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What was the reaction of US troops to the events of Black Hawk Down?

US troops reflect on bittersweet legacy of Black Hawk Down

I think the word that best describes my reaction to October 3rd 1993 everyone calls Blackhawk down is bittersweet. I remember as a young Ranger with my first experience in combat I had nothing to relate it to and I thought wow this dish was incredible. I mean the reality of combat is that good men well-trained well-led well-disciplined are going to die on the battlefield was a hard lesson to learn and yet we made it through that day that 18 hours we accomplished that mission and that is amazing as I look back on it. On the other hand it's it's so sad and frustrating not only that we lost soldiers on the battlefield but that our foreign policy changed overnight literally our foreign policy the United States lacked a resolve to continue with that mission to capture or kill Mohammed Adid and that's unconscionable to me you mean that makes it difficult that you've got to come home and explain to a 23 year old widow why her husband died who performed and fought so valiantly on that battlefield and to look her in the eye and tell her for what and to this day I can't explain it in fact I look at the news right now and you think you know Somalia may be worse off now than it was before we started

The word that best describes my reaction to October 3rd, 1993, also known as Black Hawk Down is bittersweet. I remember it from the point of view of a young Ranger and I am amazed that we accomplished the mission, but sad and frustrated that we lost soldiers on the battlefield and our foreign policy changed overnight. It is difficult to explain why her husband died, valiantly on the battlefield, and to this day, I cannot explain it.

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The reaction of US troops to the events of Black Hawk Down can be described as bittersweet. As a young Ranger experiencing combat for the first time, it was an incredible and intense experience. However, the reality of losing well-trained and well-led soldiers on the battlefield was a difficult lesson to learn.

Looking back, it is amazing that we were able to accomplish the mission during those 18 hours. However, it is also deeply saddening and frustrating that not only did we lose soldiers, but our foreign policy changed overnight. The United States lacked the resolve to continue pursuing the capture or elimination of Mohammed Adid, which is something I find unconscionable.

Returning home and having to explain to a young widow why her husband died, despite his valiant efforts on the battlefield, is a heart-wrenching experience. It is difficult to justify the loss when the purpose behind it remains unclear. Even today, I struggle to find an explanation.

In fact, when I look at the news and see the current state of Somalia, it makes me question if the situation is worse now than it was before we intervened.

What was the process of collecting and recording the stories in "Walk in My Combat Boots"?

Capturing Combat Stories: The Simple Process Behind Walk in My Combat Boots

The process for writing this book, Walking My Combat Boots, our first project together with Jim Patterson, was really pretty simple. We kept it very basic. Jim gave me the task to get 100 stories, 125 stories, something like that, and I would do these telephonic interviews with these soldiers and then transcribe them to a Word document, and then I'd print it out, look for the pieces that I thought were of interest, and I'd take it over to Jim and let him do his magic, which again turns out to be the final book that you see in the stores. But honestly, I started just writing to a couple of buddies of mine whose combat stories I did not know personally, talked to them, heard their stories, asked them for recommendations, and it just grew from there. And pretty soon we had 125 in no time. It was a great experience.

I started by writing to a couple of buddies of mine and asking them for their stories. I then did telephonic interviews with those who agreed to share their stories, transcribed them and printed them out. Then I looked for the most interesting stories and gave them to Jim Patterson to turn into the final book.

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The process of collecting and recording the stories for Walk in My Combat Boots was quite straightforward. Jim Patterson and I embarked on our first project together, and he tasked me with gathering around 100 to 125 stories. I conducted telephonic interviews with soldiers and transcribed their accounts into Word documents. After printing them out, I would identify the most compelling parts and bring them to Jim, who worked his magic to create the final book you see in stores. 

To begin, I reached out to a few friends who had combat stories I wasn't familiar with and had conversations with them. I also asked for recommendations, and from there, the collection of stories grew rapidly. It was a truly rewarding experience.

How did your leadership experience in Somalia shape your perspective on conflict and teamwork?

Leadership in Conflict: Teamwork's Essential Role

For me, in 1993, on October 3rd, the experience as a leader on the streets of Mogadishu either validated or discredited everything I'd known about leadership and teamwork up until that point because I had nowhere to test it until we got to the battlefield. And what I learned from that was leadership sometimes gets a little overused in the idea of like who wins the battles, who wins the wars, oh the leaders do it. Clearly, they have a role, but teamwork is essential and I know this sounds patronizing, but I validated on October 3rd that my role as leader also was as important as being a team member and a good teammate on the battlefield because, listen, things are going to happen that I have no control of as a leader and more importantly, as a leader, I don't have the ability to offer a solution to a problem. My teammates have to do that and they can only do that if they've been shaped and trained and taught that prior to going to the battle. So you learn this on all the days and weeks and months and years prior to being tested. Building a team is important and building that team means that everybody's got to have a voice. They need to know when to talk and when to shut up, but you as a leader need to make sure that they're not just nodding their heads and saying yes, but they are welcomed to give their expert advice or else bad things are going to happen on the battlefield.

