Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted by special operations forces of the United States with the primary mission of capturing warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The operation took place in Somalia, Africa from August to October 1993 and was supervised by the Joint Special Operations Command. Early History The original settlers of the Somali region were ethnic Cushites from the fertile lakes of southern Ethiopia. ... Missing image B Co-3/75 in Somalia, 1993 Bravo Company, 3rd Batallion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Somalia, 1993 U.S. Army Rangers Photo Source of image Taken on January 13, 2004 from [1]: SuaSponte. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... A Mogadishu boy straddles the remains of a US Black Hawk helicopter during the 1992-1995 UN peacekeeping operation Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho) is a city in eastern Africa, on the Indian Ocean. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Lebanese Kataeb militia A Militia is an army composed of ordinary [1] citizens to provide defense, emergency or paramilitary service, or those engaged in such activity. ... William F. Garrison is a former Major General of the United States Army. ... General Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Somali: ; December 15, 1934 – August 1, 1996) was a controversial Somali leader, often described as a warlord[1]. He was the chairman of United Somali Congress (USC) and later Somali National Alliance (SNA) who drove Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital, Mogadishu and... Planning, calculating, or the giving or receiving of information. ... The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category which the United States Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations. ... General Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Somali: ; December 15, 1934 – August 1, 1996) was a controversial Somali leader, often described as a warlord[1]. He was the chairman of United Somali Congress (USC) and later Somali National Alliance (SNA) who drove Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital, Mogadishu and... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Emblem of the Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). ...

As part of the operation, the soldiers were deployed in a mission to arrest two of Aidid's lieutenants. The result of that mission —executed under the command of Gothic Serpent— became known as the Battle of Mogadishu to most or "The Battle Of The Black Sea" to those who fought it. It is portrayed in Mark Bowden's bestselling book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War and the ensuing film. Planning, calculating, or the giving or receiving of information. ... Combatants USSOF, UNOSOM II, Frontier Force Regiment Somali National Alliance-affiliated militias Commanders William F. Garrison Mohamed Farrah Aidid Strength 160 2,000-4,000 Casualties U.S. 18 killed 73 wounded 1 captured Malaysia 1 killed 7 wounded Pakistan 2 wounded SNA Militia and civilians At least 500[1... “Black Hawk Down” is an official phrase used on combat situations, by the United States military, to inform the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter. ... Black Hawk Down is a 2001 film by Ridley Scott, based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. ...

Background

In December of 1992, President George H. W. Bush ordered the U.S. armed forces to join the United Nations in a joint operation known as Operation Restore Hope with the primary mission of restoring order in Somalia. The country was wracked by civil war and a severe famine as it was ruled by a number of warlords. Over the next several months, the situation deteriorated. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Combatants United States United Nations Pakistan Malaysia Somalia Commanders Many Mohamed Farrah Aidid The United Nations intervention in Somalia (code-named Operation Restore Hope) was a United Nations–sanctioned United States military operation from 9 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. ... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ... <nowiki>Insert non-formatted text hereBold text</nowiki>A famine is a social and economic crisis that is commonly accompanied by widespread malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. ... A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. ...

In January of 1993 newly elected President Bill Clinton took office. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

In May 1993, all the parties involved in the civil war agreed to a disarmament conference proposed by Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the leading Somali warlord. On June 5, 1993, 24 Pakistani troops in the UN force were killed in an ambush in an area of Mogadishu, controlled by Aidid. Any hope of a peaceful resolution of the conflict quickly vanished. The next day, the United Nations Security Council issued Resolution 837 calling for the arrest and trial of those responsible for the ambush. US warplanes and UN troops began a concentrated attack on Aidid's stronghold. Aidid remained defiant, and the violence between Somalis and UN troops escalated. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... General Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Somali: ; December 15, 1934 – August 1, 1996) was a controversial Somali leader, often described as a warlord[1]. He was the chairman of United Somali Congress (USC) and later Somali National Alliance (SNA) who drove Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital, Mogadishu and... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: ; Italian: ) is the largest city in Somalia, and its capital. ... “Security Council” redirects here. ... United Nations Security Council Resolution 837 was adopted at the 3229st meeting on June 6, 1993, called for the immediate apprehension of those responsible in the assassination of 24 Pakistani troops deployed in Operation Restore Hope and the intervention to halt the level of violence in the region. ...

