The last week’s exercise near Dam Neck, Virginia, gathered elite U.S. Special Operations Forces units. In rare publicly shown exercise, the Night Stalkers from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR) were seen hauling around Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs), along with their boats and other gear, during a huge training exercise.
In recent years, it was rare to see the Night Stalker’s heavily modified Little Birds, Chinooks, and Black Hawks operating together in one public place, especially in broad daylight. The exercise scenario also included a mass airdrop of supplies and assault boats from C-17s over the water. The photo that caught all attention was an MH-47 Chinook sling loading a stealthy Combat Craft Assault (CCA) boat while one of its crew, most likely an SWCC, fast ropes down into it in mid-air.
Seal Team Six operators with installed Simunition FX kits during an exercise near Dam Neck, May 2021 (Photo: Raven Harris)
The exercise was held in Dam Neck, home to the Seal Team Six (Seal Team 6), officially known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). It is also less than 20 miles southeast of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, home to many other seals and Naval Special Warfare units. Aviation photographer Raven Harris captured the photo set. According to the available information, the photo set shows DEVGRU operators alongside Night Stalkers and SWCC chauffeurs.
SEAL operators sitting on the planks of the Little Bird (Photo: Raven Harris)
Overall, the images offer an awesome and rare view into this elite ‘tier one’ special operations world. The largely bearded and tattooed SEAL operators are seen hanging off MH-6 Little Birds and MH-60 Black Hawks fully kitted out with custom M4-style rifles that appear to be fitted with Simunition FX kits, which converts them to be able to fire paintball-like ammunition for direct force-on-force training. One thing that is uniquely constant is the Jolly Roger ‘pirate’ patch warn by the SEALs. This type of iconography is prevalent in the special operations community, and especially the SEAL teams, the Drive reported.
A formation of MH-6s and an MH-60 low over the water with a CCA coming into view frame. The MH-6s often work with one or two MH-60s. (Photo: Raven Harris)
More photos are available here.
Make Flisk
December 12, 2021 at 9:12 pm
SWCC’s aren’t chauffeurs. SWCC’s are full members of NSW. The units of Combatant craft personnel have been a closed set of units and members and are designated as Special Boat operators. Do some research. From SEAL’s, the derogatory term of chauffeurs is used as a joke, not as a raging term. We are Dirty Boat Guys. Mal Flisk, Formerly NEC 9533. Combatant Craft crewman and boat POIC. If course, if I referred to your magazine as a slimy rag, you might feel slighted, too.