A Day with the 160th Airborne Division

Well, I just had a chance to spend the day at Ft. Campbell KY with the 160th Airborne Division known as the “NightStalkers”.     This is a special ops helicopter group that flies all kinds of missions into Iraq, Afghanistan, and wherever else we need ‘em.    These were the guys featured in the movie “Black Hawk Down”.     As we were out there rubbing shoulders with these honest-to-goodness American Heros, it became painfully apparent of how little the American public really knows about the people that are serving in the Military, and what they are doing.    The training and the commitment of these soldiers was incredible to see…. whether they were pilots, crewmen, gunners, mechanics, whatever…..these guys and girls were dedicated to doing the job right!     Why in the world is our own media not showing the American Public the truth about these heroic Americans?   Are they so caught up in politics and American Idol that they think THAT is all people want to hear about??    Well, if that’s the case it’s too bad because they are missing out.    Let me  fill you in on some of it…….   First of all, it is a gearheads dream!     The mechanical aspects of the Black Hawk and other helicopters is incredible, and these guys are every bit as proud of their helicopters as a car guy is of his restored Road Runner!   It looks like I am going to have the opportunity to go in depth on some of this stuff on GEARZ so make sure you keep an eye out for that because it will blow your mind!    I also got to spend some time in the simulators… “Flying” ….and it was amazing.     Next we went to the shooting range and they turned me loose on a Mini-gun…..yeah that’s right…..the gun with the rotating barrels that shoots 3000 rounds a minute!    The torque on the gun was awesome!....it was like having a V8 hooked up to a machine gun.     Look for a feature on that down the road too!   There were many, many other things we did that I just don’t have time to go into here, but one of the most amazing things I noticed was how gracious these guys were that people had come out to support them and their fund-raiser.   These were true, decorated, American Heros and here they were, thanking the public for taking the time to recognize them and spend time with them.  It was amazing.    The bottom line is, our military personnel need US just as much as we need THEM.   So please make sure you are letting them know…..through words, actions, deeds, donations, whatever……that we have THEIR back….like they have OURS.  Also when you get a chance, go rent Black Hawk Down.   It’s accurate, and will give you a true perspective of the sacrifices these guys make.