I guard my units mission with secrecy, for my only true ally is the night and the element of surprise. It was almost a full moon, and Englen incurred 38 bullet holes in his Chinook. Honestly, the best fit is 18B. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. Our crews also provide support to U.S. Southern and Pacific commands. Thats whats motivating me. Because, I mean, how long does it take operators to run on the back of a Chinook? is located at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; and 4th Bn. Before hed left, Englen had told Tina, Stay local. Some we didnt, because they were burnt too bad, Englen said. Then transition to getting work done for my community," Englen said. They were genuine, thoughtful questions, but were kind of off-topic. He could see where the police lights were, where the commotion was happening. While Englen was amused, Tina was bothered. Minutes after they finished the report, Obama walked down that famous hallway in the White House to the podium to tell the world the news: The United States had conducted a raid to kill Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida. Hed walk in the door, and say, What we having for dinner? And Im like, Uh, whoops, Ive already eaten. We're the ones that have to elude the air defense, early warning network. They employ highly modified Chinook, Black Hawk and assault and attack configurations of Little Bird helicopters. It originated after the failed Iran hostage rescue attempt in 1980. From 20 March to 4 October 1983, sixteen TF-160 aviators and crewmembers were killed in training and four aircraft were lost. A lot of people asked why I didnt. Attention #FortCarson! I fear no foes ability, nor underestimate his will to fight. Maybe. During the longest helicopter assault in U.S. history, Englen's was the first helicopter into Afghanistan after . Doug pulled my fat out of the fire more times than I can think of, McRaven said at a speech at Murray State College in February, a month before Englen retired. Our assessment process is conducted by the Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion to ensure every prospective member of the organization is fitto serve as a Night Stalker. Back home, Dougs wife Tina worried, as she had throughout his career. Soldiers of the 160th pioneered the Armys nighttime flying techniques. During the longest helicopter assault in U.S. history, Englens was the first helicopter into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, on Oct. 19, 2001. Your SORB recruiter will submit your packet to the 160threcruiting office within 5 business days. Englens single Chinook raced across Abbottabad to pick up the ground force and air crew, arriving within 10 minutes of the call. . Their aircraft had just been fitted with new equipment, which he helped certify. One of Tinas girlfriends had come over to see about going out for dinner before the teenagers headed out for all the prom parties on post. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment(Abn) is the primary rotary-wing support to Department of Defense Special Operations Forces. Right now, Im just telling you the story, because theres never been an air piece conveyed on what happened that night, Englen reiterated. Finally I just politely asked him, 'Sir, if you dont mind, I have to pay attention.. 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. The 160th SOAR(A) is comprised of a regiment headquarters, four battalions and a dedicated training company. Got a question? I cant find anything online but dont 13Fs call for artillery fire? The mission was to kill/capture him. Haditha Dam was one that I knew we were going to get hit, were going to get hit. Having four children to keep her mind off the dangerous mission became her saving grace. But for special operations aviators of the 160th, thats an eternity. I couldnt wait any longer, Englen said. You could tell that we are waking up Pakistan, because this is not normal. Especially when random helicopter pilots and aviation consultants offered their expertise on what they thought happened on the mission. It comprises three battalions: two white and one "black" (for classified missions). What makes it different than being in a normal air assault unit? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The fact that her husband had called was. I didnt know any of that, really, during the whole all of those deployments. Probably 20 seconds later, the announcement came from the White House that he was killed, bin Laden. Go have fun, Ill see you later. So she went back out, Tina recalled. The 5-week course includes: Following completion of Enlisted Combat Skills, Soldiers will complete unit level training prior to reporting to their gaining unit. But, Im going to need him back.. Perform your best and arrive every day at the right time, right place, right uniform, in the right attitude to conduct training, and you will be successful. Neighbors came over, asking if shed heard from her husband, since news had spread of a helicopter down. Anchors and reporters filled time on air waiting for the president to come out. Service opportunities include: Our goal is for each Night Stalker to maximize their military education. Plus, we didnt know when we were going to do it. What makes it different than being in a normal air assault unit? Because I really couldnt do it by myself, so I knew he was going to come home, Tina said. We absolutely can get shot down on the way back, which means we have to evade, Englen said. Green Platoon is your first step to becoming a Night Stalker. The regiment headquarters is collocated with the 1st and 2nd battalions and the Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion at Fort Campbell, Ky.; 3rd Bn. I had to anticipate and load the engines. When he flew over Abbottabad, it felt as familiar as flying over his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee. My manner is that of the Special Operations Quiet Professional, secrecy is a way of life. "It truly is a decision brief each time, but you have to go through the concepts. But the administration, from 2008 on, would not allow us to cross the border (into Pakistan) to go get him, Englen said. We actually crashed a helicopter, Englen admitted. Now, in