Black Helicopters
by Linda Thompson

There is nothing cosmic, paranormal, or ethereal about black helicopters. They belong to the U.S. military, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, based in Ft. Cambell, Kentucky, in Hopkinsville, KY. They park many of the helicopters at different locations where they are used, however.

The only reason the color black is significant is that only this one military unit gets this particular type of paint for its helicopters, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("160th SOAR") in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

The paint is called "CARC" and it is used because it is chemically resistant and non-radar reflective.

Other military units do get this paint for use on airplanes and other craft, except helicopters, however. If you look at military webpages of aircraft, you will find plenty of pictures.

The 160th SOAR is a military special operations unit that began as an intentionally covert, illicit and illegal arm of what was formerly called "Delta Force," which was a branch of 5th Group, Special Forces, and a "reserve" branch called 12th Group, the way special forces was FORMERLY set up. It was operated and funded through CIA and this alliance continues to this day.

Many former members also are now prominent in the media, which is why it has been a relatively simple matter for them to run the stories calling people exposing the activity of the 160th "loonies" or claiming the helicopters are associated with "UFO" activity, etc., in efforts to keep the public ignorant of the true military source and illegal purposes of these craft and their pilots and unit members. Robert K. Brown, of Soldier of Fortune Magazine, and his patsy, James Pate, are two examples. Joe Gelarden of the Indianapolis Star-News (the same company also owns the Arizona Republic) is another. Governor O'Bannon's press secretary is another. U.S. Congressional Representative Dan Burton's Chief of Staff is another (straight out of the 160th before he worked for Burton). These are just a few examples out of dozens.

Placing members in such prominent locations, it is quite simple to undermine Congressional investigations and place stories prominently in the media discrediting any "leaks" of truthful information.

In recent years, the military created two separate branches from what was formerly the legitimate "special forces" and this covert band of CIA-sponsored thugs operating under the cover of being "special forces." (You may remember "Operation Phoenix" and "Air America" as two examples of the CIA sponsored illegal activity of the illicit group).

Now, there is a separate military branch, known as special forces, and another, known as special operations.

Special Forces branch consists of the traditional "green berets," and "airborne" branch of the Army with a fairly long, special infantry, history.

Special operations is the bastard step child and brainchild of a bunch of former covert thugs and rogues of the self-styled "Delta force," that has gained "legitimacy" (through lobbying and funding) and is now its own separate branch of the military, headed in the pentagon by a Col. (probably a general by now) Sheldon. Immediately prior to his appointment to head special ops at the pentagon, he was the commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. (See above. The 160th is the unit which has the black helicopters.)

These helicopters flew missions to decimate Panama, under the leadership of (now) "drug czar" MG McCaffrey. We show this same unit, the supposed "heros" returning from Somalia (broadcast on NBC and named by name) in a video that shows what they really did in Somalia -- firing down on crowds of civilians as a "diversion" while paratroopers were dropped into the area.

THAT, in fact, is how they train, to "create diversions" (by firing on any live target below) while they drop in members of their unit by parachute from the helicopters. They do this training in the U.S., over U.S. cities, frequently now, and they are training police in many of the same "special operations" tactics.

If you are seriously interested in black helicopters, go to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, which is located near Hopkinsville, KY.

There is what is called the "Pratt Museum," open to the public, but somewhat obscure, there. At the Pratt Museum, they have a training tape from the 160th playing continuously, made by the Army, where you can see black helicopters and the 160th in training missions. It's quite impressive.

They have an entire section on the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment there, with memorabilia from many of their missions, such as to Panama, Somalia, etc. Lots and lots of scenes of nothing but black helicopters, since that is all they have.

Then, if you can (they may not let you since I filmed them, they tightened security a lot), drive over to the airfield.

The 160th has a separate hangar there. They park a lot of dark green helicopters outside, usually, so they can make the claim they don't "really" have any black ones, "see, they're dark green?" But hang around long enough and you'll see black helicopters and black C-5A's among other things.

