# Task Force Ranger - Operation Gothic Serpent - 3 October, 1993



## Centermass (Oct 3, 2015)

At 15:32 hrs, local time, 22 years ago, this day, in Mogadishu, Somalia, extraordinary men came together in extraordinary ways, to fight a battle....a battle of which - has since become legend, for their courage and bravery under fire, their sheer tenacity and determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

To those of my friends, Brothers, who went, and those who went, and paid the ultimate price, this video is dedicated to you and especially the memory of those no longer with us physically, but with us, always, in heart, mind and spirit. We will never forget.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY


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## ZmanTX (Oct 3, 2015)

Never forgotten. Rest in peace Gentlemen.
Sorry for your loss @Centermass and for anyone else who knew these warriors.

ZM


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## DA SWO (Oct 3, 2015)

Remember the reports trickling in, and watching those people bounce up and down on the MH-60 rotors.
Sorry for your loss.
I have a friend who deployed with the TF Hq, he wasn't the same when he came back.


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## x SF med (Oct 3, 2015)

Never forgotten, blue skies Gary.


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## Florida173 (Oct 3, 2015)

We had another successful Mogadishu Mile event here. Rick Lamb works with us at SOCOM and talks throughout. Great guy





__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=907579555984472


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## CDG (Oct 3, 2015)

Never Forgotten.  RIP Warriors.


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## Grunt (Oct 3, 2015)

Rest In Peace, Warriors!

You HAVE NOT and WILL NOT be forgotten!

I still use those gentlemen as examples of "Warriorship" multiple times a month or so to my son or those I work with.

Awesome gentlemen indeed!


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## Red Flag 1 (Oct 3, 2015)

Rest In God's Own Peace, Warriors. My our nation never forget.


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## DA SWO (Oct 3, 2015)

nevermind.


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## Marine0311 (Oct 4, 2015)

Never forget. 
Thank  you Rangers  for your service.
Rest  in peace.


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## Bypass (Oct 4, 2015)

GOD bless our troops. Thank you for your service Rangers.


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## AWP (Oct 3, 2017)

Lest we forget.


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## DA SWO (Oct 3, 2017)

20 plus years, still sucks.
Still pissed at Clinton and Aspen for mishandling their part.
Still pissed at Bush for starting the shitshow.
RIP.


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## CDG (Oct 3, 2017)

Never Forgotten.


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## Kraut783 (Oct 3, 2017)

Blue Skies men


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## Muppet (Oct 5, 2017)

Till Valhalla warriors. I served with a brother in the 325 that was with Task Force Ranger. I cannot remember a year, I have not reached out to him on this day.

M.


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## Gunz (Oct 5, 2017)

Your heroic fight will never be forgotten. Vastly outnumbered, surrounded, you killed hundreds of your attackers through disciplined firepower and sheer guts. And you got your brothers out.

I don't look at Mog as a defeat. I look at it as a shining moment in Ranger history. Well done.


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## Devildoc (Oct 5, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> I don't look at Mog as a defeat. I look at it as a shining moment in Ranger history. Well done.



I don't look at it as a defeat either, and those men did not die in vain:  their legacy was the change in combat medicine and small unit tactics that have saved countless lives.


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## DA SWO (Oct 5, 2017)

EKIA count always seems to be under reported.
It was an incredible job, and had Clinton elected to pile on would have (temporarily) crushed the clans.


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## Gunz (Oct 5, 2017)

DA SWO said:


> EKIA count always seems to be under reported.
> It was an incredible job, and had Clinton elected to pile on would have (temporarily) crushed the clans.



Hard agree. One AC-130 could have saved a number of Ranger, Delta, SOAR lives. It was a chickenshit decision. The situation had already escalated.


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## The91Bravo (Oct 3, 2019)

Tommy, I still miss you brother. 
You lived your creed right up to the last second.
NSDQ


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## DA SWO (Oct 4, 2019)

Ocoka said:


> Hard agree. One AC-130 could have saved a number of Ranger, Delta, SOAR lives. It was a chickenshit decision. The situation had already escalated.


Found out last week that the AC's were pulled at the last minute.
CentCom Cdr then helped throw MG Garrison under the bus.


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## Gunz (Oct 5, 2019)

DA SWO said:


> Found out last week that the AC's were pulled at the last minute.
> CentCom Cdr then helped throw MG Garrison under the bus.



That was Hoar, the Marine. He relieved Schwarzkopf. I was at the change-of-command ceremony. He was former infantry...shame on him.


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## Gunz (Oct 5, 2019)

Incidentally, here's an piece on the activities of Somalia CIA station chief Garrett Jones and other CIA personnel in the Mog during Restore Hope/Gothic Serpent. It's from 2000, seven years later, but an interesting perspective.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...-report/3c474a43-ea21-4bf5-afc5-02820b8579e5/


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## lr1400 (Nov 8, 2019)

My 10 year old met Matt Eversmann last night. Made that kids day. He said Matt was super cool and talked with him a lot. Son wants to be a Ranger.


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## SierraWave (Nov 10, 2019)

Gunz said:


> Incidentally, here's an piece on the activities of Somalia CIA station chief Garrett Jones and other CIA personnel in the Mog during Restore Hope/Gothic Serpent. It's from 2000, seven years later, but an interesting perspective.
> 
> 
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...-report/3c474a43-ea21-4bf5-afc5-02820b8579e5/


Damn that was a great read, thanks for sharing.


