National Guard Helicopter Aids Hurricane Relief Efforts

Published: October 8, 2024 at 4:15 PM EDT

Updated: October 30, 2025 at 5:21 PM EDT

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National Guard helicopter tail with painted face and text "All Night Long" against clear sky.

You can’t think of Motown R&B or soul music without thinking of Lionel Richie. The iconic vocalist continues to have a storied career, from being a judge on American Idol to cementing himself as a musical legend. However, the Lionel Richie helicopter used by the National Guard continues to perplex anyone lucky enough to run into it. Here’s the interesting story of how the Commodores' frontman ended up on the side of a Chinook.

National Guard Helicopter 'Lionel Richie' in Hurricane Relief

Respectfully, the military is weird. There are a lot of quirks you’ll find among service members and Veterans alike, which are all part of the culture. A culture built on discipline and order can often find itself needing to blow off steam or goof off in unusual ways. Hence, the reason for the Lionel Richie helicopter is that it is a prime example of a bit of fun for service members with an interesting history attached. The call sign for a particular helicopter belonging to the Iowa National Guard's 171st Aviation Regiment goes by the name of "Night Long." This, of course, is a direct reference to Lionel Richie’s 1983 hit “All Night Long (All Night)” which is why you’ll find a stencil of the legendary vocalist painted on the helicopter. Over 7,000 troops from across the country are helping recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, all while the unfortunate arrival of Hurricane Milton continues to look imminent. The Chinook helicopters are providing communities cut off by devastation with much-needed supplies and Night Long is a part of these efforts. While the Lionel Richie helicopter is getting a bit of notoriety thanks to its service helping struggling Americans, this isn’t a new fad. To find the origins of the Chinook’s moniker, you’ll have to go back to Iraq in 2011.

Serving in Iraq All Night Long (All Night)

In 2011, during Operation New Dawn, pilots in the Minnesota National Guard, Company B, 2nd Battalion, and 211th General Support Aviation Regiment, to be exact, became inspired. Their job required nighttime runs, which would inspire the Chinook’s call sign of “Night Long” thanks to Lionel Richie’s hit single. Back then, there was a wave of Richie-inspired swag to go along with the decal, as the stencil seen on the helicopter would make its way to shirts, stickers, and a variety of vandalized canvases around Camp Taji and elsewhere. This specific wave wasn’t the first time Lionel Richie inspired the military, but it’s undeniable that the Iowa and Minnesota National Guard Soldiers made a distinct impact with the way they took to the singer as an unofficial mascot. While earning over 7,700 flight hours in a year, considering these flights took place mostly during the night for security reasons, Night Long was more than appropriate for a call sign. At the peak of its popularity, Sgt. Ryan Hoover and Maj. Benjamin Winborn from the company ended up meeting Lionel Richie as a result of the buzz involving the unexpected connection.