My experience leading on the streets of Mogadishu in 1993 validated everything I knew about leadership and teamwork. It taught me that my role as a leader was just as important as being a team member, and that building a strong team means everyone has a voice and should be given the opportunity to contribute their expertise.

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My leadership experience in Somalia, particularly on October 3rd, 1993, profoundly shaped my perspective on conflict and teamwork. It was a moment that either validated or discredited everything I had known about leadership and teamwork up until that point.

What I learned was that while leadership plays a role in winning battles and wars, teamwork is absolutely essential. On that day, I realized that my role as a leader was just as important as being a team member and a good teammate on the battlefield. There are situations where I have no control as a leader, and there are problems for which I don't have the solutions. It is my teammates who must step up and offer their expertise to solve those problems. However, this can only happen if they have been properly shaped, trained, and taught prior to entering the battlefield.

The importance of teamwork and building a cohesive team became evident to me through the days, weeks, months, and years leading up to that moment. It is crucial that everyone in the team has a voice and knows when to speak up and when to listen. As a leader, it is my responsibility to ensure that team members feel comfortable offering their expert advice and insights. Merely nodding and saying yes is not enough; active participation and contribution are necessary to prevent negative outcomes on the battlefield.

What was the most difficult challenge you faced during the "Battle of Mogadishu"?

Unimaginable Devastation: Facing Mortally Wounded Soldiers in Battle

We all face a lot of challenges in the Battle of Mogadishu, myself included. And I think for me personally, listen, there are problems to solve when you're inserted in the wrong spot or your camo goes down or you see, you know, a litter urchin casualty on the ground like we had, or more importantly, get into a huge firefight that sustains itself, you know, the entire time you're on the ground. I mean, those are certainly challenges, but I would have to say hands down, the hardest thing for me as a young leader to learn on the battlefield and digest and work with was seeing soldiers gravely, mortally wounded. There's nothing I could have done to prepare myself certainly for that experience and to see somebody that you know was going to die and still have to, you know, as a teammate and a leader continue on, that was the biggest challenge I could say anyone, but specifically me faced.

The greatest challenge I faced in the Battle of Mogadishu was seeing soldiers gravely wounded and having to continue on as a leader and teammate in spite of it.

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During the Battle of Mogadishu, we encountered numerous challenges, and personally, I faced my fair share. While there were difficulties to overcome, such as being in the wrong position, equipment malfunctions, or encountering casualties, the most difficult challenge for me was witnessing soldiers who were gravely wounded.

Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional toll of seeing someone who was not going to survive their injuries. It was a heartbreaking experience, and as a teammate and leader, I had to find the strength to continue on despite the pain and grief. This was undoubtedly the most challenging aspect that I, and likely many others, faced during the Battle of Mogadishu.

How do you feel about the success of "Walk in My Combat Boots"?

Bestselling 'Walk in My Combat Boots' validates veterans' voices

I'm very proud of the first project Jim and I did together, Walking My Combat Boots. It hit number one on the New York Times list and has continued to be a good seller two years later. I think most importantly for me, what gets me fired up is that we have veterans that read it and say, yeah, I know that guy. Maybe not that particular soldier in that particular chapter, but they know that experience. So that sort of validates that we were able to tell these brave warriors' stories in their own voices as accurately as possible. And as Jim says, now when you say thank you for your service to one of these men or women, you'll really know why you're thanking them. And hopefully this will inspire others to go out and write their books, to tell their stories because the definitive book about combat history has not been written. And offer everybody the opportunity, go out and do it.

I'm proud of the project Jim and I did together, Welcome My Combat Boots, which became a success. The most rewarding part of it is hearing from veterans that we were able to accurately tell their stories in their own voices. We hope our work will inspire others to go out and write their books to tell their stories.

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I'm incredibly proud of the success of Walk in My Combat Boots, the first project Jim and I worked on together. It reached number one on the New York Times list and continues to be a strong seller even after two years. What truly excites me is hearing from veterans who have read the book and can relate to the experiences shared within its pages. It validates our efforts to accurately tell the stories of these brave warriors in their own voices.

As Jim often mentions, when you thank a veteran for their service after reading this book, you'll truly understand why you're expressing gratitude. Our hope is that this success will inspire others to write their own books and share their unique stories. There is still room for the definitive book on combat history, and we encourage everyone to seize the opportunity and tell their own tales.

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First Sergeant Matt Eversmann is an American hero who embodies the importance of duty, courage, and selfless service in extraordinary circumstances. In 1993, Matt led a raid against an enemy militia in Mogadishu, Somalia. His inspiring story of survival was depicted in the film Black Hawk Down. For his actions, he was awarded the Bronze Star. After his service, Matt drew from his military experience to teach the next generation of warriors. He worked at the Army War College, taught at Johns Hopkins University, and deployed to Iraq during The Surge. Matt has since used his experiences to show organizations how to build resilient teams. He has consulted in healthcare, non-profit, and data management. Matt recently returned from Afghanistan where he filmed a documentary for PBS. He has co-authored The Battle of Mogadishu and two New York Times bestsellers with James Patterson. Matt and his wife, Tori, run a consulting company and co-host a weekly podcast, The Veterans Nation.