Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

General Garrison realizes that events have slipped out of his control. A full company of the 10th Mountain division has arrived but is fighting through the same roadblocks. Two more 10th Mountain companies are coming to aid the men, in addition to Pakistani and Malaysian UN forces, but it’s taking hours to arrange.

After Durant‘s helicopter crashed, an airborne rescue team had descended at the site. Technical Sergeant Tim Wilkinson and 14 other men have been drilling rescues for six months in the event of a helicopter crash. Specialist Rob Phipps is 22, and “the prospect of going in“ to the fight in Mogadishu “was just thrilling“ (137). As the team is descending, an RPG hits the Black Hawk. Pilot Dan Jollata hovers long enough for the men to reach the ground, then leaves and lands hard at the airport base. Jollata’s is the third Black Hawk down.

Wilkinson‘s team reaches the Super Six One wreckage. Sergeant Fales sustains a shot to the leg after the team sets up a protective perimeter. Wilkinson enters the felled Black Hawk and finds that the pilots are dead.