The Battle of Mogadishu—Thirty Years On

October 03, 2023 01:20:20
The Battle of Mogadishu—Thirty Years On
Modern War Institute
The Battle of Mogadishu—Thirty Years On

Oct 03 2023 | 01:20:20

/

Show Notes

Thirty years ago this week—on October 3, 1993—US special operations forces launched a mission in Mogadishu. It was part of Operation Gothic Serpent, which was aimed at capturing Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The mission was intended to be of a short duration. But things changed when, shortly after members of Task Force Ranger launched from their base, fighters on the ground began firing on US aircraft. The battle that ensued—which would later become the subject of journalist Mark Bowden’s book, Black Hawk Down, and subsequently a film of the same name—lasted well into the next day. In this episode, you'll hear three people who took part in that battle. Listen as they share their firsthand perspectives of the action over those two days, describing the challenges they faced, reflecting on what was required to overcome those challenges, and exploring the lessons the battle holds for future Army leaders.

Other Episodes

Episode

May 18, 2022 00:39:08
Episode Cover

And Then There Were 32? Finland, Sweden, and NATO

The decisions by the governments of Sweden and Finland to apply to join NATO mark a major departure from both countries' longstanding policies of...

Listen

Episode 0

June 24, 2020 00:53:33
Episode Cover

Is Great-Power Competition a Strategy?

This episode of the MWI Podcast features a discussion with Ali Wyne. He is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a...

Listen

Episode

January 23, 2019 00:33:40
Episode Cover

Ep. 69 – Armies of Sand? An Assessment of Arab Militaries' Battlefield Performance

This episode features a conversation with Ken Pollack, a military analyst and the author of Armies of Sand, a book that grapples with the...

Listen