instability and enable local governments abroad, They partner with key officials and leaders to better understand, help, and influence local populations. I fear no foes ability, nor underestimate his will to fight. Today, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment continues a sustained and active forward presence in the U.S. Central Command area of operations at multiple locations in support of operations Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn, in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. They became the first helicopter pilots to use. The pilots stateside and overseas combat duty positions included Attack Helicopter Platoon Leader and battalion Assistant S-3. Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. A small RS1 assessment team led by a Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) ushers candidates through the process. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq. My dream has always been to fly and I want to fly for the best unit possible. The assessment is hard. Its warrant officer 3 and 4 ranks were manned at 43 percent and 83 percent, respectively, according to the mid-July numbers from a source familiar with personnel issues who requested to remain anonymous. Enlisted Soldiers must first qualify and then be selected to join Special Operations. Enlisted Combat Skills, also known as "Green Platoon," is the first step to becoming a Night Stalker! By special means, not visible to the eye of the person, to find a group of special forces and evacuate it. advanced first aid techniques, combatives, land navigation, and weapons training. Five men were killed, several injured, and one captured. You may go to the aerial range and shoot three times a week if you are on base.". If you are listed in ATRRS as a "W", or "Wait", you are still In 2015, having accrued 500 flight hours, and with eight months left on assignment, the now-captain (CPT) got a personal email from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), signed by the Regimental Commanding Officer (RCO), inviting him to apply to be assessed and trained into the unit. Privacy Policy. It starts with a week-long assessment. Russian pilots are training to fly in teams of Mi-35 Strike Helicopters alongside Mi-8 Transport helicopters, with teams of eight special operators aboard the Mi-8 for insertion. Army leaders say theyre working to increase production at Fort Rucker, Alabama, the services primary flight training post. Can you give soldiers who are about to take it some advice so they can better prepare for it? Stay up to date with what you want to know. The 160th desires career-focused, team-oriented, and highly committed pilots.4 Responses to the personal invitations have been very positive. One of the biggest was the weapon we carried at the time in our aircraft, the MP-5 sub-machine gun. Established in 2011, SOAMIC was developed by 160th flight medical personnel who were asked to focus on their areas of expertise and produce a learning tool that conveyed their lessons learned and institutional knowledge.9 Before attending SOAMIC, trainees must have completed Airborne School, the Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) Course, Green Platoon, SERE training, water survival training, and basic fast rope qualification. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Regiment reorganization modifying the 160th fleet composition was approved in October 2007 and will be implemented over the next several years. Id be interested in aviation maintenance or repair on UH-60, CH-47, and AH-64. Largely because of the Regiments effective assessment process, Company A enjoys a near-100% officer pass rate. After completing Combat Skills, staff officers report to their respective units while aviators progress to the two-day Dunker Qualification Course at the Allison Aquatics Training Facility.6, After completing dunker training, all aviators are transferred to Company B, SOATB. Dont quit. The shortages were noticeable in the A/MH-6, MH-60 and MH-47 pilot communities, but are emblematic of the larger shortages throughout the Armys combat aviation brigades, from which special operations aviators are sourced later in their careers. i got orders for 160th recently and was wondering about the training and requirements. Army Rangers are also called the 75th Ranger Regiment. That, of course, limits the pool from which the 160th SOAR can draw recruits. is located at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; and 4th Bn. However, before an officer attends OGP, he or she must apply and be assessed. It goes without saying that it takes time to development the skills and syllabus needed to stand up an entire squadron of highly trained special operations aviators, but as Russia has restructured its defense spending strategies away from large platforms like aircraft carriers and toward more specialized and covert enterprises like submarines and stealth platforms, and increased emphasis on their special operations community seems perfecting in keeping with the best bag for the buck approach the Russian Ministry of Defense has taken toward new enterprises. McCurry said at the September event that finding pilots isnt the hard part its keeping them in the seat. There is a thorough administrative and qualifications screening process that takes place before a soldier reaches Green Platoon. I under performed academically (personal opinion). In battle, I eagerly meet the enemy for I volunteered to be up front where the fighting is hard. So, train with them in the pool if you can. Coker, who wrote a