OPERATION GOTHIC SERPENT

BLACK HAWK DOWN

BATTLE OF MOGADISHU

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? COMMENTS?

General William F. Garrison

Operation Gothic Serpent Mission Commander

SUMMARY

Challenges of the Mission

OPERATION GOTHIC SERPENT

Lessons Learnt

Operation Gothic Serpent

• Was drafted in 1966 and later commissioned as a 2LT

• The youngest Officer to ever hold ranks of Colonel, Brigadier General and Major General

• Spent most his career in the Special Operations Unit after the war wherein he earned a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart for wounds he got in combat.

• Took full responsibility for the failure of the mission which ended his career

• Retired August 3, 1996...same day Mohamid Aidid succumbed to his gunshot wounds

• We have Leaders that are willing to take responsibility for their actions
• We have Soldiers who embody the Army values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage
• It is important for our Leaders and soldiers to have and be aware of all pertinent information, equipment and resources pertaining to the accomplishment of the mission beforehand

Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart (left), Master Sgt. Gary Gordon (right)

The U.S. involvement in Somali was initially to help restore law and order after the civil war broke out in 1991. The aim was to provide humanitarian support until the UN was able to support the mission on its own. However, the U.S. lingered presence after the fact increased tensions between warlords and mission troops. This resulted in Mohamid Aidid's initial attack on the troops which launched the ill fated Operation Gothic Serpent Mission. With 19 American lives lost and 79 wounded, the U.S. made a speedy withdrawal 3 months after the mission started.

• In Mogadishu, the task force occupied an old hangar and construction trailers under primitive conditions.

• The force lacked on-site potable water and was subject to frequent mortar fire.

• The force was denied having their own Armored Units which which could have helped to save lives and the eminent fate of the Black Hawk. Then Secretary of Defense Les Aspin was ultimately blamed leading to his resignation in 1993

• At around 02:00 on 25 September, Aidid's men shot down a Black Hawk with RPG and killed three crew members at New Port near Mogadishu. Although the helicopter was not part of a Task Force Ranger mission, the Black Hawk destruction was a huge SNA psychological victory

• The force underestimated the war fighting capabilities and equipment of the Somali rebels. What was supposed to be a quick rescue of soldiers became hours of pain and agony that lasted throughout the night ...15hours

Mission Composition

On 22 August, the force was deployed to Somalia under the command of Major General William F. Garrison, JSOC's commander at the time.

The force consisted of:

• B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75Th Ranger Regiment

• C Squadron, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D)

• A deployment package of 16 helicopters and personnel from the 160Th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160Th SOAR), which included MH-60 Black Hawks and AH/MH-6 Little Birds.

• Navy SEALS from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)

• Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers from the 24Th Special Tactics Squadron

GALLERY

MICHAEL J DURRANT - Black Hawk Lone POW SURVIVOR

Events Cont'd

• Stay hydrated and watch your step
• In case of a fire or angry shooter, exit classroom as quickly as possible using marked exits to the FOB across parking lot for accountability
• If FOB is compromised, run as fast as possible to where the Big Red Horse is located 1/4 mile further down the main
• If we are not able to leave the classroom because the angry shooter is somewhere in the corridor, well, quickly come up with a plan of attack or just hide.

• On 8 August 1993, Aidid's militia detonated a remote controlled bomb against a U.S. military vehicle, killing four soldiers. Two weeks later, another bomb injured seven more.

• In response, President Clinton approved the proposal to deploy a special task force, composed of 400 U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force commandos. This unit, named Task Force Ranger, consisted of 160 elite U.S. troops. They flew to Mogadishu and began a manhunt for Aidid.

Mission

U.S. Special Operating Task Force was commissioned to capture Warlord Mohamid Farrah Aidid and return order to the Somali Region

UH-60 Black Hawk

Who was General Aidid?

PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION

Civil unrest in Somali

• Following the ousting of the unpopular Barre Regime in 1991, one of the bloodiest Civil Wars broke out in Somali

• Various Warlords such as Mohamid Aidid fought to take control of the country

• Food and medical supply was compromised due to massive destruction of infrastructure. This led to starvation and deaths

• In 1992 then President George W Bush ordered the military to join the UN - Operation Restore Hope mission to help stabilize the region

Give soldiers a general awareness of:

• Factors leading to the mission
• The parties involved in the mission - Political, opposition/enemy and the military side
• The challenges of the mission
• The outcome of the mission and lessons learnt

He was:

• A Somali ruthless Faction Leader
• Military Commander
• Chairman of the United Somali Congress
• Leader of the Somali National Alliance
• Not fond of U.S. Military presence in the region and helped to push out troops
• Elected himself President in 1995
• Subsequently killed in 1996 by one of his former Allies, (Some speculated Atto was responsible for this)

December 15, 1934 to August 2, 1996

By

SPC Neeley, 68R, 4220Th USAH, NY