James Lechner – Army Ranger Recounts the Battle of Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down | SRS #346

Lt. Col. James Lechner (Ret.) is a 27-year U.S. Army veteran and former Army Ranger whose deployments span Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. As a young Ranger officer, he fought with Task Force Ranger in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, where he was wounded in combat and awarded the Purple Heart. He later served as deputy brigade commander during the Battle of Ramadi and held assignments with SOCOM and the CIA. Most recently, Lechner traveled to Ukraine—first as a war correspondent and later training and advising Ukrainian forces, including service with the International Legion. Today, he works in the drone and counter-drone defense space, serves as an adjunct professor of American and Military History at Liberty University, and is the author of With My Shield.

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James Lechner Links:
Book: With My Shield – https://a.co/d/06aHhXRe
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/James.lechner
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/james.lechner.2025
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00:00:00 Early Life, The Citadel & Becoming an Army Ranger
00:18:46 The Road to Mogadishu & Joining Task Force Ranger
00:34:34 Early Missions in Somalia & Lessons Before October 3rd
00:51:09 Task Force Ranger & The Lead-Up to the Battle of Mogadishu
01:06:11 The Battle Begins – Assaulting the Target
01:21:31 Black Hawk Down & Fighting Toward the Crash Site
01:37:12 Lechner Gets Shot & Nearly Bleeds Out
01:52:15 Evacuation, Recovery & Rebuilding His Military Career
02:07:47 Iraq – Training & Leading the New Iraqi Army
02:23:09 Preparing for the Battle of Ramadi
02:40:05 Working With the CIA & Special Operations
02:55:34 War, Isolationism & America's Military Strategy
03:10:56 Ending the War in Ukraine & Confronting Russia