Ebook The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

Ebook The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

When reading this publication all the time, you could obtain tired. But, you could make an excellent way by reading it little but also for sure. After some time, you can lowly take pleasure in the book reading very well. By inquisitiveness, you will certainly have prepared greater than the others. This The Battle Of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts From The Men Of Task Force Ranger is available to present in soft data and printed. And right here, just what we will reveal you are the soft documents of this boo.

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

Ebook The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

Success can be started by procedure. One of processes that are very immediate and vital is by reading publications. Why should be reading? Checking out turns into one the most convenient means to get to the understanding, to enhance the experiment, and to obtain the ideas easily. Guide that ought to be read are likewise numerous. However, it will certainly depend upon the instances that connect to you.

If you still feel confused to choose guide and you have no idea about what kind of publication, you can think about The Battle Of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts From The Men Of Task Force Ranger Why should be it? When you are browsing a publication to be checked out, you will take a look at the cover design initially, will not you? It will also be the means of you to be interested to see the title. The title of this publication is additionally so interesting to check out. From the title, you may be interested to check out the content.

Being preferred for a book will certainly make the name and also web content of the book is also relied on. The Appeal of this publication is additionally balanced with the contents as well as everything informed as well as explained. When you require something relied on, The Battle Of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts From The Men Of Task Force Ranger holds good means to select. You may really feel that this publication will be difficult to check out and understand. Why? Popularity is typically for the large book that includes tough creating styles.

Relying on the demands, this publication likewise showcases the readiness of many individuals to earn adjustments. The means is by positioning the web content as well as exactly how you recognize it. One that ought to be born in mind is that this publication is likewise written by a good author, great author wit professionalism. So, The Battle Of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts From The Men Of Task Force Ranger is much advised for you, an individual who anticipates much better means to living design.

Review

“This collection provides enthralling reading about a sad chapter in American military history.”--Richmond Times-Dispatch

Read more

From the Inside Flap

"No matter how skilled the writer of nonfiction, you are always getting the story secondhand. Here's a chance to go right to the source. . . . These men were there."-MARK BOWDEN (from the Foreword) It started as a mission to capture a Somali warlord. It turned into a disastrous urban firefight and death-defying rescue operation that shocked the world and rattled a great nation. Now the 1993 battle for Mogadishu, Somalia-the incident that was the basis of the book and film "Black Hawk Down-is remembered by the men who fought and survived it. Six of the best in our military recall their brutal experiences and brave contributions in these never-before-published, firstperson accounts. "Operation Gothic Serpent," by Matt Eversmann: As a "chalk" leader, Eversmann was part of the first group of Rangers to "fast rope" from the Black Hawk helicopters. It was his chalk that suffered the first casualty of the battle. "Sua Sponte: Of Their Own Accord," by Raleigh Cash: Responsible for controlling and directing fire support for the platoon, Cash entered the raging battle in the ground convoy sent to rescue his besieged brothers in arms. "Through My Eyes," by Mike Kurth: One of only two African Americans in the battle, Kurth confronted his buddies' deaths, realizing that "the only people whom I had let get anywhere near me since I was a child were gone." "What Was Left Behind," by John Belman: He roped into the biggest firefight of the battle and considers some of the mistakes that were made, such as using Black Hawk helicopters to provide sniper cover. "Be Careful What You Wish For," by Tim Wilkinson: He was one of the Air Force pararescuemen or PJs-the highly trainedspecialists for whom "That Others May Live" is no catchphrase but a credo-and sums up his incomprehensible courage as "just holding up my end of the deal on a bad day." "On Friendship and Firefights," by Dan Schilling: As a combat controller, he was one of the original planners for the deployment of SOF forces to Mogadishu in the spring of 1993. During the battle, he survived the initial assault and carnage of the vehicle convoys only to return to the city to rescue his two closest friends, becoming, literally, "Last Out." With America's withdrawal from Somalia an oft-cited incitement to Osama bin Laden, it is imperative to revisit this seminal military mission and learn its lessons from the men who were there and, amazingly, are still here. "From the Hardcover edition.

