DELTA:
Also known as “Delta
Force”, this elite unit is still not officially acknowledged by the United
States Government. Their role in Somalia, separate from the humanitarian
mission, was to capture Aidid and his lieutenants who were considered the
greatest threat to peace in the region.
Trained for a myriad of situations including hostage rescue, the Delta “Operators” are some of the best Close Quarters Battle Soldiers in the world. Most have years of experience and numerous combat ops in their dossier before being chosen for selection to the unit.
Once a Soldier is selected to be a Delta Operator, training is continual. Techniques such as room clearing, sniping, demolitions, marksmanship, and denied area infil/exfil are all practiced time and time again until they are second nature.
Delta’s tactics are so refined that in Mogadishu, they were able to secure an entire building and capture twenty-four Habr Gedir clan officials, many of them armed, without inflicting a single death.
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Ranger:
The Rangers date back to
WWII where they made a name for themselves by scaling the cliff walls of
Normandy during D-day. Since that time the Rangers have become recognized as
one of the premiere light infantry forces in the world.
They train to quickly seize and secure key objectives and to undertake
specialized operations any time, in any environment. Their flexibility
allows any of their three battalions to operate independently or as a
supplemental force to a larger Army presence.
In Somalia, the Rangers of the 3rd Battalion from Ft. Benning, GA were
tasked with providing security during TFR missions.
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10th Mountain:
The 10th Mountain
Division dates back to WWII where they were trained specifically for
mountain fighting. The goal of their specialized training was to develop a
fighting force that could operate comfortably in the harsh winter
environments of Europe and North America. Similar forces were already being
used by the Germans, Italians, and British, among others, and their
effectiveness was widely known.
Over the years, the 10th Mountain evolved into a light infantry force
capable of operating in many different environments, not just mountainous
ones. As a light infantry, they do not use heavy fighting vehicles, which
allows them to deploy quickly and take on a wide variety of missions.
The 10th deployed to Somalia in December of 1992 with a very different
purpose than Task Force Ranger, which would arrive in August of 1993. The
10th was part of Operation Restore Hope, the UN mission to provide food and
support to the people of Somalia. Their role was to provide security for UN
forces and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) who were distributing
food. To counter the growing power of some of the Somali warlords, the U.S.
Soldiers were authorized to destroy any crew served weapons operated by
Somali militias.
During the deployment of Task Force Ranger, the Soldiers of the 10th
Mountain Division were still assigned to the UN controlled UNOSOM II, but if
needed, they were to act as a Quick Reaction Force for TFR.
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160th:
The Night Stalkers are an aviation regiment specially trained to support
Special Operations missions. They fly MH-60 Black Hawks, MH-47 Chinooks, and
MH-6 and AH-6 Little Birds in support of Special Operations Forces such as
Delta Force.
The concept of a Special Operations aviation unit came after the failed
attempt to rescue the hostages from Iran in 1980. It was decided that a
dedicated group of pilots with specialized training would be required for a
second rescue attempt in Iran.
The hostages were released before the mission took place, but the unit was
not disbanded. It was wisely decided that having a group of specially
trained helicopter pilots would be an asset. Eventually the 160th was
officially formed and trained tirelessly to support the highly dangerous and
dynamic missions required of the military’s special operations forces.
The 160th derived its nickname, Night Stalkers, from their night flying
techniques, which they pioneered. Utilizing night vision goggles and
modified cockpit displays, the Night Stalkers are able to fly in complete
darkness as if it were day.
The 160th deployed to Somalia as a part of Task Force Ranger. Their duties
included transporting Soldiers to their objectives and providing fire
support. Many of the men caught in the fighting in Mogadishu on 3 October
credit their survival to the critical fire support provided by the 160th.
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