The Battle of the Black Sea: MSG Paul Howe's Untold Story of Black Hawk Down (2013)

On October 3, 1993 a group of US Rangers and Special Operations soldiers set out on a mission into the heart of the Bakara market in Mogadishu. What started as a mission that should have lasted 30 minutes turned into a battle for their lives. Known by these men as the Battle of the Black Sea and later portrayed in the motion picture Black Hawk Down, here is the untold story of that battle as told by Delta Force member MSG Paul R. Howe, retired. In this three hour exclusive interview, Paul gives an in-depth look at what led up to and what occurred during and after October 3 and 4, 1993. He talks about the living conditions soldiers endured in Mogadishu, the UN Joint Forces stationed there, the media, decisions that were made by our military, the search for Aidid, planning for the mission, the mission assets, Operation Gothic Serpent including the downed Black Hawks, the convoy, staying overnight, and the extraction the next day. Paul also talks about the After Action Report, lessons learned by our military from that battle, combat mindset, and Somalia today. Paul sets the story straight and gives an unvarnished account of what took place in Somalia in 1993. Paul served 20 years in the US Army, ten of those in Special Operations. He served as a Tactical Team Leader and Senior Instructor while assigned to Army Special Operations. During his tour in special operations he was involved in several combat actions including the battle in Mogadishu. Today Paul is a high-risk training instructor and owner of the CSAT (Combat Shooting and Tactics) training facility in Nacogdoches, TX. He authored two books: "Leadership and Training For The Fight" and "Tactical Trainer" and has numerous instructional videos.