Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is the sole operator of AC-130 gunships and CV-22s, the Special Ops variant of the V-22 Osprey. They fly a combination of specialized air mobility, precision strike, and intelligence missions. They also train a specialized group of operators known as Special Tactics (ST)—an elite force that balances ground-based combat skills with Air Traffic Control and other aviation know-how.

Now you can get a sense of what it is like to be part of AFSOC Special Tactics.

A new VR app available on Android and iOS—US Special Ops VR—lets you perform a High Altitude—Low Opening (HALO) jump from an MC-130H Combat Talon II, one of the many variants of the C-130 Hercules still used by the military today. You can be the gunner of a CV-22 Osprey, perform a building infiltration mission, grab a fallen soldier for a medical evacuation, and jump into the water after a zodiac, all in virtual reality.

I recently had the opportunity to experience some of these training exercises first-hand, both in VR and in real life. I jumped out the back of a MC-130H with Special Tactics Airmen. I performed field medic procedures on a bleeding, breathing, talking, anatomically correct $85,000 dummy with Pararescuemen, or PJs. I rode in modified Polaris RZRs with ST Combat Controllers (CCT), both during the day and at night with night vision goggles and infrared headlights. And I saw the pool training, part of which is known as "drown-proofing," in which trainees must perform water exercises while bound hand and foot.

While the VR wasn't quite as adrenaline-pumping as the real experience, it definitely helped prepare me before I stepped up to the open door of a MC-130 at 10,000 feet. Trying not to black out while taking sharp turns and pulling G's after the chute was open, however, was another story. You can see some footage from my time with AFSOC in the video below.

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Of course, while the training exercises are fun, they pale in comparison to the real deal. Special Tactics operators embed with the elite forces of other military branches, like the Navy SEALs or Army Rangers, usually as individuals or in pairs. They are the ones responsible for calling in air strikes and ensuring that remote landing strips are secure and safe–all while performing the same combat duties as the squad they are embedded with.

Special Tactics is commonly referred to as the link between the ground and the air. It's no coincidence if you haven't heard much about them before. AFSOC does most of its flying at night. They often land at blacked out airfields with no lights. ST operators have been a part of virtually every Special Ops mission in the Middle East since 9/11, but they fly under the radar (often literally), sticking to their unofficial nickname: "The Quiet Professionals."

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