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## AWP (Nov 10, 2019)

A panel conducted at West Point with three veterans of the battle, Col. (ret) Larry Perino, Col. (ret) Lee VanArsdale, and SGM (ret) Kyle Lamb. I'm 40 minutes in and it is well worth your time.


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## Gunz (Nov 10, 2019)

Some very candid comments about the lack of gunships and a reserve Ranger platoon. (And mimeograph machines were old school when I was in the Marines...strange that's all they had in Somalia to run copies.)

Nice to hear the kudos out to 10th Mountain.

Kyle Lamb should be every young warfighter's guru. "If you're coming up with ROE just to cover your ass...I don't want to work for you."

He's also a hoot.


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## Centermass (Nov 10, 2019)

AWP said:


> A panel conducted at West Point with three veterans of the battle, Col. (ret) Larry Perino, Col. (ret) Lee VanArsdale, and SGM (ret) Kyle Lamb. I'm 40 minutes in and it is well worth your time.



Many moons ago, Lee and I ran several AAS MTT's together. He was the OIC and I was his NCOIC. 

 Lee was as solid a man as you would ever want to meet and serve with. Fond memories. Good times.


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## NikNifSik (Nov 14, 2019)

DA SWO said:


> EKIA count always seems to be under reported.
> It was an incredible job, and had Clinton elected to pile on would have (temporarily) crushed the clans.



I have read that Colin Powell may have been the decision-maker on the gunships. More worried about collateral damage and keeping numbers down verse giving the boots on the ground the requested firepower.


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## Devildoc (Nov 14, 2019)

I've met Lamb a time or two.  A hoot.


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## Gunz (Nov 15, 2019)

NikNifSik said:


> I have read that Colin Powell may have been the decision-maker on the gunships. *More worried about collateral damage and keeping numbers down verse giving the boots on the ground the requested firepower.*



Powell stepped down as CJCS about four days before the battle, but he may have contributed to the decision to restrict additional fire support in Somalia...although a number of accounts fault Clinton for setting the tone and Defense Secretary Les Aspin.

Randy Shugart's dad definitly blamed Clinton--although you have to take his emotions into account--and not only refused to shake hands with him during the MOH ceremony but told him he wasn't fit to be POTUS.

I clearly recall some of the bitter comments making the rounds at CENTCOM and elsewhere post-battle that blamed Clinton. And Aspin is on record as having denied a request for armored reinforcements--a decision he later acknowledged was a mistake.

Maybe some day--probably after more deaths--our warfighters in places like the Mog, Benghazi and Niger--will have adequate on-call support assets. Or not.


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## SOSTCRNA (Nov 15, 2019)

Gunz said:


> Powell stepped down as CJCS about four days before the battle, but he may have contributed to the decision to restrict additional fire support in Somalia...although a number of accounts fault Clinton for setting the tone and Defense Secretary Les Aspin.
> 
> Randy Shugart's dad definitly blamed Clinton--although you have to take his emotions into account--and not only refused to shake hands with him during the MOH ceremony but told him he wasn't fit to be POTUS.
> 
> ...



Unfortunately our guys and gals out on the fringes will never have all the assets they need.  At least we are finally trying to get surgeons close to them. Although a little bit of armor or gunship support could make our surgeons vary bored.


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## Muppet (Oct 3, 2022)

On this day....

I texted the brothers I served with at Bragg, previously at 3rd Batt.

I do so every year.

Till Valhalla.


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## pardus (Oct 3, 2022)

This is a very underappreciated conflict, the lessons learned here have saved countless lives in the years since.


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## Muppet (Oct 3, 2022)

pardus said:


> This is a very underappreciated conflict, the lessons learned here have saved countless lives in the years since.



You're very right brother. Just speaking to TCCC, formerly, combat life saver when I was in. Not to mention the amount of sacrifice, as in any conflict, those 2 days. The trauma medicine that we learned then is the reason military medicine is where it's at, today.

I served with 3 guys, one was my top for Bco, 2 others were squad leaders in Bco when I was line/senior medic. One bro, I'll not name but his last is a nickname for money was a beast gazelle on runs. He was an EMT-I also, I used him alot to train the boys and when we were in the middle east.

Top gave me a 2/325 coin, I still carry, a kiss on the cheek and hugged the stuffing out of me when I ETSd. Apparently, I earned his respect.


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## pardus (Oct 3, 2022)

Muppet said:


> *You're very right brother. Just speaking to TCCC, formerly, combat life saver when I was in. Not to mention the amount of sacrifice, as in any conflict, those 2 days. The trauma medicine that we learned then is the reason military medicine is where it's at, today.*
> 
> I served with 3 guys, one was my top for Bco, 2 others were squad leaders in Bco when I was line/senior medic. One bro, I'll not name but his last is a nickname for money was a beast gazelle on runs. He was an EMT-I also, I used him alot to train the boys and when we were in the middle east.
> 
> Top gave me a 2/325 coin, I still carry, a kiss on the cheek and hugged the stuffing out of me when I ETSd. Apparently, I earned his respect.


You are right on the money when it comes to combat medicine! 
I was with a Ranger from Op Serpent in Ukraine actually, small world.


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