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Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45Th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and Okarng Aviation
Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45Th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and Okarng Aviation
Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45Th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and Okarng Aviation
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Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45Th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and Okarng Aviation

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Prior to 1979, you probably hadnt heard of counterterrorism or Special Operations. Even so, special warriors have been around since Moses sent Joshua to spy out the land of Canaan.

In 1986, Colonel Billy R. Wood served as the operations officer of the newly organized 45th Aviation Battalion (Special Operations). This unit was highly classified. The special operations training and missions carried out by the team were conducted in secret, and members couldnt even tell their wives and families where they were going. These soldiers were called the Lords of Darkness.

Prior to its formation, much was written about the failed hostage rescue mission in Iran. The Pentagon leadership implied, Whatever the costs, whatever we do, we can never have another Desert One. Secret exercises were conducted with modified aircraft and soon-to-be-skilled night flyers of Task Force 160, today known as Night Stalkers. What you didnt read about was the other US Army Special Operations Aviation Battalionan Army National Guard unit.

Highly classified and therefore less known, it was a mirror image special aviation unit. You didnt realize they existed because you werent supposed to know. These teachers, businessmen, lawyers, salesman, citizen soldiers, and traditional guardsmen were called the Lords of Darkness of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

The night belonged to themand their hearts belonged to aviation.
LanguageEnglish
PublisheriUniverse
Release dateAug 18, 2011
ISBN9781462027224
Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45Th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and Okarng Aviation
Author

COL Billy R. Wood

Colonel Billy R. Wood retired from the US Army in 1998 with twenty-eight years’ total military service. He earned both his bachelor of science degree in aviation and a master of science degree in natural and applied science from Oklahoma State University. In May 1998, he was inducted into the US Army Field Artillery Officer Candidate School’s Hall of Fame at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He and his wife, Carolyn, live near Mena, Arizona, and have four children and four grandchildren.

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