Read more

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Presidio Press; 1st Edition edition (July 26, 2005)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9780345459664

ISBN-13: 978-0345459664

ASIN: 0345459660

Product Dimensions:

5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.6 out of 5 stars

42 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#177,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

This is a really great book if you have any interest in "The Battle of Mogadishu," Rangers and "Special Forces" operations. It is surprisingly well written and contains poignant stories of the Battle.Below is a book review in 2003 by "A Customer" for "Losing Mogadishu," (1995), by Jonathan Stevenson (which I thought was apropos):"The book tells the story of recent Somali culture and Aidid's rise to power. The main points of Stevenson's argument revolve around how the U.S. lacked intelligence on what the real problems were in Somalia. He tells a story of clan warfare in Somalia where teenagers have grown up in the midst of gunfire; how 18 and 25 year olds are battle hardened soldiers. Stevenson asserts that while Somalis tend to hate members of the other clans, they dislike outsiders even more. There is no Somali nationalism except in the respect that they hate anyone who is not a Somali. The failure of the U.S. to understand these elements of Somali society culture led to many mistakes during the tenure of Operation Restore Hope. At the end of the book, Stevenson offers seven "lessons" the U.S. should take away from Somalia. They are the key portion of the book and are summarized below.Lesson 1: Military Intervention is the Last ResortAll other avenues of solving the problem must be exhausted before turning to military intervention. U.S. and U.N. hopes for success were dashed when they stopped dealing with Aidid as a statesman and began treating him as a criminal. Stevenson writes that one of the realities of the Post Cold War era is that "terrorists become statesmen" and the U.S. only strengthened Aidid by casting him as the villain and blaming for all of Somalia's problems. The U.S. belief that getting rid of Aidid would get rid of the problems was naïve.When intervention is necessary, Stevenson believes regional forces should handle the situation. He states that using regional forces is preferable because 1) free trade and regional stability will be promoted if neighbors are forced to deal with and solve one another's problems, 2) local solutions are likely to be less costly, 3) countries in the region will have more intimate knowledge of the problems and culture, and 4) should more intervention become necessary, regional resistance to outside intervention will be reduced because a regional solution has already failed.Lesson 2: Know Your EnemyThe American view of the Somalis as intellectually, culturally, militarily inferior fits with the typical imagery of viewing a developing country as a child. Stevenson argues this kind of either ignorance or arrogance lead to unnecessary consequences in Somalia. The U.S. failed to understand that while Somalis loathe rival clan and subclan members, they loathe outsiders even more. They also did a sloppy job of military planning at the tactical level. U.S. helicopters flew the same routes and used the same formulas for their "snatch and grab" missions everyday-fly in and have Delta Force sweep the target areas while ringed by Rangers for protection. Thus, the Somalis knew where to direct fire to take down a helicopter and what to do once American troops were on the ground. American planners also did a poor job with translations on leaflet drops, provided little historical or cultural knowledge for the soldier on the ground, and did not comprehend the role khat played in lives of the gun-toting young men. Had the U.S. done a thorough job of examining Somali history and culture, they may have been able to avoid such mistakes.Lesson 3: Establish Tight Command-and-ControlDecentralized command-and-control led to some unfortunate mishaps in Somalia. The U.S. had difficulty controlling arms flows to the Somalis because other states' peacekeeping forces took a much more relaxed approach to their mission, translating into a porous hole through which Somalis could smuggle arms or whatever they wanted. Different UNOSOM II factions had different rules of engagement, confusing the Somalis about what behavior was acceptable and what was not. Other fractured communications structures meant delays in reinforcements and wrong turns made by the convoy during the October 3 firefight.Lesson 4: Let Soldiers be SoldiersThe argument here is that soldiers were not trained to act as a police force or mediators. Having to be passive does not mesh with what they are trained to do. Some soldiers even began dubbing their mission "Groundhog Day" because they repeated the same tasks day in and day out. Stevenson suggests interventions such as Somalia should be about compellance rather than deterrence. The U.S. military is trained to be aggressive and proactive, putting them in passive situations is asking them to do a job for which they are not prepared.Lesson 5: Prefer Active Security to Passive ForceVery similar to Lesson 4, this lesson addresses the type of force that should be used in interventions as opposed to what soldiers types of actions soldiers should be allowed to undertake. Stevenson recommends less reliance on manpower and more on weaponry. The mistake in Somalia was applying the overwhelming force doctrine and only securing American compounds and distribution routes. What they should have been doing was securing territory and pursuing active disarmament of the Somalis.Lesson 6: Keep Vietnam in PerspectiveRiddled throughout the narrative in the earlier portion of the book are references to how politicians and military men alike wanted to avoid another Vietnam. Stevenson points out how Somalia's situation differed in many respects from that which American forces faced in Vietnam. He prescribes using small, mobile, technological units engaging in aggressive actions that stress agility, diversion, and the element of surprise.Lesson 7: Plan for Decent IntervalsThe notion underpinning this lesson is better planning on the transition phase must occur. Gradually phasing out U.S. soldiers and replacing them with a multilateral U.N. peacekeeping force would "allow the beneficiary population to be weaned of its dependence." Pulling troops out en masse makes it much more likely the country will experience a relapse. The U.S. must ensure that the U.N. is in a position to manage the situation before the U.S. abandons the area."For general reference: "O2S4 MEC:"Objective (Simplicity);Offensive, Sprit of;Superiority at Point of Contact (Economy of Force);Surprise (Security);Security (Surprise);Simplicity (Objective);Movement (Mobility);Economy of Force (Superiority at Point of Contact);Cooperation (Unity of Command)

