Michael Durant

Michael Durant
Michael Durant
	Durant in 2017
Personal details
Born	Michael John Durant; July 23, 1961 (age 63); Berlin, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (BS, MBA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1979–2001
Rank	Chief Warrant Officer 4
Unit	101st Aviation Regiment; 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Battles/wars	Operation Prime Chance; Operation Just Cause; Gulf War; Operation Gothic Serpent; • Battle of Mogadishu
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross (3); Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal (3); Prisoner of War Medal

Michael John Durant^[1] (born July 23, 1961) is an American veteran, former pilot, businessman, author, and political candidate. He was involved in the "Black Hawk Down" incident while serving as a U.S. Army pilot,^[2] and ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for the 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama.

Durant was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 Blackhawk helicopter Master Aviator in the 160th SOAR after participating in combat operations Prime Chance, Just Cause, and Desert Storm, and also Gothic Serpent, in which he was briefly held prisoner in 1993 after a raid in Somalia.

Following his retirement from the military in 2001, Durant published a book detailing his experiences, was involved in public speaking engagements and founded an engineering company in Huntsville, Alabama. He also became politically active as a member of the Republican Party.^[3]

^ Burns, Robert (June 6, 2014). "Pentagon has protocol for returned captives". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ Moon, Josh (October 19, 2021). "Mike Durant officially enters Alabama U.S. Senate race". Alabama Political Reporter. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ "United States of America", The Statesman’s Yearbook 2023: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 1225–1347, 2022, doi:10.1057/978-1-349-96056-9_195, ISBN 978-1-349-96056-9, retrieved 2024-07-09

[1] Burns, Robert (June 6, 2014). "Pentagon has protocol for returned captives". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.

[2] Moon, Josh (October 19, 2021). "Mike Durant officially enters Alabama U.S. Senate race". Alabama Political Reporter. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.

[3] "United States of America", The Statesman’s Yearbook 2023: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 1225–1347, 2022, doi:10.1057/978-1-349-96056-9_195, ISBN 978-1-349-96056-9, retrieved 2024-07-09

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