Black Hawk Down Major Jeff Struecker | Mike Ritland Podcast Episode 120

In 1993, U.S. Special Operations Forces were sent to Somalia to capture war criminal Mohamed Farrah Aidid - a mission made famous by the movie "Black Hawk Down". For many, the movie's a glimpse into what really happened - but for Jeff Struecker, it's merely a shadow of a memory he's been remembering for 29 years. Because Jeff Struecker was there during the Battle of Mogadishu, and he remembers everything. Frankly, between serving 23 years in the military, raising five kids, earning a PhD, authoring six books, hosting a podcast, and leading the fine members of his congregation every single Sunday morning, it's still difficult to forget. That's why he's sitting down with Mike to tell his side of the story - the real story - and get to the bottom of how it all happened. Chapters:0:00 - Intro2:10 - Best thing about being a pastor3:55 - Favorite childhood memory4:50 - Last book7:50 - First three hours of the day8:40 - Distance running and mountain biking10:10 - Raising awareness on veterans suicide13:25 - Growing Up Divorced26:00 - Training to become an Army Ranger28:00 - Panama invasion35:30 - Carnage in the Gulf War39:30 - One of the worst things he saw in Desert Storm41:30 - Leading up to Somalia45:00 - First days in Somalia50:30 - Being a combat leader in this type of environment55:30 - Black Hawk Down58:10 - Reviewing the Film1:01:00 - Timeline of the 18-hour firefight1:05:30 - Most intense firefight of his life1:06:30 - Black Hawks shot down1:09:00 - UN Armor arrives1:10:30 - Funny moments during the fight1:13:00 - Sun comes up1:16:30 - Zombie tactics1:20:00 - What the movie got wrong1:25:30 - Number of dead1:28:00 - After the fight1:30:00 - Combat stops in Somalia1:32:00 - Stick with the fight until you win1:33:00 - After Somalia1:36:30 - Silver Star1:39:00 - Joining the ministry1:40:00 - Becoming an Army Chaplain1:41:30 - Theology school1:44:00 - History of Christianity1:50:30 - Violence among denominations1:57:00 - What is it like to be a chaplain in combat?1:59:00 - Firefights as a chaplain2:02:00 - Fears of starting a holy war2:04:00 - Casualty Notification2:06:40 - Perspectives on everyday problems2:08:00 - Other veterans that are chaplains2:10:00 - Requirements to be a chaplain2:13:00 - Confidentiality as a chaplain2:14:30 - Why does God let bad things happen?2:16:00 - Families taking out their pain2:17:30 - Poor leadership2:20:30 - Wrapping upSupport Jeff Struecker: Website: www.jeffstrucker.comPodcast - Unbeatable with Jeff Struecker: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Kh6usOFkjXlaLn9efHe6n?si=bdddbeed58524a7bYouTube: www.youtube.com/jeffstrueckerFacebook: www.facebook.com/pastorjeffstrueckerInstagram: www.instagram.com/jeffstruecker------------Sponsors:MyBookieSign up at MyBookie, use my promo code MIKEDROP and you’ll instantly get a deposit bonus up to $1000!------------RayconRight now, Mike Drop listeners can get 15% off their Raycon order at Buyraycon.com/mikedrop. https://www.Buyraycon.com/mikedrop--------------Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com |... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices