Kriti Mehrotra
It was October 3, 1993, when the entire world was left baffled to the core as a food rescue mission by the US military in Somalia turned to chaos in a way no one could have ever imagined. The mission had transferred to a capture mission for the militia of then-leader Mohammed Farrah Aidid, but it was a trap as they wanted the soldiers to leave. What followed was mayhem, chaos, and brutality as three Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’ right in the middle of which was David Diemer.
David Diemer Joined the Rangers to Find a Path for Himself
It was back in 1991, at the age of 18, that David joined the 3rd Ranger Battalion in the 75th Ranger Regiment in the US Army, unaware it would turn his whole world around. It gave him a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and a comrade we can’t even begin to imagine, so when the time came for him to follow his brothers in arms to Somalia, he did so without worries. The fact the rangers are specifically trained for such missions definitely helped him along the way, too, but he never could have expected how things panned out.
David was in the first Black Hawk helicopter to go to town mere miles away from their target, and he vividly remembers the adrenaline of it all. In such situations, while many may panic or go to a dark place, he admittedly gets all calm and quiet, so he knew what he had to do, and he did it. Anyone on the streets was an enemy to him that evening since his mission then became to recover as many US soldiers as possible, so he opened fire without a single bit of hesitation.
This is not something he regrets one bit, especially since the news of how the Somalis treated the dead US soldiers and their machinery later came to light. The only thing he maintains is that they should not have evacuated because it made all the lives lost in vain. He wanted to stay and continue fighting, which he believes many others did too, but as a soldier, he knew all he could do was follow orders.
David Diemer Has Long Evolved into a Security Professional
It was in 1997, five years following the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, that David was honorably discharged from his distinguished military service as a ranger. He had received a Bronze Star with a “V” Device for Valor for his efforts during the combat operations in Mogadishu, Somalia, but his feelings toward it have never really wavered. He subsequently seemingly spent the next few years adjusting back to society, following which he decided to use his skills and evolve into a Security Specialist. He initially held this title, along with that of Tactical Commander at Blackwater Protection from 2003 to 2004.
However, by the time 2004 had rolled around, he had chosen to focus on security alone and provided personal protection to confidential dignitaries and celebrities all across the US, Iraq, Africa, as well as the Middle East. Then, in 2005, he became the Instructor/Deputy Program Manager at USIS before evolving into a Shift Leader at SAIC in Baghdad, Iraq. Around 4 years later, he spread his wings once again to serve as Chief of Security for a Forbes Top 5 principal and his family based out of New York City, a position he maintained right until 2016 while also dabbling as a full-fledged entrepreneur.
In September 2011, David established REACH 29 LLC, which is a veteran-owned and operated organization that offers full-service security to clients from all walks of life domestically and globally. They also offer strategic solutions for an extensive range of protection needs, especially thanks to their staff and personnel having a wide range of expertise in military and law enforcement settings and are well-versed in all aspects of security. To this day, he serves as the CEO of this company, which is based out of New York as well as Florida, indicating he currently splits his time between the two states.
Read More: Cameron Fath: US Army Ranger is an Entrepreneur Today
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