Until 2011, when they got the approval to go for Operation Neptunes Spear. We really wanted to do this (mission), and make sure we are the absolute professional, Englen said. I had to anticipate and load the engines. You know, I didnt put an ad in the paper to hire somebody to join me in running it, so its odd to have Doug home, Tina chuckled. Thats all Ill say. While Englen was amused, Tina was bothered. The last thing he said to me was, I will not be able to talk to you until Im back in-country. So, I just glued myself to the TV, and tried to read between the lines of anything being reported, if I could, Tina said. 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 combatant commanders. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), Night Stalkers, Night Stalkers Don't Quit! On the objective, his crew chiefs on the ramp, hopped out do a head count. Englen has more than 7,000 flight hours. Given how rapidly this could devolve into classified info, I'll just remind everyone to NOT send classified information via this forum, public or private. If someone has worked with 13F is 160th, please feel free to PM me. I will never surrender. Shes received two national Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the Medal Of Honor Societys Excellence in Journalism Award. Crossing into Pakistan was emotional for everyone. It comprises three battalions: two white and one "black" (for classified missions). 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. The modern day 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) was officially activated in June 1990. But, he was searching and hunting for me, and three times came very close to actually launching a missile, Englen said. I see you have to be a senior or promotable E6 to apply, however I'm confused as to what they would actually be doing in the Regiment. His 34 deployments translate to six years and nine months worth of combat time downrange, away from his wife Tina and four children. Englen's 2nd UBL attempt was at this compound during darkness prior with his MH47. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy, and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country. As a result, Soldiers in the 160th realize their potential through service in this environment rich with quality leadership and trust. I came running back in, knocked my knee on the door, about fell into my living room, and sure enough, my phone was ringing. Im just sitting there, smiling, because they thought that it never happened. She wanted to be with her family to see what was going on. I never thought that we werent coming back, Englen said. Not this type of objective. He could see where the police lights were, where the commotion was happening. While the Horse Soldiers made headlines later, little was reported about Task Force Sword missions. "Take a baseball bat and hit the side of your car thats what a bullet sounds like inside an aircraft, he said. As Im sitting there watching the television, trying to figure out where Doug is, whats going down Im worried: Am I going to get a knock on the door, (from a uniformed officer and the chaplain)? Tina shared. Theres nothing you can do, theres nothing you can change. They had other attempts against bin Laden. We're the ones that have to elude the air defense, early warning network. When most people think of the bin Laden mission, they think of SEAL Team 6 and the CIAs Special Activities Division members, shooting its high value target, code named Geronimo. What they may not realize is the majority of duration of that mission belonged to the special operations aviators. In October 1981, the unit was officially designated the 160th Aviation Battalion. He knew she and their four children would be stressed. Now, in retrospect, we could have done it with two Chinooks, the entirety. I mean like, right next to it, Englen explained. Videos. I fear no foes ability, nor underestimate his will to fight. The MH-60 Black Hawks were supposed to fast-rope the assault group onto the rooftop of a mud building. The following is a general overview of the process for becoming a Night Stalker and a member of the Special Operations Command. If mom wasnt worried, they werent worried, Tina said. ", 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.. Pakistani security forces began demolishing the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed in a covert US raid last May in the garrison town of Abbottabad, police and witnesses said. Let me figure it out.'". So, even if we were shot it, it would be hard to even return fire. He contemplated going back to flying, until his friend Congressman Mark Green (who'd been an Army special operations flight surgeon with the 160th) said, "Why don't you take on a new mission?". As a crew chief, he was in one of the first helicopters in Bosnia in 1995. Not only that, the ground force commander I had rescued him numerous times throughout the globe. Plus, remember, we had people already on board, and this 800-gallon fuel tank inside. The Chinooks would be there as the backup. These were high-level, the overall concept of what the risk and probability was: all the things the president would want to know to make a decision. This is the official U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) Recruiting Team . Englens Chinook headed back to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, while the remaining Black Hawk (Chalk-2) headed to the refuel site about 30 miles north of Abbottabad. If it crashed in civilian area? 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. Due to operational security concerns, only a few people were involved in the planning of that mission. I know he has the same feelings, because all of a sudden, hell say, I think Im going to the gym, and Ill go, Oh, youve had too much of me, gotcha,' Tina laughed. Thats what Adm. McRaven is, just the true professional, true leader and here I am getting side-barred with the vice president.. If an aircraft went down, and you didnt hear anything. Gallantly will I show the world and the elite forces I support that a Night Stalker is a specially selected and well trained soldier. Bin Laden was there. I hate it now. The raid is allegedly in the Jarabulus countryside, targeting IS leaders in a Turkish controlled part of Syria. All of the sudden, Hey, we need you to put the contingency force, the QRF [quick reaction force], as the primary assault force, Englen explained. My manner is that of the Special Operations Quiet Professional, secrecy is a way of life. Most recently, in July 2006, the regiment provisionally stood up a fourth battalion to meet growing special operations forces requirements. Ft. Campbell ATRRS (FC-ATRRS): Soldiers will report directly for Enlisted Combat Skills Training, and on completion of Enlisted Combat Skills and any follow-on training will report back to their Ft. Campbell unit for out-processing before proceeding to Ft. Campbell, Hunter Army Airfield/ Ft. Stewart, GA, or Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. 