# Green Platoon



## Ravage (May 1, 2008)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD2zKFmSnvE"]YouTube - 160th SOAR (A) Green Platoon[/ame]


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## sgtlew (May 1, 2008)

nice video.  I've got a close buddy that used to be an instructor there.  Very knowledgable and humble.  Great bunch.


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## Ravage (May 1, 2008)

One has to be a US citizen to apply for 160th I understand. Still there are non US citizens serving in SOCOM as support personel.


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## Swill (May 2, 2008)

"Basic Army stuff. That's all you need."

I can only imagine the huge dividends GP pays for 160th. Wish my unit now had something similar for our newbies.


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## IntelGuy (May 3, 2008)

Thanks for the video Ravage. That was good stuff.


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## demo18c (May 3, 2008)

Never knew they had a selection that intense


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## AirborneSapper36 (May 3, 2008)

Yup ...good stuff


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## Snowbird (May 24, 2008)

Just seeing the logs again makes me tired.

That's an old video.  Some stuff has changed, i.e. the combatives section.  Now its MACP level 1, and you don't hit back on clinch day.  Must be the old program. . .

I see Black Day is a continuously changing event.  Nice to see how it's progressed from what it was then - never saw that video before.


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## Snowbird (May 26, 2008)

demo18c said:


> Never knew they had a selection that intense



My class had a 42% attrition rate, which was kind of high (usually is 35-40% in recent history), but it used to be much higher before the Regiment was expanding.  I attribute the higher rate to new cadre . . . but it was excellent training.  

Since then, we lost about 10-15% more from my class, being here at the unit. 

"Everybody deserves a chance to be a Nightstalker, but not everybody should be, and many of you won't be."


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## Ravage (May 26, 2008)

In the book "Night Stalkers" 







they wrote that most of the times the attrition rate is small, but since you were there and not me I'll take your word for it


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## Snowbird (May 26, 2008)

Enlisted attrition is always higher than officer attrition - they are separate classes - our sister officer class didn't lose one guy.  Come in as a pilot and you'll miss it; go enlisted and you'll see exactly what I mean.  Once you're in the unit, go back through and look at the classes.

If you're a pilot, your biggest initial challenge is your flight assessment.


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## Mayfield2 (Oct 3, 2008)

That video got me so motivated.....I really gotta do it now


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## Trip_Wire (Oct 3, 2008)

Good Video!


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## TheGunDoctor (Oct 4, 2008)

Amuses me every time I see it, one of those candidates in the video is an old colleague of mine from when we worked in 1st SWTG(A).


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## EXGunBunny (Oct 4, 2008)

The instructor giving the class on how to shoot the M9, was my 1SG in Korea, Great guy...


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## Rabid Badger (Oct 4, 2008)

Great vid Rav!! Missed this the 1st time.....


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## Ravage (Oct 4, 2008)

So much to earn the Night Stalker maroon beret.


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## 275ANGER! (Oct 4, 2008)

Ravage said:


> So much to earn the Night Stalker maroon beret.



You don't need to graduate Green Platoon to get your beret, its a unit/USASOC assignment thing.  I was out with 4/160th at a range and they had a handful of guys that had not been through Green Platoon, mainly fresh meat awaiting class dates.

Some discussion on berets and USASOC:
https://shadowspear.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10050


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## EXGunBunny (Oct 4, 2008)

275ANGER! said:


> You don't need to graduate Green Platoon to get your beret, its a unit/USASOC assignment thing.  I was out with 4/160th at a range and they had a handful of guys that had not been through Green Platoon, mainly fresh meat awaiting class dates.
> 
> Some discussion on berets and USASOC:
> https://shadowspear.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10050



You are correct, i had many friends in 3rd Batt that have never gone through Green platoon. Most of the 3rd batt soldiers eventually went through GP though some of the guys had been in the unit for years prior.


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## Marauder06 (Oct 4, 2008)

I don't know what it was like in the other battalions, but in mine we weren't allowed to wear the beret until we were done with Green Platoon.


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## EXGunBunny (Oct 4, 2008)

You are correct for new soldiers at CAMPBELL, for other batt's troops had no choice since NOT every soldier goes through  Green Platoon. Now maybe things have changed since 05 but the main reason for this was due to the Growth requirement of Regiment. 

So if a troop had direct orders to Savannah (back in the day) they would go to 3rd batt first then later come to GP. Those guys wore their Berets. 4th Batt is after my time so MAYBE everyone there comes from Campbell first , i dunno.


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## wardog763 (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm a 3rd Batt guy. I never went to Green Platoon. Some of the hardcore would say that I'm not a Nightstalker. I disagree.