I had read the book and seen the movie "Blackhawk Down," but this book really brought it home. Sergeant Eversmann and the others that were interviewed for the book add a lot of detail as to what really went on during the raid, and the bravery and courage evidenced by the people involved in Operation Gothic Serpent. I would definitely recommend this book, especially as a companion piece to Mark Bowden's book.

The book collects the stories of 6 of the participants, each reporting on their view and participation in the battle.The unifying theme is the incredible skill and courage of the troops involved and to a near equal extent the fog of war and a breakdown in the command structure.The 6 stories come from a variety of participants from Rangers, CSAR , and others. It illustrates the compact nature of urban fighting where a single alley may present the same crossing challenge as the Rhine.Perhaps the most depressing part of the stories were the casualties taken in the vehicles as they lumbered, often lost, through the city trying to get to their destinations. Personally I feel that this is another area where the presence of the AC-130s would have been a huge advantage in maintaining situational awareness, providing routing intelligence for the vehicles and if required, "discouraging" the enemy from obstructing intersections.The second missing element was American armored vehicles. The extended time required to launch the UN rescue and its disorganization resulted in more deaths. The arrival at the sites for extraction (after hours and hours of preparation and delay) without sufficient vehicles to carry all of the fighters was inexcusable.The tragedy of this battle is not just the losses we suffered, but the great encouragement this engagement gave to bin Laden. In his subsequent Declaration of War he uses his success and the hasty American retreat from Somalia here as an argument that they will prevail in their war.From the President to the grunt it was a brutal lesson in not leaving anything behind when you go to war. Because the particular operation looked quick and simple did not mean that it was going to be quick and simple. Ammunition, water and NVG's were left behind, much the regret of most everyone involved.The stories help bring the culture of Somalia to light. As one participant noted, everyone seemed to be armed. When we arrived they stopped shooting at each other and started shooting at us.Perhaps some future book will more closely examine post event intel on bin Laden's participation in the events and the possibility that the meeting of the Somali Warlords was simply a trap laid for the unwary Americans.Overall the book delivers what it promises and more. Highly recommended.

I had the honor of meeting Matt Eversmann at a conference. He is inspiring and humbling. He is better spoken than most and one solid man. He is a guy you want to know and it kills me to know what he endured for our country. War is wrong. It is something that just shouldn't happen if we were lucky. We in this country are extraordinarily lucky to have men and women like Matt who are willing to step into the unknown moment. They can prepare for battle, but I don't think that moment is really one that anyone can fully anticipate accurately. Thanks to Matt and the hundreds and thousands like him who go where no one should ever go.

I was just just a kid during The Vietnam War. My oldest brother fought over there. We were NOT allowed to watch the News. When The Battle of Mogadishu happened. I was old enough to watch and follow as much of the news coverage as possible. I was totally shocked and horrified to see what our soldiers had to go through in that small amount of time. (FOREVER TO THEM) It gave me a whole new respect for my family members who served The U.S.A.Now we are right smack at the beginning of WWIII and to think how many more Mogadishu like battles are going to fought tears my heart out. These men in this book and stories like this, of the bravery, sacrifice and love for one another will stand as a testament to ALL The World. That we AMERICANS will not go down kicking and screaming.

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger PDF
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger EPub
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger Doc
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger iBooks
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger rtf
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger Mobipocket
The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger Kindle

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger PDF

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger PDF

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger PDF

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger PDF