Mike Durant is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 and Master Black Hawk pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers).
Inspired by his father, a First Sergeant in the Army National Guard, and a family friend’s helicopter flight, Durant enlisted in 1979.
After studying Spanish at the Defense Language Institute and serving as a voice intercept operator in Panama, he graduated from flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, becoming a Warrant Officer in 1983.
He flew more than 150 medical evacuation missions in South Korea with the 377th Medical Evacuation Company and later served as an instructor pilot with the 101st Aviation Battalion.
Joining the elite 160th SOAR in 1988, Durant flew in Operations Prime Chance, Just Cause, Desert Storm, and Restore Hope.
During the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu (Operation Gothic Serpent), his MH-60 Black Hawk was shot down, leaving him severely injured and held captive by Somali militia for 11 days.
Despite doctors’ doubts, he recovered, ran the 1995 Marine Corps Marathon, and returned to duty, retiring in 2001.
Mike’s awards include…
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross (second award)
Bronze Star w/ Valor device
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal w/ Valor device (third award)
Army Commendation Medal (fourth award)
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Prisoner of War Medal
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Bronze Arrowhead Device (second award)
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ Bronze Service Star
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd Award)
United Nations Medal
United Nations Medal-Operations in Somalia
Kuwait Liberation Medal-Government of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal-Government of Kuwait
Master Aviator Badge
Air Assault Badge
In 2008, Durant founded Pinnacle Solutions in Huntsville, Alabama, a defense contracting firm specializing in military training simulators and veteran employment.
He co-authored In the Company of Heroes, focusing on survival and leadership.
He also led veterans’ efforts for George W. Bush’s 2004 and John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaigns.
He ran in the 2022 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama.
Married to Lisa, raising a blended family with 6 children, Durant enjoys mountain climbing, skiing, hockey, watersports, and running.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
02:00 Background and Black Hawk Down
17:01 Becoming a Pilot and Joining 160th SOAR
31:57 Low-Level Flying and Team Coordination
54:06 Special Forces Rotation and Armed Black Hawk
01:03:43 Panama: Operation Just Cause
01:10:38 Combat Reflections and Noriega’s Capture
01:33:54 Desert Storm and Delta’s Scud Missions
01:45:33 Gun Malfunctions and Fixes
01:52:49 Somalia: Conflict and Deployment
02:19:00 Urban Warfare and Target Capture
02:27:03 Mission Six and Black Hawk Down
03:00:48 Crash, Survival, and Rescue Attempts
03:15:00 Capture, Interrogation, and Healing
03:49:14 Hotel Nowhere and Red Cross Visit
04:06:20 Release Negotiations and UN Arrival
04:28:43 Surgeries, Clinton Call, and Ceremony
04:33:52 Reflections on Media and Politics
04:58:32 Special Ops Warrior Foundation
05:10:25 Final Thoughts and Farewell