On August 22, Task Force Ranger was deployed to Somalia under the command of Maj. General William F. Garrison, commander of JSOC at the time. The force consisted of: is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Official force name 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Other names Airborne Rangers Army Rangers Task Force Ranger U.S. Army Rangers Branch U.S. Army Chain of Command USASOC Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ... William F. Garrison is a former Major General of the United States Army. ...

• Company B (Bravo), 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.(B/3/75)
• 450 operators from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force)(1st SFOD-D)
• a deployment package of 16 helicopters and personnel from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) (Airborne) (TF-160)/(Night Stalkers) which included MH-60 Black Hawks and A/MH-6 Little Birds. Their mission was the pursuit of Aidid under the code name Operation Gothic Serpent
• Several Navy SEALs and Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers.

General Garrison had originally requested 75 Delta Operators, but was thrilled when Washington gave him the whole 450 man unit. The 3d Ranger Battalion was organized October 3, 1943 in the Army of the United States in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations of World War II as an element of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). ... The 75th Ranger Regiment—also known as the United States Army Rangers—is an elite light infantry special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) headquartered in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) — commonly known as Delta in the U.S. Army, Delta Force by civilians, and Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense — is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). ... The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter used by over 20 nations. ... The Hughes H-6 is a family of light utility civilian and assault helicopters of the United States Army. ... Navy SEALs redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

General information of the operation

In Mogadishu, the task force occupied an old hangar and construction trailers under primitive conditions. The force even lacked potable water and was subject to frequent mortar fire. A cutaway diagram of a hangar. ... Utility trailer A Trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. ... Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ...

During the month of September, the force conducted several successful missions to arrest sympathizers of Aidid and to confiscate arms caches. The aircraft also made frequent flights over the city to desensitize the public to the presence of military aircraft and to familiarize themselves with the narrow streets and alleys of the city (see PSYOPs). Psychological Operations or PSYOP or PSYOPS are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to specific audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. ...

The Battle of Mogadishu

Main article: Battle of Mogadishu (1993)

On the afternoon of October 3, 1993, informed that two leaders of Aidid's clan were at a residence in central Mogadishu, the task force sent 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles, and 160 men to arrest them. During the mission, Private Todd Blackburn missed the rope while fast-roping from an MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and fell 70 feet to the street below, badly injuring himself. The two Somali militia leaders were quickly arrested and the prisoners and the injured Ranger were loaded on a convoy of ground vehicles. However, armed Somalis converged on the target area from all over the city. Combatants USSOF, UNOSOM II, Frontier Force Regiment Somali National Alliance-affiliated militias Commanders William F. Garrison Mohamed Farrah Aidid Strength 160 2,000-4,000 Casualties U.S. 18 killed 73 wounded 1 captured Malaysia 1 killed 7 wounded Pakistan 2 wounded SNA Militia and civilians At least 500[1... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Todd Anthony Blackburn (born 1973) was a U.S. Army Ranger deployed with B Company, 3rd Battalion, to Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993. ... Fast-roping is a technique for descending down a thick rope. ...

The battle turned out to be the most intensive close combat that US troops had engaged in since the Vietnam War. In the end, two MH-60 Black Hawks were destroyed (as well as one seriously damaged) and 19 US soldiers lost their lives. Estimates of Somali dead range from 1000 to 10 000 Somali Militiamen killed during the battle. The Delta Force Snipers SFC Randall Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon were posthumously awarded with the Medal of Honor for their affords in order to protect their brother in arms. It has been suggested that Mêlée be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... For other uses of Blackhawk/Black Hawk, see Black Hawk. ... U.S. Army Sgt. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...

NOTE: 18 Americans died in the actual battle; SFC Matt Rierson died two days later after a mortar attack on the US compound.

References

1. Dolan, Ronald E. A History of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Chapter IX: Somalia/Operation Gothic Serpent. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. October 2001.
2. Loeb, Vernon. The CIA in Somalia: After-Action Report. Washington: Washington Post Magazine. February 27, 2000.