Aviators spend roughly two years as a basic mission qualified pilot before meeting the requirements to become fully mission qualified. (2) If approved, the request is forwarded through the Military Personnel . 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. Enlisted Soldiers must first qualify and then be selected to join Special Operations. Officer Green Platoon (OGP), a term symbolizing 160th pride and esprit, embodies the entire officer training experience before joining the Regiment. Archived post. 4 Responses to the personal invitations have been very positive. All information is current as of that date. . The MEDEVAC company on Fort Rucker has them. This includes training on weapons, land navigation, combat, and basic soldiering skills. I chose the latter. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. If theres anyone out there thats currently in the 160th SOAR (or a Special Operations recruiter) and could give me some insight into what MOSs are needed, any tips on getting in, etc, it would be hugely appreciated. In June 1988, the 160th SOAR flew into action. By contacting a retired member of the 160th SOAR Regiment, I was told that the selection for 68Ws was very competitive, usually those who had years of combat medicine or EMS experience took the slots available. From reading the information on the SOAR recruiting website, I am confused why it would be so difficult to be selected out of AIT . The CPT visited the SORB to submit an application to be assessed and trained as a Night Stalker. Screening, SOAMIC (Flight Surgeons / PAs / Enlisted Medical). While sitting around sweating my balls off and drinking water, I often try to figure out what I wanna do in the future. Whipping me, yelling "MUSH YOU ENLISTED DOG" as he drinks a barefoot bubbly hard seltzer. One flies an MH-60 Black Hawk and the other a MH-6 Little Bird. 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. For aviators, the training path to become a basic mission qualified pilot in the 160th SOAR includes combat skills, aquatics training, basic skills and advanced skills phases. Theyre responsible for flying in the most undesirable and dangerous conditions like enemy fire with ease. The 160th SOAR actively seeks and assesses the best-qualified aviators, crew members and support personnel in the Army. Using the mass approach, SORB recruiters brief large audiences of pilots in CABs about the SOAR, and hand out informational materials. Officer candidates must complete SERE before attending Green Platoon. 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.. In the Army, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) is the appointed aviation unit for Special Operations. Since the unit's founding in the early 1980s, the Night Stalkers have participated in almost all of the US military's special-operations missions and campaigns. Ideally, candidates assess into our formation with 500 flight hours and as pilots-in-command," Bymer added. 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. Im an instructor pilot and I didnt have a lot of time to study. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. The 160th SOAR is the world's premier rotary-wing unit and specializes in transport, attack, and reconnaissance missions, with special-operations units being their main customers. 160th SOAR(A) Combat Skills Train-up program Green Platoon/Combat Skills, is a six-week assessment and training program that teaches basic soldiering skills, i.e. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. An advance contingent secured a base at the Chadian airfield adjacent to the airport in the capital, N'Djamena. A small RS1 assessment team led by a Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) ushers candidates through the process. If yes, are you in the Army? Search on "160th SOAR" for other posts. I cant speak to the mistakes that I made or the process. I did well on the PT test and under performed on the swim test. 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. Dedication to preserving the Night Stalker culture of excellence is evidenced by the fact that candidates are closely assessed before they can begin training; that Combat Skills instructors must attend Green Platoon twice to maintain high standards of training; that operational pilots make the determination as to whether an officer meets line company standards; and that SOATB employs dozens of former/retired Night Stalkers as contractor trainers. Dont quit. Wild ride. Insider has learned that two women pilots have successfully completed Green Platoon and are flying with the unit. 160th SOAR, Power Point Presentation, Recruiting the Right People, 7 December 2015, 3, copy in USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. Theyre either on-mission, coming back from the mission or training for the mission.". Stay up to date with what you want to know. The 160th SOAR(A) is comprised of a regiment headquarters, four battalions and a dedicated training company. Bad weather, enemy fire, and tricky terrain are all secondary to the fact that youre under pressure to regularly fly missions in the darkest part of the night. MAJ Jackson J. Dunbar*, Regimental S-1, interview with Jared M. Tracy, 26 January 2016, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. During the Battle of Haditha Dam in 2003, a small element of Night Stalkers flying AH-6 and MH-6 Little Birds saved a Ranger company from being overrun by a large mechanized Iraqi force. Our crews also provide support to U.S. Southern and Pacific commands. If youre not used to swimming with that stuff it will definitely degrade your performance. They can take the 20-day MH-6 Advanced Qualification Course (AQC) or the 25-day MH-47 AQC. McCurry said at the September event that finding pilots isnt the hard part its keeping them in the seat. