Shadow warriors stalk at night: since its creation in 1981, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment has operated around the globe. Thriving in the cover of darkness, the "Night Stalkers" pride themselves on striking anywhere undetected

VFW Magazine, Oct, 2002 by Tim Dyhouse

For U.S. special operations troops, staying alive often depends on how fast they can get into and, more important, out of incredibly dangerous situations.

The men they rely on to "pull their bacon out of the fire" are members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), the only unit of its kind in the Army. Because of its expertise, SOAR's highly trained pilots and crewmembers work with special ops troops from all service branches.

"Give me the guns from the 160th any day," said a SEAL commander who worked with the unit in the Persian Gulf War. "They just look at you and say, `When do you want to go?' They're not playing at special ops."

Indeed, they aren't. Based at Fort Campbell, Ky., along with the 5th Special Forces Group and the 101st Airborne Division, they share common experiences with the ground troops who hitch rides on their aircraft.

"The people we support know we volunteered for special operations, just as they did," said Col. Joseph Fucci, commander of the 160th from 1991-93. "We live in the field with them, train alongside them, get dirty and tired and worn-out, just like they do. We're not `pretty boys' with fancy scarves. Our customers know we'll come and get them, regardless of the situation."

Aces With Flair

Members of the 160th are known as the "Night Stalkers" for their ability to fly in near total darkness with the aid of night vision equipment. They have been described as "special people with special talents," and they are exactly the type of individuals the Army was looking for when it needed pilots to transport its elite counter-terrorism unit, Delta Force.

"We wanted aces," said Col. Charles Beckwith, the first commander of Delta Force. "Daredevils, barnstormers, hot rodders, guys who could pick it up, turn it around on a dime and put it back down with flair."

As with all special ops troops, Night Stalkers must be versatile. They fly armed-escort, reconnaissance and surveillance missions. They can provide covering fire, engage in direct combat or wage electronic warfare. Sometimes they play a supporting role in peacetime operations. But the 160th's most frequent mission is inserting and extracting special ops troops.

The Army formed the 160th shortly after Desert One, the failed special operations mission to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran in 1980. Army leaders staffed the new unit with top-notch Army aviators from the 101st, 158th, 159th and 229th Aviation battalions. It was during this period, when the soldiers trained intensively in low-level night operations, that they first earned their nickname.

The unit became a battalion itself on Oct. 16, 1981. It first came to public attention in 1983 when 16 members were killed in several training accidents. Unwanted publicity followed in 1984 with media accounts claiming the unit was waging a clandestine war against Marxist Sandinistas. Operation Prime Chance in 1987-88 saw the unit's helicopters protecting oil tankers in the Gulf.

On May 16, 1990, the unit was reorganized as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Today, the unit comprises four battalions. The 1st, 2nd and 4th (Support) battalions are located at Fort Campbell. The 3rd Battalion is at Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Ga. The 160th's D Company is based at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Total strength is some 1,400 soldiers.

Because of the expanding use of special ops troops, the Army plans to add another battalion and 900 more troops to the 160th by 2009.

`Death Waits in the Dark'

Beginning with Operation Desert Shield in August 1990 and lasting through the end of the Gulf War in April 1991, the 160th saw extensive duty in the Persian Gulf region. Night Stalkers searched for and rescued downed pilots, provided close-air support, engaged in direct combat and flew special ops troops deep behind enemy lines.

Meticulous planning, timely execution and lethal surprise devastated the befuddled Iraqis. The Night Stalkers lived up to their slogan, "Death Waits in the Dark."

The 160th sustained its only fatalities of the war when an MH-60 helicopter hit a sand dune while flying back to its base. The four Night Stalkers aboard were returning three Delta operators from a Scud-hunting mission. All seven GIs were killed.

Overall, though, the 160th's performance during the Gulf War was nearly flawless.

"This unit did some incredible things over the desert, things no one will ever hear about," said a 160th pilot involved in "black" or covert operations. "They were missions no other special ops aviation asset could fly."

`Ignore the Chaos'

Probably the Night Stalkers' most publicized mission was the Battle of Mogadishu on Oct. 3-4, 1993, in Somalia. Made famous by the book and movie Black Hawk Down, the battle claimed the lives of five Night Stalkers.

Capt. Gerry Izzo, who piloted Black Hawk Super 65 during the battle, remembered the grim situation after Task Force Ranger had lost five aircraft to rocket-propelled grenades.