6. Ive got to find a ride home, Tina recalled. Think of it as a music conductor. They put him back in the bag, and took it out to the Marine MV-22 Ospreys. A lot of guys wrote letters. Was just curious if they would hold a role more of like a battalion FSNCO or be an aerial observer. We just sat there and watched TV, like the rest of you, Tina said. I just knew he was going to come home. . He also read the books released by two former SEAL Team members on the raid. Stateside, there had been speculation about the delay between the time all the TV networks broke into prime time programming with the surprise announcement that Obama would be addressing the nation shortly and the president actually walking to the podium, nearly an hour later. Since our inception, the 160th SOAR has filled its ranks with tested volunteers. Enlisted Soldiers and NCOs are actively recruited to fill our ranks with the best men and women capable of executing our mission. Green Platoon is your first step to becoming a Night Stalker. I will never surrender. Regardless, they were still jinking and jiving, flying nap-of-the-earth. During those Iraq War years, Englen was involved in a number of missions supporting operations out of Mission Support Site Fernandez operations, which was near Baghdad. Do they become JTAC qualified? conv from CH-47C 74-22283. ALT. They kept an eye on their sector. And, I was one of the few who trained 160th crews how to do that," he added. I mean, he's very savvy, and eluded us once again," Englen said. We would go to these awards events and I was like, You did what? Now, hes very good at warning me ahead, so Im not shell-shocked in front of everybody, and trying to keep on a smiley face, Tina shared. Their aircraft had just been fitted with new equipment, which he helped certify. Because, I mean, how long does it take operators to run on the back of a Chinook? I dont know whats going on, Tina replied. Operation Neptune's Spear was not Englen's first time in Afghanistan. 13F in 160th. Upon selection, commissioned and warrant officers and enlisted Soldiers complete respective Basic Mission Qualification courses, known as Green Platoon, which are facilitated by the Special Operations Aviation Training Company. each have two MH-47 Chinook helicopter companies and one MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter company. UNLESS CONTACTED BY YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND, USASOC OPERATES FROM THE FORT BRAGG INSTALLATION STATUS. You will find the standards of performance exacting and unwavering. McRaven would speak 90 percent of the time. As soon as they landed at Jalalabad, a C-130 transported the team and Englen to Bagram Air Base to help exhume the body of Osama bin Laden. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy, and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country. I had to actually fly away, make a tight circle and come back in, and land under the mushroom cloud. It was as an electronic fight. Englens wife Tina had just opened up a bottle of red wine, and sat down to watch CSI on TV, to relax from all the prom drama that day. That was the famous last quote of the pilot that crashed that helicopter. Soldiers of the 160th pioneered the Armys nighttime flying techniques. They did a great job crash landing and not hurting anybody.. How will the Ukraine invasion shape industrial base policy? This strategic organizational structure postures the regiment to support special operations forces mission and training requirements well into the future. Certainly not trying to get any classified info. So, you can imagine that amount of time, before one Black Hawk, another Black Hawk, a third Black Hawk in and out cant make it in there. Fort Bragg, N.C (August 16, 2013) -- First Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) (Airborne), recently conducted unit mobility training in northern Michigan. The Black Hawk crews would get the glory of being on the objective for this historic operation getting bin Laden, which was totally OK.". Ever. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. An aircraft flying at roughly 11:30 to midnight is not normal, because they (Pakistan military aircraft) dont play at night as much as we do. Some we didnt, because they were burnt too bad, Englen said. These types of leadership responsibilities are a regular occurrence within the special operations aviation community, and no two are the same. Hollywood released a film about Alexs coverage of special operations forces, called Danger Close., He is, without a doubt, the finest Army aviator of our generation, Navy reveals five design options for new national museum, Ukraine rejects Iraqi offer to mediate talks with Russia, Airman earns Distinguished Flying Cross for response in 2019 firefight, Fog on Georgia runway when ex-SEALs plane crashed, report says, The Marine Corps is making changes to its medical training requisites, An insider attack retold and AARGM program continues | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 4.14.2023, The land of not quite right: Veteran recalls insider attack. Englen was the only one able to call home. Stewart, GA; or Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. This was a do-or-die type mission, Englen said. On the 160th page on goarmysof.com, it says that 13f is an approved MOS. Special operations aircraft are highly modified with special mission equipment, advanced avionics, and communications. But, not before telling her mother, Why the hell did I want a Cinderella dress? Nevertheless, crossing back into Afghanistan was an unusually good feeling. And, that he thinks what my husband did, is horrible, Tina recalled. However, being in the public eye will be a huge change for them. That number does not include all the other operations and training missions away from home. We made it to the objective without really causing too much of a ruckus over the 911 calls. In reality Englen, who just retired as the senior warrant adviser to the secretary of the Army and most decorated aviator in the Army, led the air component for the bin Laden raid, one of the most famous military operations in recent history. Tom DiTomasso, a retired lieutenant colonel and former Army Special Operations Command squadron commander, was at Objective Gecko and praised Englen and the 160th SOAR. That day, they missed, he added. 