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## EXGunBunny (Oct 5, 2008)

IMO helps weed out those just not up to the task of being in the 160th. But GP isn't full proof. 
Another thing, for me i never put in a packet to go 160th. Hell i didn't know about the unit till after i got my DA orders. I'm glad i was picked up and i know i did my share to meet the requirements of a 160th troop. 

In the end being in the 160th Changes the way you work, think and conduct yourself. I have a few coworkers now that weren't 160th and they give me shit because they don't believe theres anything special about this unit. Had they served time with us, i guarantee they would think differently. 

There is a reason that some civilian jobs have "160th preferred" as a desired trait for the given job. ;)


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## wardog763 (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm the same way. I didn't know about them until I got there. I didn't put in a packet either. Very glad I got sent there. Loved my time there. 
Couldn't stand the thought of going anywhere else. Got out before they could send me anywhere else. I worked as a contractor there after I got out. The place changed big time in the short time I was gone. Still doing great things though. Love those guys.


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## urdaddyjeep (Aug 6, 2009)

wardog763 said:


> I'm a 3rd Batt guy. I never went to Green Platoon. Some of the hardcore would say that I'm not a Nightstalker. I disagree.



We use to call those that didnt go through "FreeStalkers" when I was there they were having everbody from 3rd herd go through. 4th Batt was just standing up when I left.. so I have no idea but I do know that just about everyone that went to 4th had gone through it.. one of those guys in that video was one of my soldiers.. he is out of the Army now.. ETS .. but he was a handle full.. off the wall kinda stuff,...


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## BLACKMags (Aug 7, 2009)

Personally I think 160th should go back to being all volunteer and only take E-4(P) and above. But the way DA is starting to send soldiers through I don't see that happening anytime soon.


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## urdaddyjeep (Aug 7, 2009)

*yeah*

so if i give up my left nut can i go back cause TRADOC is killing me


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## Mayfield2 (Aug 23, 2009)

Id like to thank the Cadre for the best Training ive had in the army...good times in the pit...


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## S_O_A_R (Aug 29, 2009)

There's a lot of soldiers in my class now that in opinion, should not be here. I agree with BLACKmags that it should be an all volunteer unit. Some DA selected people (especially straight from AIT) really don't know what their in for and they end up leaving or stayin in hold platoon for weeks to months.


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## Ravage (Aug 29, 2009)

Why is it that its not all volunteer ?
I mean, it is a special operations unit is it not ?


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## urdaddyjeep (Aug 29, 2009)

cause some "Great General" who issued everyone a black beret thought that 160th was that imporant and took them off a list. now they have to drop the standard to take what DA sends them, they can still kick them out of the unit and send them over to the 101st, but depends if they are a POS or not. If they are a POS then hold PLT comes in till the chapter paperwork comes back. The days of kicking the POSs to the 101st ended while I was there.


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## Swill (Aug 29, 2009)

No one comes in to the unit who does meet the standard or who doesn't want to be here, DA select or not. There's not a single person who is here against their wishes- I promise. And if someone gets through Green Platoon and doesn't perform like a Night Stalker should at their unit, they go away. Green Platoon is the easy part.

If you see some guys that you don't think are good enough, then that probably means you have higher standards, which is a good thing. But if they meet the standard, they're a Night Stalker whether you like it or not. What are you doing to bring them up to your level? One person cannot make a mission successful by himself. But one person can wreck it for everyone. I say again, what are you doing to make them better?


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## TLDR20 (Aug 29, 2009)

I was told, that if say an 18D student was to fail out of the Q course but was already ATP certified medic he could go straight to the 160th and become a flight medic there. Is there any truth to that. The way it was explained to me those guys would just bypass the GP and go straight to a team/bird/platoon.


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## Ravage (Aug 30, 2009)

Another question: why do enlisted guys have to rotate out of the unit ? why can't they just stay in like the pilots ?


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## urdaddyjeep (Aug 30, 2009)

Ravage I wish I knew the answer to that... after spending a few years there and leaving i wish like hell I could go back.... but I guess it is easier to train wrench monkeys then it is pilots.. remember though only the warrants get to stay for ever.. even the walking warrants.. wish i think is BS cause I know a few that would be better off back where they came from.. 

Cback not sure i think there was one when I went through GP and all he had to do was the E&E and weapons week.. but that was a long time ago and i have been hit in the head a few times... which reminds me anyone heard from either crazy eyed Will or Eric aka pain is all in your mind watch this...


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## S_O_A_R (Aug 30, 2009)

I am really trying to help these soldiers bring their standards up by correcting on spot corrections, lending out my own supplies and even buying a couple supplies for a soldier who came here with nothing on the packing list and $17 in his bank account. :doh:. Some NCO's here are only out for themselves and not trying to be a team player. There's a couple NCO's who are great and we stick together trying to make the team better. I know we're going to be strong at the end of this class. I can't wait to get back to Savannah...:)


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