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. 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. The unit became known as the Night Stalkers because of its capability to strike undetected during the hours of darkness and its unprecedented combat successes. Please feel free to reach out to us at support@parabellumathlete.com for any questions about the program. The 160th SOAR is the world's premier rotary-wing unit and specializes in transport, attack, and reconnaissance missions, with special-operations units being their main customers. Five men were killed, several injured, and one captured. They may carry out a combat, infiltration, extraction and/or reconnaissance mission on a very short notice, requiring adaptability in their methods. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It starts with a week-long assessment. . Aviators spend. The company has three flight platoons (A/MH-6, MH-60, and MH-47) and two special sections (Medical and Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS]). To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. CW4 Benson S. Arts*, SORB, interview with Jared M. Tracy, 8 April 2016, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. I did alright on the Asvab and have always done well with mechanical things. Night Stalkers flying agile AH-6 Little Birds would run out of ammunition for their helicopters but go on fighting with their personal weapons and even lob grenades at the enemy. Archived post. are airborne and sere optional or required? Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. Can you give soldiers who are about to take it some advice so they can better prepare for it? After twenty days in a state-of-the-art Combat Mission Simulator (CMS), the aviators train real-world on desert, mountain, urban, and overwater operations; deck landing qualifications (DLQ); use of Forward Arming and Refueling Points (FARPs); Helicopter Air-to-Air Refueling (HAAR) (MH-60s and MH-47s only); chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) helicopter operations; and night-vision goggle (NVG) flying, all at diverse geographic locations. is located at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; and 4th Bn. Almost all army aviation pilots are able to fly with night vision devices, as well as in difficult weather conditions, explained Salyov. SOATB 101; SOATB, Power Point Presentation, Enlisted Combat Skills Assessment and Selection, 16 March 2015, copy in USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC; CPT Kelly A. McCarthy* and 1SG Michael W. Norvell*, interview with Jared M. Tracy, 26 January 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. This strategic organizational structure postures the 160th SOAR (Abn) to support the special operations forces (SOF) mission and training well into the future. The weekends were spent on wife and kids. U.S. ARMY INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND, "We Are the Army's Home - If you're unlucky you'll end up as a half baked 91B. The regiment then became an airborne unit in October 1986 and was re-designated the 160th Special Operations Aviation Group (Airborne). It was Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, the failed attempt to rescue 66 American hostages held in Tehran, that led to the creation of the Night Stalkers. All Rights Reserved. Since October 2001, 160th SOAR Soldiers have flown into missions globally using highly-modified Black Hawk, Chinook, and Little Bird helicopters. People still want to fly, he explained. The former head of Army Aviation told lawmakers two years ago that the service was addressing a gap in its warrant officer corps by increasing seats at training schools and pushing to retain seasoned aviators. They lifted up and went nose down with the blades almost hitting the ground in front of them. Feature image courtesy of Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick, U.S. Air Force. Im open to other recommendations as well, I did a quick search on the sub for similar questions but I was unsure if the information would be outdated. Most recently, in July 2006, the regiment provisionally stood up a fourth battalion to meet growing special operations forces requirements. 160th SOAR Recruiting Team, as appropriate,to gauge the impact of the deletion or deferment action. Remain professional, motivated, and use the experience to develop professionally. Also, you get to determine the sleep you get during the course. 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. He holds the unenviable distinction of getting shot down by insurgents in Iraq and then hunting them down alongside Delta Force operators minutes later. 2 ) If approved, the request is forwarded through the Military.! 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