Likewise, they park a lot of these helicopters at other miltiary locations throughout the country, always among dark green ones. Anyone asking about them is shown the dark green ones with the bogus, "See, they're dark green" refrain.

It is usually simple, however, to film a dark green one parked directly adjacent to a black one and point out the differences.

At Ft. Campbell, the 160th also has a MOUT training area there (Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain) which is a mock up of a city.

They also train soldiers to jump out of the helicopters there, often using the black helicopters, which is also one of the simplest ways to see them. Just sit around and wait. They fly over. Some of those used in training are marked, whereas the ones used in clandestine operations are not marked and any you find parked at military installations will not be marked.

I've noticed, of late, on some of the ones in our local area, that they have taken to putting big "red cross" emblems on some, apparently to give the impression they are rescue, however, I would seriously doubt that.

If you see a black "little bird," that is the simplest proof it is from the 160th. Go to DOD's webpage (do an altavista search for "little bird" and you will find DOD itself asserts that ONLY the 160th SOAR flies this particular helicopter.)

However, the 160th has a number of different types of helicopters, not just the little bird.

The 160th's unit patch is death on horseback, their motto is "Death Waits in the Dark." We have so thoroughly exposed them and what they do, that the Army Times did a PR piece on them, trying to portray them as "just folks," about a year and a half ago and ran what was, until that time, a picture of their "secret" patch (I had tried to buy the patch several times and through various sources and they did, indeed, up until the Army Times ran the story, try to keep the patch a secret).

Prior to the passage of the 1995 Omni-Bus Crime Control Bill ("1995 Crime Bill"), these helicopters and their special ops pilots, were used as a taxi service and private mafia by the FBI and DOE, with funding funneled through the Washington, D.C. government office "Organized Crime and Drug Control Task Force" ("OCDTF"), called the "Organized Crime Task Force," "Task Force," or "Racketeering Task Force," and "Drug Task Force," to be intentionally confusing and hard to find their phone number.

However, it is headed by Paul (may not be the right first name, my memory isn't what it used to be) Coffey (that's the right last name). Call D.C. information, ask for the "Organized Crime Task Force" number and call him.

Any federal agency could request funds for a "Drug Task Force" through OCDTF and get the funds, and merely claim it was for use to create a "drug task force." They did not have to account for how the funds were spent to anyone anywhere and they could use the funds to create a "task force" out of any government agency assets, including military, such as the 160th. As a result, multiple federal agency operatives created their own private "mafias" that were supposedly "drug task forces," but in actuality, have been involved in drug running, extortion and blackmail.

When the 1995 Crime Bill passed, these same people had requested (under the guise of "fighting crime") multiple and vast authorities to create "drug task forces," with federal funding, from any government agency asset, and got it.

They now operate far more blatantly than in the past, unfettered by any appearance of illegality, though what they are doing is not, in fact, at all legitimate.

The 160th now routinely participates, along with other military units, in training police and practicing "urban assaults" over U.S. cities, which has been widely reported in the media at this point.

The 160th does exist with 3 battalions. 2 painted white, 1 painted black (which is technically FAA illegal).

This is their division insignia and shoulder ID:
http://www.goarmy.com/job/branch/sorc/160th/img/a_wings1.gif
http://www.goarmy.com/job/branch/sorc/160th/img/a_usasoc-p.gif

But, does this all explain the black helicopters of conspiracy theory lore?

No. And the Special operations/Special Forces comment isn't true, either. S.F. and Delta are both headquartered at Ft. Bragg, NC. The 160th IS their air support. Airborne, and Rangers do NOT fall under S.O.G.

http://www.campbell.army.mil/160soar.htm

http://www.campbell.army.mil/images/160THSOAR.GIF

Originally posted by QtrHrsmn
No. And the Special operations/Special Forces comment isn't true, either. S.F. and Delta are both headquartered at Ft. Bragg, NC. The 160th IS their air support. Airborne, and Rangers do NOT fall under S.O.G.
Still evil tools of the shadow government, IMO. ;)

Alex-
I found this article interesting, and thought I'd share it.
[quote]
SHADOW WARRIORS STALK AT NIGHT
by Tim Dyhouse

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.

