10/06/2026
Operation SISU 2027: CARPE NOCTEM
This year, Operation SISU carries the same resolve through a different warrior tradition.
Carpe Noctem. Seize the Night.
And we have some new and exciting ways of bringing that idea into this year's SISU event.
For those unfamiliar with Army aviation, many of the helicopters that have carried soldiers into combat and brought them home bear names connected to Native American history and warriors.
Black Hawk. Chinook. Apache. Kiowa.
The Army eventually removed the formal requirement to use Native American names, but continued the tradition out of respect for the people, cultures, and histories behind those names.
For me, that tradition is personal.
I have called in MEDEVACs and conducted air assaults aboard Black Hawks in Iraq. I have called for close air support and close combat attacks from Apaches and Kiowas in combat.
Those weren't simply aircraft.
They were part of the fight.
They carried our wounded.
They carried us into objectives.
They brought fire when we needed it.
And behind those names is a long history of Native American military service and warrior traditions that deserve recognition.
That is what Carpe Noctem represents for Operation SISU this year.
Not simply the ability to move through darkness.
The willingness to enter it.
The resolve to keep moving when the path ahead isn't clear.
The ability to endure, adapt, and overcome.
That is SISU.
This year, we recognize the courage, perseverance, and service of Native American warriors and the generations of Native Americans who have served in the United States military.
Carpe Noctem.
Seize the Night.
Find your SISU.
Image 1 - Back of Shirt
Image 2 - Front of Shirt
