The Battle of MogadishuThirty Years On
b"Thirty years ago this week\\u2014on October 3, 1993\\u2014US 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\\u2014which would later become the subject of journalist Mark Bowden\\u2019s book,\\xa0Black Hawk Down, and subsequently a film of the same name\\u2014lasted 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."