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.

“My friends had all gone in and taken their licks, and now I figured it was our turn,” said Izzo, who flew with Capt. Richard Williams. “I really thought that we were at best going to get shot down; at worst I figured we were going to be killed.”

Amid a hail of bullets and grenades, Izzo and his fellow pilots were forced to draw on all aspects of their training to get their jobs done.

“You have to ignore all of the chaos that is going on around you and completely concentrate on the tasks at hand,” Izzo said. “That is holding the aircraft as steady as possible so the Rangers can slide down the ropes as quickly and safely as possible.”


‘Payback at Its Best’

In America’s current anti-terrorist war, special ops troops are shouldering the biggest load, which means the 160th has been in the thick of the fighting. A total of nine Night Stalkers have been killed.

Eight serving in the Philippines with E Co., 160th SOAR, died on Feb. 22 when their MH-47E Chinook (call sign “Wild 42”) crashed in the Mindanao Sea about 150 miles northwest of Zamboanga City. The Chinook was returning to the U.S. operating base on Mactan Island after ferrying Green Berets and supplies to Basilan Island.

The only Night Stalker to be KIA was Sgt. Philip J. Svitak on March 4 in Afghanistan during the intense battle at Shah-i-kot. He was a door gunner serving with 2nd Battalion aboard a Chinook that was inserting special ops troops into an extremely hot landing zone.

As Svitak laid down a base of fire from his 7.62 mm minigun, commanders watching live video of the action via an unmanned recon plane saw him get shot. He fell from the Chinook and lay motionless in the snow.

“He’s a black dot on the ground,” said a senior NCO who watched part of the tape. “He’s dead. You just keep looking at him, and a minute’s gone, and another minute’s gone. You sit there [watching] and your heart sinks.”

Night Stalkers in Afghanistan also honored a request from the father of an American Airlines stewardess killed Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists flew her plane into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Mike Low asked the Night Stalkers to wear the flight wings of his daughter, Sara Elizabeth Low, into combat.

“As soon as I heard of the letter, I knew I wanted to wear them,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Baker, an MH-47E Chinook crew chief who wore the wings on 20 missions. “I thought it would be an honor. I thought this would not only be justice for her, but justice for all American people.”

In a framed black-and-white drawing of the 160th that the Night Stalkers presented to Low when they re-turned his daughter’s wings, one soldier wrote, “Payback at its best.”


Legacy of the Fallen Night Stalkers

Since Operation Urgent Fury on Grenada in 1983, the 160th has lost 21 men killed during combat operations. They and their unit are immortalized in museums at their home post at Fort Campbell, at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, N.C., and at Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

The museum at Fort Campbell is located on the 160th’s compound. Called the Memorial Stone, it honors the 57 Night Stalkers who have died in training or on missions since the unit was created. At the two-year-old Airborne and Special Operations Museum, the 160th is represented with an AH-6 “Little Bird” helicopter.

As part of the Special Operations Forces Memorial Plaza at Fort Bragg, the Memorial Wall lists the names of all Army special ops troops killed since the beginning of the Vietnam War. The wall includes the names of 20 Night Stalkers. On Aug. 7, the names of the nine Night Stalkers killed this year in the Philippines and Afghanistan were added.

All are fitting tributes to the fallen members of the 160th. Their commitment to the motto “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit” is the legacy they leave for young aviators and a characteristic that America’s elite special ops troops depend upon.

As one veteran Night Stalker said, “No one can touch us when we fly at night. At night, we rule the air.”

From vfw.org (http://www.vfw.org/magazine/oct02/shadowwarriors.htm)

I can vouch for those guys.... they're nuts...LOL

But They've never left anyone hanging.... I've seen Chinook pilots come in to LZ's that gunships fear to be near...

I've seen CH53's go til they KNOW they won't have enough gas to make it back 100% of the way, but far enough to walk out safely...or have fuel choppered in...

Well, don't think these make up the black choppers, at least unless the military operations work on US soil for missions.