The Distinguished Flying Cross was presented to First Sgt. They represent life-altering moments of courage and valor for these men and their families.” Each ribbon and medal we pin today means so much more. “These men did not seek recognition, nor have they ever been partial to the limelight. Braga, United States Army Special Operations Command commanding general. “These men and their families seated before us represent the very best our nation has to offer,” said Lt. Upgraded awards included the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. This year marks the 28th anniversary of Operation Gothic Serpent, and the upgrades come as the result of a review ordered in 2020 by former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. Army Special Operations Command veterans received upgraded awards for actions performed during Operation Gothic Serpent, more commonly known as the Battle of Mogadishu, in 1993. troops would not return to the country until 2007.FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. Ultimately, former President Bill Clinton elected to end the mission to capture Aidid, called Operation Gothic Serpent, and he removed all U.S. The defense secretary at the time, Les Aspin, would resign his post in wake of the battle. The botched mission left a long-lasting mark on American foreign policy after television news broadcast images of an American soldier’s body dragged through Mogadishu’s streets as locals cheered. troops were injured in the fight, according to the Army. 1st Class Randy Shughart - were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of the Black Hawk crashes to recover survivors. The fourth pilot was captured and later released. After the special operators, dubbed Task Force Ranger, nabbed Aidid’s aides, militants attacked the troops and shot down two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with rocket-propelled grenades.Įighteen American troops died in the ensuing 18-hour battle, including three of the four pilots in the downed Black Hawk. peacekeeping troops working to end civil war in Somalia. The battle broke out as American special operators - primarily members of the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, or Delta Force - set out to capture two top lieutenants of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, who was responsible for attacks on U.N. “We are not releasing any specifics as there are still many particulars to be worked through as well,” she said Friday. Riddley declined to provide the names of the soldiers whose awards will be upgraded or the units in which they served. The recipients of the awards will receive their upgraded medals in ceremonies hosted by the units that they were assigned to at the time of the battle, said Bonita Riddley, a USASOC spokeswoman. 3, 1993, battle was immortalized in Mark Bowden’s best-selling 1999 book “Black Hawk Down” and its 2001 adaptation to film by director Ridley Scott. The decision to upgrade the medals follows a review of awards ordered in 2020 by former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, service officials said Friday. Sixty American soldiers who fought in the infamous Battle of Mogadishu will receive upgraded awards later this year for their valorous efforts 28 years ago in the brutal running battle through the streets of Somalia’s capital, the Army announced.Īrmy Special Operations Command officials will award 58 Silver Stars and two Distinguished Flying Crosses to soldiers who fought in that hourslong battle.
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