The Battle of Mogadishu: Gregg Ackley’s Story

Photo provided by Gregg Ackley and used with his permission.

Operation Gothic Serpent was a military mission conducted by U.S. Special Operations in Somalia in 1993. The operation aimed to capture key lieutenants of the Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, whose forces were destabilizing the region and obstructing humanitarian aid efforts. The mission, which involved elite units like Delta Force, Navy SEALs, and Army Rangers, culminated in the Battle of Mogadishu. 

The battle, later immortalized in the book and film “Black Hawk Down,” highlighted the complexity and dangers of urban warfare, leading to significant casualties on both sides and a re-evaluation of U.S. military engagement in the region. Gregg Ackley, who at the time was new to the Unit (Delta Force), spoke with us about what it was like to be fighting on the front lines. 

“That’s what we trained for, and we were glad to be over there. The original mission was to capture Aidid, but unfortunately, he’d gone underground. To flush him out, the mission shifted to going after his lieutenants and their infrastructure.”

Gregg spoke about the eerie feeling that had settled over their camp and the quiet that came before the eventual chaos.

Photo provided by Gregg Ackley and used with his permission.

“Normally people were playing volleyball in front of the hangar at our camp, but not that day. It was a very quiet day, and to tell you the truth, I think everyone knew something was about to happen. A meeting was called about noon for the leadership and once it was complete my team leader came back, got the four of us together, briefed us, and said, ‘Hey, there’s going to be a meeting with a couple of Aidid’s lieutenants. We’re going to capture them.’ So at that point, we put our gear on—what we would call kit. We checked our weapons, then went out to the helicopters, took off, and headed into the city.”

Photo provided by Gregg Ackley and used with is permission.

As soon as Ackley’s team hit the ground, the intensity immediately escalated.

“There was action right away because, as soon as we hit the ground, we captured the two lieutenants and 19 other guys. We didn’t realize that two of our helicopters had crashed at that point. A vehicle convoy followed us, with a bunch of Rangers on it, and we loaded the prisoners onto that convoy. Then, once we got word that Super 61 had been shot down, we proceeded on foot to the first crash site.”

In the movie, they show the crash site as being in a massive clearing. Ackley offered his rebuttal to the Hollywood portrayal.

“That wasn’t true at all. The reality was that when Super 61 was shot down, it crashed into a small alley. Unfortunately, the front of the helicopter came up and pinned the pilots’ bodies in the cockpit. It took about 3 to 4 hours to get their bodies out once the relief convoy had reached our position about midnight, so during that time, we pulled security about 100 meters off the nose of the downed Black Hawk while they worked.”

Once the convoy was loaded with the captured prisoners and the convoy left to return to the airport, the force on the ground moved towards the Super 61 crash site. During the movement the situation escalated quickly, forcing them to abandon their positions on the streets and seek cover. Greg recalled the harsh realities of combat:

“Unfortunately, about five feet away from me, an operator named Earl Filmore was shot in the head and killed instantly. It was a bit of a firefight, but then things started to settle down. They would shoot at us occasionally, but once the convoys started moving forward to come and get us, a lot of the attention shifted toward the convoy.

I remember looking at the sky when night came. I was pulling security from a window overlooking a four-way intersection for most of the night, and I could see what looked like a 4th of July show with all the tracer rounds being fired by the Somalis trying to stop the convoy from reaching us.

At one point, we were sitting there pulling security, and Matt Rierson, who had NODs (night vision devices), would tense up and start shooting. The rest of us didn’t have night vision, so we couldn’t see what he was shooting at.

About ten minutes later, he tensed up again and fired down the alley. He kind of looked at us but didn’t say anything. The third time, he got up, fired his weapon, and then said, ‘Why aren’t you guys shooting?’ I replied, ‘Matt, we don’t have NODs. We can’t see anything.’ He thought for a second and then said, ‘Oh, good point. I’ve got tracer rounds.’ He loaded tracer rounds into his magazine and started shooting again. At that point, we could see where he was firing, so we started shooting as well.”

Gregg went on to talk about the importance of that day and what it meant to him in the context of his career as a Tier One operator.

Photo provided by Gregg Ackley and used with his permission.

“It was everything. Unfortunately, we lost 18 that day, and the man I talked to you about before, Matt Rierson, was killed on October 6th when a mortar shell hit near his position. So, the fact that we lost 19 lives sucks, but I think we’d all do it again in a heartbeat.”

Ackley and his team’s determination, in the midst of our hardest-fought battle since Vietnam, was recognized when he returned stateside.

“When we came back to Fort Bragg, my team leader told me he was going to put me in for a Silver Star. I was quite amazed. I had no clue he was going to do that. It got downgraded to a Bronze Star with a V device. I’m happy now that, 20 years later, it was finally upgraded to a Silver Star, which I proudly have displayed in my living room. But one thing I want to make perfectly clear is that we didn’t do it for the medals. The awards didn’t even enter my mind. After the fact, it’s great… but nobody was there for a medal.”

This isn't just another run. It's a tribute to the courage displayed on those streets of Mogadishu. It's a chance to push yourself, to feel a fraction of what our troops experienced as they defied death with every step, and to connect with the spirit of resilience that defines our military.

Whether you're a veteran, active duty, or a civilian supporter, the Mogadishu Mile is your opportunity to step up and show your respect. You don't need to be an elite operator to participate - you just need heart, determination, and the motivation to kick your own ass into gear.

Are you ready to honor the heroes of Mogadishu? Join Team RWB’s Monthly Mission and run your fastest mile. Feel the legacy of courage, push yourself, and be part of something bigger. Let’s make a difference together.