#168: Precision Aviation Support - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment COL Steve Smith & CW5 Pete Sullivan

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is America’s most lethal and versatile projection of combat power. When our Special Operations Forces require precision insertion, extraction and fire support, the pilots of the 160th deliver. Born from the need to develop an aviation regiment capable of anything, anywhere, anytime, the 160th SOAR is the only Special Operations Unit to have been deployed continuously since inception.

To discuss the critical role of the 160th SOAR, their command team of COL Steve Smith and CW5 Pete Sullivan invited Fran Racioppi for a ride on an MH-47 Chinook and demonstration of the AH-64 Little Birds in action. 

From the tail ramp, we discussed the mission of the 160th, their interoperability supporting Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Army Rangers; and the various aircraft in their arsenal. 

We also explored the recruiting, assessment and selection process for pilots, crew and maintainers; the culture of an organization that has a no fail mission; and how technology is changing aviation as they prepare to combat both near peer adversaries and terrorist organizations.   

Watch, listen or read our conversation from the workhorse heavy lift aircraft responsible for the delivery of personnel and equipment in the harshest environments. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:20 Mission of 160th SOAR
• 4:23 Creating the 160th SOAR
• 6:42 Interoperability of the 160th
• 9:55 Assessment & Selection Process
• 19:50 Support from Non-SOF
• 21:50 Importance of Cross-training
• 26:00 Preparing for the Next fight
• 29:30 The role on unmanned aircraft
• 31:18 Defining a “Nightstalker”
• 34:38 Why join Army Aviation?
• 39:35 Night Stalkers Don’t Quit

Quotes

• “Our mission is to provide precision rotary wing support and ISR support to our SOF operators.”
• “A plan is only something to deviate from.”
• “The backbone of any great organization and what makes DoD so successful is our non-rated crew members, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted team.”
• “Your importance has nothing to do with your proximity to the target.”
• “The standard is a standard. Regardless of what your job is, if you can’t meet the standard, you won’t be employed in the Regiment.”
• “You can’t do precision if you do anything else.”
• “We can’t always look at one adversary because something else might happen that we have to react to fairly quickly.”
• “If we can increase our range, survivability, and lethality, we have a major advantage for any adversary.”
• “Manned and unmanned teaming is the future.”
• “Don’t let a speedbump become a roadblock.”
• “Not everything is going to go right the first time, but you can’t make the same mistake three times and expect to be successful.”
• “Our people are critical problem solvers.”
• “I’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows in the regiment, but because of the people I’m around, they’ve made it the best of the situation that it could be.”

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