retrospect, we could have done it with two Chinooks, the entirety. Sometimes, shed forget he was back, since hed been absent so often in their marriage. In October 1981, the unit was officially designated the 160th Aviation Battalion. Ever. Four months later, Englen received his second Silver Star (for that same year) in Afghanistan. There are unlimited opportunities to lead within the 160th SOAR. It was hotter than expected for the MH-60 crews, and it had more fuel than expected. "We pulled every technique and tactic out of the book. His crew in Chinook-1 and another crew in Chinook-2 had been setting up a refuel site for the two Black Hawks, about 30 miles to the north. Many of these courses consist of formalized training resulting in Additional Skill Identifier (ASI), Special Qualification Identifier (SQI), and college credits for military education. You realize, by you being concerned and asking that question, you know youre not, theyd said. They were on the ground for probably a minute and a half. 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. Theres really no pictures, either, Englen said. CIA director Leon Panetta repeated that assertion in public, and it found its way into a critically acclaimed movie about the operation, Zero Dark Thirty, which depicts a detainee offering up the identity of bin Ladens courier, Abu Ahmad al- Kuwaiti, after being tortured at a CIA black site. As it turned out, Bin Laden was living in al Kuwaitis walled family compound, so tracking the courier was the key to finding the al-Qaida leader. And, I was one of the few who trained 160th crews how to do that," he added. Shed literally just sat down when the news bulletin interrupted CSI.". 160th SPECIAL OPERATIONS AVIATION REGIMENT (Abn) CAREER PATHWAYS Your path to becoming a Night Stalker begins here. Officer / Warrant Officer Recruiter Email, "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. After U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin laden in Pakistan in May 2011, top CIA officials secretly told lawmakers that information gleaned from brutal interrogations played a key role in what was one of the spy agencys greatest successes. (Courtesy of Doug Englen), Englen is sharing his story for the first time and possibly the last, since he lives by the quiet professionals code, and avoids discussing his life in the shadows. has two MH-47 Chinook helicopter companies; and 3rd and 4th bns. Currently, 1st Bn. With 6 years of experience including 4 years working alongside Special Operations Forces, I am a highly motivated, accomplished, and certified communicator. And thats just enough., (A Pennsylvania National Guard Chinook, CH-47, slung-loaded the crashed MH-60 Black Hawk out of there, so nobody would be the wiser about that nighttime special operation though some famous daytime photos of resupplying the ground troops later went viral. The deeper they flew into Pakistan, the more it felt like metropolis United States, with power lines, towers, cultural lighting. 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 was probably 100 feet from the aircraft when it blew up. I mean, we were at the maximum weight that the aircraft could hold," Englen explained. You know, its almost like theres a road sign, Stop, take a picture of Welcome to Pakistan. Even the crew members in the back, were like, Were in, right? Englen and his fellow special operations aircrew went to their helicopters for final checks that they had nothing personal on board. I knew what he was doing was big. Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. Hed never done that throughout his entire career of dangerous missions. Pakistan? And Im like, Yep, Englen said. While the risk to the airframes was fairly low on the objective, it was extremely high during the other nearly four hours of flying. "Thats because I was joking around, we were high-fiving and celebrating, and so was the ground force commander, said Englen. I had to remain calm.. But our rules of engagement was, 'capture only.. 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 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. 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 . Nothing very glamorous at all. I didnt ask a lot, either. 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. Many operators wrote letters to be delivered to their loved ones back home, should the worst happen. A 160th SOAR helicopter has allegedly been downed in a US Special Operations raid in Syria as well as possible US casualties. . About 4,500 of that was under night vision goggles. We hung out in the print shop of the CIA because its a little outside of the main building, he said. Plus, in the SOF community, theres always criticism against any operator who talks about their former career. 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. Englen flying MH47 on training exercise. Task Force Sword was a combined, joint interagency special operations task force run by Joint Special Operations Command, to conduct direct action missions in southern Afghanistan. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The other Chinook had set up prior to the Black Hawk coming in, shutting the aircraft down and running the fuel hoses out. Our Honda parts and accessories are expedited directly from authorized Honda dealers strategically located all across the U.S. and are backed by the manufacturer's 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty. "That means you're in charge of not just your aircraft, you're in charge of the flight: responsible for the flight planning, execution, and orchestration. The DAPs defensive air penetrators were just unleashing. I dont know whats going on, Tina replied. It was also a bit shocking for Tina, when attending her husbands retirement functions, to hear hed been shot at. And it worked," he said. But nobody probably because my executive summary was so vague there was no contextual data to say, Heres what happened on the air side,' Englen speculated. Known as Night Stalkers, these Soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. Its missions have included attack, assault, and . And, that he thinks what my husband did, is horrible, Tina recalled. 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