thrilling account of a Night Stalker at war, participated in almost all major operations in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. For more information, please see our With the information below, youll be able to dial-in your training for selection. MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The above Army aviator profile typifies an ideal candidate for the 160th SOAR. But in the two years since then, the service only added about 30 pilots, and still had nearly 700 positions left to fill, according to data from August. U.S. ARMY INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND, "We Are the Army's Home - CW4 Benson S. Arts*, SORB, interview with Jared M. Tracy, 8 April 2016, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. As the Russians have found in their first year of training their own version of the Nightstalkers, operating at night and flying complex missions with an extremely high level of proficiency are entirely different things. Going into this assessment I knew there were only two things I had control over: physical training and academic preparation. 6. I cant say what specifically you should look at; however, I will tell you to paint a wide brush with broad strokes think of it as a Standardization Evaluation. But, when I did, I made the mistake of focusing on general aviation topics because thats what they tell you to double down on during the briefing. One of the biggest challenges of being a special operations aviator for any national military is operating under cover of darkness. A botched program to train Saudi pilots for war in Yemen cost a US Army aviator his life, Ukraine rejects Iraqi offer to mediate talks with Russia, Chinese ministers tour underscores closer ties with Russia, G-7 diplomats reject Chinese, North Korean, Russian aggression, US, allies stage drills as North Korea warns of security crisis, US sails warship through Taiwan Strait after Chinas drills. If you're unlucky you'll end up as a half baked 91B. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Get yourself a 1:250K JOG and have someone show you how to plot a LAT/LON and MGRS. Ready to take the next step? This year, Russia is celebrating the one-year anniversary of establishing their own iteration of Americas special operations aviation detachment. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Pseudonyms are identified with an asterisk (*). But this is not enough to effectively support special forces. Theyre either on-mission, coming back from the mission or training for the mission.". Your path to becoming a Night Stalker. Soldiers of the 160th have been actively and continuously engaged in the combat operations since October 2001. The 160th first saw combat during 1983's Operation Urgent Fury, the U.S. invasion of Grenada, and has been a part of every major conflict since. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiments mission is to organize, equip, train, resource and employ Army special operations aviation forces worldwide in support of contingency missions and warfighting commanders. Fifty days of SOAMIC training cover such topics as medical mission planning; proper wear and use of flight-approved clothing, boots, armor, helmets, and other equipment designed to prevent injury or harm, also known as aviation life support equipment (ALSE); treatment under CBRN conditions and using NVGs; and casualty hoist procedures. Download the warrant officer application here. Through their actions on the battlefield, successive generations of Night Stalkers have proven true to their motto, "Night Stalkers Don't Quit.". Think of it as flight school Basic Warfighter Skills (BWS) but on steroids. Soldiers in this unit typically work in small, tactical teams on the most varied and sensitive missions the Army undertakes. I already have a secret clearance. The numbers which were provided to you are a snapshot in time and are currently inaccurate and are not a true depiction of current strength," Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, Army Special Operations Command spokesman, told Army Times on Oct. 8. Reach out and we'll help you get there. During the longest helicopter assault in U.S. history, Englen's was the first helicopter into Afghanistan after . I categorize the assessment into three sections: physical, academic and emotional. what is green platoon like currently? As a member of the Night Stalkers I am a tested volunteer seeking only to safeguard the honor and prestige of my country, by serving the elite Special Operations Soldiers of the United States. I have already attended Air Force Air Operations Course Initial Qualification Training (AOCIQT) and received the ASI of 5A. Using the mass approach, SORB recruiters brief large audiences of pilots in CABs about the SOAR, and hand out informational materials. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. These soldiers fly the DELTA Force and Navy SEALS into high priority U.S. secret missions. Service in the 160th is a calling only a few will answer for the mission is constantly demanding and hard. It's literally called 160th because you're expected to ruck 160th miles a week 38 SpcialEd 3 yr. ago The sir sits atop my ruck. (2) If approved, the request is forwarded through the Military Personnel . If you dont make it through training, youll still be highly trained and qualified for another position within a regular Army unit. My interpretation of general aviation and their (160th) interpretation of general aviation are very different. During the course, all students must complete a four-mile run in thirty-six minutes and timed four and six mile ruck marches. 