160TH SOAR (Abn) The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Abn) is the primary rotary-wing support to Department of Defense Special Operations Forces. 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. For instance, former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor John Brennan, said that the ground forces had been met with a great deal of resistance, and bin Laden had used a woman as a human shield. The programs of instruction offered by the Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion may translate as credit hours toward a bachelors or associates degree through the American Council on Education (ACE). I landed to the east of the compound, right next to it. There is no enemy in Pakistan, other than those that were inside the compound. Look up the Silver Star citation for CW5 Douglas Englen for that night the citation is so blandly generic that it looks like he didnt do much. 160th SOAR Recruiter Contact Information Officer and Warrant Officer Recruiter Email: 160thRecruiters@socom.mil Enlisted and NCOs Recruiter Email: 160thenlistedrecruiters2@socom.mil Phone: 270-956-3882. We absolutely can get shot down on the way back, which means we have to evade, Englen said. The Rangers never gave the clearance for Englen to come in. In Iraq, there were also several high-profile missions the public knew little about. The Marine air crew hadnt been read into what they were doing there, or where they were going. As a child, he went to an Air Force Academy football game and crawled all over the helicopter static displays, and was hooked. Hes only venturing into the light because former CIA Director Leon Panetta and retired Navy Adm. William R. McRaven the overall commander of the bin Laden mission encouraged him to, calling him an American hero.. 13f 0 8 5 0 13f p 75th ranger regt 6 0 0 0 13f p airborne position 2 0 0 0 13f v 75th ranger regt 8 0 0 0 13j 7 3 4 0 13m 5 6 6 0 13r 3 3 4 0 . 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. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Youd have to explain that, This is our concept, now, Englen recalled. Over the course of his career, and their marriage, Doug Englen never shared much. This time his Chinook was in a huge firefight rescuing 7th Special Forces Group ODA-7223 in Panjway after it hit an IED. We hung out in the print shop of the CIA because its a little outside of the main building, he said. Regiment reorganization modifying the 160th fleet composition was approved in October 2007 and will be implemented over the next several years. I dont, I dont know, let me Tina hung up, because the live feed picture of the White House with the empty podium came on. Turns out, Vice President Joe Biden pulled Englen to the side every time to make small-talk. Special Operations Combat Skills and MOS specific training is the foundation for all newly assigned and/or re-qualifying Enlisted Soldiers. All I could say was: I know, baby. I think crashing a helicopter on one of the most important missions of our generation, and later being asked by the director of the CIA (Leon Panetta), Why the hell did you crash? I think thats enough said, Englen stated. Sterile meant no identification, name tags, unit patches, family photos. Corestacks; . They basically said, If you werent there, it wouldve been different. So it made me feel good, Englen shared. . Once they got the word to proceed with rehearsal, that's when they brought the rest of the ground force and the air crews in. But Englen turned it down. Soldiers of the 160th have been actively engaged in the War on Terror since October 2001. Which is exactly the point. The 160th SOAR fly the following helicopters: MH-47G Chinook MH-60M Black Hawk MH-60M DAP (gunship variant) AH-6M / MH-6M Little Bird Stealth / Ghost Hawk Especially if it appears to be for personal or financial gain. (But,) once we crashed the aircraft, within the first 30 seconds of the mission, then thats when we really woke up that entire valley, Englen said. It was just 30 seconds into the mission to kill Osama bin Laden in May 2011 when special operations Chinook pilot Chief Warrant Officer 5 Douglas Englen heard the call of Black Hawk down come over his radio. She knew I had heard from her dad, so I said, Go. Englen always wanted to fly helicopters. U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. All she heard between the ruckus outside, was: I love you, everythings good, and Im coming home.. All the prom parties at Fort Campbell High School stopped. 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. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. We went back and forth. Its horrible. It pushed our aircraft to the side. Theyre walking out. A missile never left the rail. We saved most of the Rangers lives. "They said it was too hot, and we just went in anyway. "It was a suicide mission, Harosky said. (Seth Rosenberg/DoD) It was past midnight Sept. 18 when an. In COIN, not a fucking thing. Her daughter came home, worried, from prom in her huge ball gown. I said, a different airframe should be first in there, versus myself (Chinook pilot). (FIND COURTESY ONLINE, 1 of MANY ONLINE PHOTOS of Chinook roof landing Afgh) = REFERRED TO THIS SPECIFICALLY IN STORY = UBL SECTION = GOING AFTER HIM 2ND ATTEMPT. Our crews also provide support to U.S. Southern, Pacific, Africa, and European commands. It wasnt an option to not come home, he added. U.S. Army 160th SOAR has Aviation Jobs, Military Jobs, and Army Jobs. "We pulled every technique and tactic out of the book. (Same air crews who fought Haditha, Iraq, 2003.) He'd done that before with other fighter jets on other missions. If someone has worked with 13F is 160th, please feel free to PM me. Task Force Sword 2001. But their order was capture only., "It wasnt capture or kill, so if we couldnt guarantee a capture, then we couldnt take it to the next level, Englen said. 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