When did the US fight Somalia?
Somalia intervention, United States-led military operation in 1992–93 mounted as part of a wider international humanitarian and peacekeeping effort in Somalia that began in the summer of 1992 and ended in the spring of 1995.
To meet the latest threat, President Joe Biden has increased military assaults in Somalia that target al-Shabaab insurgents, conducting dozens of airstrikes in 2023. In May 2022, Biden also agreed to send about 500 U.S. troops to Somalia.
It was fought on 3–4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United States—supported by UNOSOM II—against the forces of the Somali National Alliance (SNA) and armed irregular citizens of south Mogadishu. The battle was part of the two-year-old Somali Civil War.
U.S. casualties in the Battle of Mogadishu numbered 18 dead and 84 wounded among fewer than 200 personnel involved in the initial assault; perhaps 700 to 1,500 Somalis died (the total is unknown). There were also 13 casualties among UN personnel.
This battle has become popularly known as “Black Hawk Down” in reference to the several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters shot down during the battle, leading to the deaths of 18 U.S. soldiers and at least 300 Somali casualties, including militia and civilians.
30 years after the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S. military is still conducting operations in Somalia.
Approximately 450 U.S. troops remain in Somalia as of June 2023.
In December 1992, the United States began Operation Restore Hope. President George H.W. Bush authorized the dispatch of U.S. troops to Somalia to assist with famine relief as part of the larger United Nations effort. The United Nations' United Task Force (UNITAF) operated under the authority of Chapter VII of the U.N.
Do not travel to Somalia due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy.
1st Class Randy Shughart and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, repeatedly asked to touch down from their helicopter to secure the crash site. The duo was inserted and defended surviving pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike Durant. With enemy fighters enveloping the site, Shughart and Gordon were killed.
Did Marines fight in Somalia?
On December 9, 1992, 1,800 United States Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia, to spearhead a multinational force aimed at restoring order in the conflict-ridden country.
The key critical failures were a combination of limited resources to accomplish the mission and a lack of command and control. From an NCO perspective, the Battle of Mogadishu presents how leaders must be proactive in planning and following mission command principles.
Eighteen soldiers lost their lives and 70 were wounded. Over 500 Somalis died and over 1,000 were injured. The Battle of Mogadishu was the biggest, bloodiest, single firefight for U.S. troops since Vietnam. It was a significant battle and the men involved deserve to be honored for their bravery and sacrifice.
Five Navy SEALs were also present during the raid, each earning a Silver Star. Several of the SEALs were part of the initial assault force, according to award citations at the time, and helped fight in and out of the crash sites. Wasdin, the SEAL who helped capture Atto, was wounded three times during the battle.
Although a good war movie that remains superficially faithful to Bowden's descriptions of the basic actions of 3-4 October 1993, Black Hawk Down is a failure in terms of explaining some of the fundamental assumptions and conditions that underlay Task Force RANGER's operations.
The walking wounded and the few unscathed Rangers would move from the helicopter crash site to the Olympic Stadium on foot – a distance of about a mile – all the while still under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Ongoing armed conflict, insecurity, lack of state protection, and recurring humanitarian crises exposed Somali civilians to serious abuse. There are an estimated 2.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs), many living unassisted and vulnerable to abuse.
Although the mission was technically successful—several high-ranking Aydid associates were apprehended—it was widely perceived as a failure because of its high cost in human lives. Soon after the incident at Mogadishu, Clinton withdrew all U.S. troops from Somalia.
These days, foreign analysts generally focus on the jihadists, known as al-Shabaab, or speak broadly about the issues of “stabilization” and state-building in Somalia, which beats around the bush: Somalia's civil war never ended. It periodically assumes different forms, of which the war in Las Anod is the latest.
American counterterrorism operations in Somalia have since expanded to include airstrikes, drone strikes, and ground raids to kill suspected terrorists.
How many U.S. troops are in Somalia right now?
The U.S. has an estimated 450 military personnel in Somalia after President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces. The U.S. supports Somali forces and a multinational African Union force with drone strikes, intelligence and training.
The United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia within its 1960 borders in accordance with the Somali provisional constitution, which includes Somaliland and Puntland.
| Somali Civil War | |
|---|---|
| 2009–present: Federal Government of Somalia AMISOM (until 2022) ATMIS (from 2022) United States | 2009–present: Al-Qaeda Al-Shabaab Islamic State (from 2015) Wilayat al Somal |
| Casualties and losses | |
| Casualties: 350,000–1,000,000+ killed Displaced: 2,000,000–3,800,000 displaced | |
The armed conflict between Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab began due to a dispute between the faction of the Ras Kamboni Brigades led by Sheikh Ahmed "Madoobe" and al-Shabaab, over a power sharing agreement in Kisimayo.
The Somali people were the main victims of their own leaders, but forty-two Americans died and dozens more were wounded before the United States and the United Nations capitulated to events and withdrew.