160th SOAR (A) History The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment's mission is to organize, equip, train, resource and employ Army special operations aviation forces worldwide in support of contingency missions and warfighting commanders. That lesson proved invaluable in the initial days of the war in Afghanistan when Night Stalkers went hunting Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. These are the pilots and stealthy helicopters that flew SEAL Team 6 operators to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. This role is open to Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard. MAJ Jackson J. Dunbar*, Regimental S-1, interview with Jared M. Tracy, 26 January 2016, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. From large-scale combat to small-unit raids, be the one in control of the battlefield. RE-ASSIGNMENT & PCS After completing CAB assignments. Go 15 series. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). Im an instructor pilot and I didnt have a lot of time to study. Search on "160th SOAR" for other posts. This strategic organizational structure postures the 160th SOAR (Abn) to support the special operations forces (SOF) mission and training well into the future. We must covertly get out to the designated area as soon as possible. If yes, contact a recruiter, submit an application, assess, and if accepted, you're accepted into Green Platoon. Its warrant officer 3 and 4 ranks were manned at 59 percent and 65 percent, respectively, according to the July numbers. The Night Stalkers also support missions for the U.S. Southern, Pacific, Africa, and European commands. Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. what is day to day life like? CPT Kellie A. McCarthy*, Military Intelligence and U.S. Military Academy 08, and First Sergeant (1SG) Mitchell W. Norvell*, an Aviation Operations Specialist with thirteen years as a Night Stalker, provide the company leadership. "There is no such thing as a normal day, as there is always training for different scenarios and 'customers,'" Coker said. The 23rd STS partnered with 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) to conduct personnel recovery training using alternate infiltration and exfiltration techniques. Screening, SOAMIC (Flight Surgeons / PAs / Enlisted Medical). If taking to the sky and flying challenging missions sounds like the career for you, consider applying to be a part of 160th SOAR. And, if you want to be a part of a generally top-notch team, then 160th SOAR AKA the Night Stalkers checks the box. While mass briefings remain one recruiting avenue, the 160th recently added a more personalized approach, according to the RS1, Major (MAJ) Jackson J. Dunbar*.3 After narrowing the pool of pilots in a specific CAB based on preferred skills and experience, the 160th sends eligible aviators who have met certain gates in their careers an RCO-signed invitation to assess. SOAR is also called the 160th Special Operations Aviation Unit or Night Stalkers. Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. My recommendation is to keep your eye on the goal and dont quit. This is what you expect when you get a ride from the Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR), also known as the "Night Stalkers.". Archived post. Dunbar* interview, 26 January 2016; Special Operations Training Battalion (SOATB), Power Point Presentation, SOATB 101: SOATBThe FIRST Step in Night Stalking, 1 September 2015, copy in USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter SOATB 101.. Army National Guard pilots are also considered for assessment into the community. Even if you dont assess successfully, the entire process will leave you with something to work on: professionally, academically, physically, and emotionally. During the fierce battle, the Night Stalkers lost two MH-60 Black Hawks and had numerous other aircraft seriously damaged. Consisting of four platoons (Assessment, Reassignment, Enlisted Combat Skills, and Officer Combat Skills), Company A provides seven fifteen-day classes (up to twenty students each) each year via its Officer Combat Skills Platoon. Note: IAW USSOCOM sanitization protocol for historical articles on recent operations, pseudonyms are used for majors and below who are still on active duty, unless names have been publicly released for awards/decorations or DoD news release. She lives in sunny Florida and loves to write engaging content to inform, inspire and entertain the military community. Im a medic currently deployed in an infantry BN. 16. he Night Stalkers came to the limelight during the "Black Hawk Down" engagement in Mogadishu in 1993. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Today, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment continues a sustained and active forward presence in the U.S. Central Command area of operations at multiple locations in support of. There may be other active units that perform MEDEVAC support for Army installations elsewhere. Your path to becoming a Night Stalker begins at https://go160thsoar.com. The 160th SOARs aviators have remained in high demand since the start of the Global War on Terror, as well. Any national military is operating under cover of darkness [ Instructor pilots ] from the companies. Quot ; for other posts role is open to active duty, Reserve, AH-64. Initial days of the Global war on Terror, as well attends OGP, or... One in control of the special Operations aviation detachment or training for.... 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