Welcome to episode 122 of The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical Helicast.

In Part Three of this three-part series, host Jon Gray resumes his conversation with Calvin Dockery and Dave Ritchie.

Both Dockery and Ritchie are U.S. Army veterans who flew MH-47 helicopters in the world-renowned 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment’s mission is to organize, equip, train, resource and employ Army special operations aviation forces worldwide in support of contingency missions and combatant commanders. 

Known as “Night Stalkers,” these soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations. They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world, day or night, with unparalleled precision. 

They employ highly modified MH-47 Chinook and MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and the assault and attack configurations of A/MH-6 Little Bird helicopters.

In this episode, Dockery and Ritchie speak about their mission deployment tempo when they were with the Night Stalkers.

They speak about the impact their service had on their families, and talk about the transition to civilian life and their current jobs. We also get to discuss what they are currently doing.

This podcast is complemented by an outstanding article Jen Boyer wrote for Vertical Magazine titled "Washington State Department of Natural Resources: First line of defense," with photos and video by Shawn Adams.

The Hangar Z Podcast would like to thank sponsors Garmin, SHOTOVER, and CNC Technologies.