Upamanyu Biswas
Netflix’s ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’ delves into the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, one of the most harrowing close combat encounters in recent history. The docuseries takes a deep dive into the event from both sides of the battle, offering a comprehensive picture of what transpired on the fateful day of October 3, 1993. One of the critical figures during the battle was Tom Satterly, a Delta Force operative who survived the harrowing encounter despite being surrounded on all sides by the overwhelming Somalian forces. Satterly provides a view into the chaos that engulfed the whole situation and how even top-ranking operatives within the Delta Team struggled to manage the brutality on display, eventually leading to an overwhelming number of casualties.
Tom Satterly Was at the Forefront of the Black Hawk Rescue Mission
Tom Satterly joined the army in February 1986. He rose through the ranks quickly and soon found himself operating in one of the elite special forces branches of the military, the Delta Force. When the Somalian civil war crisis emerged in the 1990s, Satterly was sent on his first combat mission to Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital city, to find and capture General Mohamed Farrah Aidid. As the target proved elusive, the missions eventually aimed to capture Aidid’s close associates and high-ranking rebel leaders within his circle. On October 3, 1993, Satterly’s Delta Force team partnered up with the rangers and Nightstalkers to capture a few rebel leaders within the city. However, the mission turned into one of the deadliest battles ever recorded in modern warfare, leading to a harrowing ordeal of survival for Satterly.
Although the mission initially started as a raid, the destruction of a Black Hawk helicopter by an RPG-7 weapon led to a complete breakdown of the mission objective. Satterly and his team had to focus on rescuing those trapped within the helicopter crash site. Eventually, they had to find refuge in a civilian home, where he and his team had to face up against countless Somalian fighters to survive through 18 long hours. The Delta Force operative admitted that, at one point, he was starting to feel as if there was no escaping the bleak situation. Eventually, help arrived in the shape of an armored convoy division led by the Peacekeepers. Still, the long and arduous battle was a changing point in Satterly’s life and career and one that left a permanent mark on his psyche.
Tom Satterly Continued to Serve in the Delta Force
Despite living through one of the most chaotic firefights in history, Tom Satterly decided to continue his work with the Delta Force team for many years to come. He was deployed to some of the most intense zones of conflict throughout the world, including Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. With a long history of efficiency and ruthlessness driving him forward, he became accustomed to the job requirements. While working as a Delta Force operative, Satterly was responsible for taking down numerous high-profile targets such as insurgency leaders, crime bosses, bomb makers, and smugglers. He was also involved in Operation Red Dawn, the mission to capture Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator. He eventually became a highly decorated military man with countless accolades.
Satterly was discharged from the army in December 2010, having served almost 25 years, of which 20 were spent in the elite surroundings of Delta Force. During his time in the military, he served as team leader, troop sergeant major, and squadron command sergeant major, among others. He was a highly trained operative and one of the best at what he did, which is exemplified by his medals. He is the recipient of a Silver Star, 4 Bronze Stars, and 1 for Valorous acts. Despite his incredible achievements and a long career on the frontlines, the firefight at Mogadishu in 1993 remains one of the most brutal firefights in his entire career, like it is for so many others who lived through the day.
Tom Satterly is Devoted to Helping Fellow Soldiers Transition Back to Civilian Life Today
After his discharge from the army, Tom Satterly had a difficult time coming to terms with civilian life. His personal challenges ran deep owing to a lifetime spent in battle and the grips of war-ravaged areas. He eventually picked up a few jobs that went along with his expertise in combat and military tactics. He worked as a Director of Development from January 2017 to August 2019. Eventually, however, Satterly turned to a matter that was close to his heart, helping Special Ops operatives like himself learn to deal with the grave psychological scars of a life spent in combat. The former operative has been quite public about his battles with mental health following the Battle of Mogadishu, which had long-lasting effects on his psyche. It affected his personal life to the point that he developed rifts with a lot of people close to him.
Satterly eventually found hope after meeting his wife Jen around 2013. She was the director of film and photography at a Special Ops training program. According to reports, he was inches away from suicide until a text from Jen brought him back from the brink. She helped him come to grips with his inner turmoil and urged him to seek professional help. The move had a long-lasting impact on his life and made him realize the true extent of post-traumatic stress in the lives of veterans. He and Jen got married on May 8, 2015. Their 10th anniversary is just around the corner as their relationship moves forward strongly. Today, he and his wife are the co-founders and co-CEOs of All Secure Foundation, a program devoted to helping veterans and their families reconnect after a life spent on the frontlines. In his 50s today, he lives with his family in Greater St. Louis.
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