My unit at Ft. Lewis was packing it gear in preparation for a November deployment to Somalia when this happened. Watching those heathens drag our servicemen through the streets made me furious at first, then really really freaked out. I was newly engaged to my now wife, and wondered what the hell I was getting thrown into. Even though I had been through Desert Storm not more than 2 years earlier, I wasn't prepared for something like that. A few weeks later the drawdown in Somalia started and our unit's mission was cancelled.
Those men fought bravely and did the best they could with the crappy hand they were dealt. I think it's a testament to their training and courage that we didn't lose more of our men that day. Task Force Ranger and the 160th SOAR.