Rep. Van Epps Honors Night Stalkers on House Floor

Rep. Van Epps Honors Night Stalkers on House Floor

Rep. Matt Van Epps (TN-07) recently gave his first five-minute speech on the House floor to honor the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). 

You can watch or read the speech here. 

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep humility and profound gratitude to honor one of the most elite and storied units in our Armed Forces—the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment—the Night Stalkers.

I have the privilege of speaking not only as a Member of this body, but as someone who wore that patch—who flew alongside these extraordinary men and women—and who witnessed firsthand their quiet professionalism, their relentless discipline, and their unwavering commitment to mission and country.

The Night Stalkers were born out of failure—and forged into excellence.

In 1980, after the tragic events of Operation Eagle Claw in Iran, our nation recognized a critical gap: We needed a unit capable of executing the most complex, high-risk missions in the most demanding environments on earth—at night and under any conditions.

From that necessity, the 160th was created.

And what began as a response to failure has become one of the most capable and respected special operations aviation units in the world.

Their motto is simple: ‘Night Stalkers Don’t Quit.’

And they don’t.

For decades—through Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, and countless missions that will never be publicly known—the Night Stalkers have been there. Flying low. Flying fast. Flying into the most dangerous places on earth so that others may succeed.

They are the pilots, crew chiefs, and maintainers who deliver our nation’s most elite special operations forces to the fight—and bring them home.

And often, they do it in silence—without recognition, without headlines, without fanfare.

But make no mistake: the success of countless missions and the safety of countless Americans rest on their shoulders.

Mr. Speaker, my journey to the 160th began at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I learned what it meant to lead and to serve.

I went on to fly Apache helicopters on my first combat deployment to Iraq, but it was my selection into the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell that defined the most challenging—and most meaningful—chapter of my military career.

At Fort Campbell, I had the honor of serving alongside the very best.

The standard is unforgiving. The training is relentless. And the expectation is clear: mission first, people always.

It was there that I learned what true excellence looks like—not in theory, but in practice.

And it was there that I saw the character of the American warfighter at its finest.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot talk about the 160th without recognizing the community that supports it.

Clarksville, Montgomery County, and the surrounding region are more than just locations on a map. They are a critical part of the mission.

They are home to thousands of service members and their families. They are communities that understand sacrifice. Communities that show up. Communities that support those who serve—not just in words, but in action.

Fort Campbell and the Clarksville community represent one of the strongest military-civilian partnerships in our nation. And we are stronger because of it.

Mr. Speaker, the Night Stalkers are defined by their ethos: “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit.”

But that ethos is more than a slogan. It is a promise.

     A promise to the soldiers they carry.

     A promise to the missions they execute.

     And a promise to the nation they serve.

It means flying into danger when others cannot.

It means pressing forward when conditions say turn back.

And it means doing the hard things—over and over again—without recognition, without hesitation, and without failure.

Today, I ask this body to join me in honoring the men and women of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment—past and present.

To the Night Stalkers still serving, we see you. We respect you. And we are grateful for you.

To the families who stand behind them, your strength makes their service possible.

And to those who gave their lives in service to this unit and this nation: we will never forget your sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, it was the honor of a lifetime to serve among the Night Stalkers.

And it is my honor today to stand on this House floor and say, on behalf of a grateful nation:

Night Stalkers Don’t Quit. And neither will we.”