Upamanyu Biswas
‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’ is a Netflix documentary that revolves around the Battle of Mogadishu, which took place in Somalia in 1993. The show dives into several perspectives to provide a complete picture of what transpired on the fateful day of October 3, when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down from the sky, turning a raid mission into a nightmare situation. As the streets were flooded with soldiers from either side, a grave number of civilians lost their lives in the chaotic violence, as well as the ground forces responsible for turning the city into a battlefield. With survival seeming desperate, many were resigned to a bleak outcome, which tragically turned out to be true for army pilot Mike Durant. He found himself at the center of a harrowing ordeal, which eventually turned into a global political situation.
Mike Durant Was Taken Hostage During the Black Hawk Down Incident
On October 3, 1993, a contingent of Rangers, Delta Force operatives, and Night Stalkers were tasked with capturing rebel leaders in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. However, the mission ran into trouble when one of the Black Hawk helicopters was shot down from the sky. Subsequently, the mission objectives shifted to a rescue operation centered on the retrieval of the crew from the crashed chopper. Although the goal was clear, the ground forces in Mogadishu ran into significant resistance in the shape of countless Somali fighters. In the ensuing chaos, numerous soldiers were pinned down within the city in a battle for survival. Not long after, a second Black Hawk helicopter named Super Six Four was shot down from the sky. The pilot of the aircraft was Mike Durant.
Durant was an experienced army pilot who had flown countless missions by the time the Black Hawk Down Incident occurred. He had joined the army in August 1979 and swiftly progressed through the ranks. However, the Mogadishu battle and the downing of his Black Hawk were the most eye-opening missions in his career. The aircraft’s crash left Durant and his helicopter crew, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Tommy Field, in a bad spot with grave injuries. Two Delta Force snipers, MSG Gary Gordon, and SFC Randy Shughart, were inserted into the ground to keep Durant and his team safe. Unfortunately, the overwhelming number of the opposition eventually led to the death of both Gordon and Shughart, while Cleveland, Frank, and Field passed away due to injuries.
The Somali fighters almost beat Durant to death. However, he was eventually taken in as hostage for 11 days, during which General Mohamed Farrah Aidid’s physician took care of him. Eventually, a political solution was found to Durant’s captivity, and he was released to the International Committee of the Red Cross. He later found his way home. Meanwhile, Gordon and Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their incredible bravery in trying to keep Durant and his helicopter crew safe.
Mike Durant Kept Flying For the Army For a Few More Years
Despite surviving a difficult scenario in Somalia, Mike Durant continued to serve in the army. He recovered from his injuries at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Subsequently, he returned to the sky as an active pilot for the 160th Aviation Regiment. In 2001, around eight years after his captivity at the hands of the Somalians, Durant retired from the army, picking up countless accolades and impressive flight records, like logging over 3,700 flight hours. In the aftermath of the Black Hawk Down incident, he was awarded the Purple Heart. His other medals include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, the Prisoner of War Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
Durant served around 22 years in the military, 13 of which were spent as a Special Operations Pilot for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Subsequently, the pilot continued his engagement with the army in a more background capacity, offering seminars and valuable lessons for military personnel about helicopter maneuvering. He also instructed on the process behind CSAR operations (Combat Search and Rescue). Two years after his retirement, Durant co-authored the book ‘In the Company of Heroes,’ which is based on his experiences in the military and his captivity, with Steven Hartov and Mark Bowden. In 2006, he also co-authored the book ‘The Night Stalkers’ with the same writers, this time centered on the inner dynamics of SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment).
Mike Durant is Enjoying Family Life Today
After his army exit, Mike Durant became a Director of Business Development at NLX in January 2002. Around four years later, he transitioned to a program manager at Rockwell Collins. From February 2008 to December 2022, Durant was the President and CEO of Pinnacle Solutions, Inc., an Akima subsidiary in Huntsville, Alabama. The organization specializes in Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing. Today, he serves as an independent contractor with Akima, a defense and space manufacturing company. However, the former army pilot is also enjoying a career break of sorts, taking the time to connect with friends, family, and loved ones.
As a Republican, Durant tried contesting in the Alabama Senate election in 2022, which did not work out in his favor. The 63-year-old lives is currently a resident of Madison, Alabama, where he lives with his wife, Lisa. They married in 2001 and have six children together and three grandchildren. His family life is of enormous importance to him these days as he enjoys the peace and tranquility of celebrating time with loved ones away from the pressures of work and duty. However, he remains a popular media figure due to his incredible experiences during the Battle of Mogadishu.
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