Twenty years ago, the Rangers of Task Force Ranger stepped off for the mission, "Operation Gothic Serpent." They had been taking the fight to Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, attacking his infrastructure and chain of command. The October 3rd mission was to be yet another in a series of text book raids to capture high valued militia leaders. As we now know, the events that took place would shake the Ranger community to its core. It would forever be engrained in our psyche as the events of Black Hawk Down. 19 men would be lost in a vicious battle that those surviving still carry within, never forgetting the sacrifice made by their brothers.

The sun rises on the Kentucky countryside, cutting through the trees to light the tops of the Zussman combat village. The stage is set and in the stadium the troops assemble. This year's Operation Irene holds a very special meaning to those attending. It has been twenty years since that faithful day in Somalia. MSG Mullen reads off the names of those lost as Col McKnight, Bubba Moore and Dale Sizemore bow their head in respect for known brothers. The crowd of players stand in respect for those they did not know but admired. As the silence passed and the morning's ceremony concluded, the leaders prepared their troops for what would be a tribute to those lost. Those in attendance were not just playing Airsoft anymore but walking in the faint footsteps of ghosts.

Task Force Ranger moves into position and the Somali militia moves into their positions. Operations are launched with Task Force Ranger moving into Zussman on their raid mission to capture high value targets in the center of town. Simultaneously, Ranger and Delta forces launch missions on the Anaconda and Red Wing AO. Operation Irene XI has kicked off and battle for the heart of Zussman has started. Task Force Ranger's operations are executed in a text book fashion until the sudden loss of a Black Hawk helicopter changes the whole mission. Just like twenty years ago the Rangers must shift from a well rehearsed raid to a sudden desperate rescue mission. With the downing of the first helicopter the Somali militia springs into action. All of a sudden the city comes to violent life, swarming in on the Rangers from all directions. A sudden jolt is delivered to Task Force Ranger as a surprisingly well organized and coordinated assault pushes the Rangers into a corner of Zussman. Even though, for almost three hours the Somali militia presses the Rangers with an almost back breaking force, Task Force Ranger holds fast, just as the real Rangers did. They would not give up the first crash site to the mob.

The morning's battle has shown how quickly an unexpected circumstance can spiral into chaos which would test any man. Dug in around crash site one, Rangers hold out for hope that help will come. Annoyed that the Rangers still have a foothold in town, the militia prepares for a push to overwhelm the weary Rangers. Then a second Black Hawk helicopter is downed. This time the militia sees the importance of quickly taking the crash site. Before the Rangers can organize a rescue the militia captures the pilots and kill the Delta Force element that selflessly decided to make their stand. You might think that by now I am simply describing the events of twenty years ago real mission. But, the reality is that the events at Zussman were eerily unfolding just like those they were paying tribute to. This fact was not lost on those vets that knew the story well and even some who were really there like Dale Sizemore. Twenty years ago he was a young Ranger fighting on the ground in Somalia. On this day he was experiencing Airsoft for the first time ever and as a Somali Militia man at that. As the evening settled in so did the noose on the city that the militia had created. The Rangers still held the first crash site and pockets of resistant spread across town. In an attempt to consolidate its forces and prepare for the long night the Rangers would establish a casualty collection point deep in the center of town.

So far I have talked a bit about the battle but neglected to mention the atmosphere Zussman creates with the sights, sounds and smells of battle it creates. The design and set up of the town itself screams third world and battle torn. The constant sounds of aircraft, people and fighting bring the town to life. Then there is the smoke and explosions that create the chaos and the fog of war, confusing what might seem obvious in quiet clarity. It is simply an attack on all your senses as you fight an enemy who is already making the fight hard. Zussman earned its reputation as the total package of op play. Not just grit, not just a startle MOUT site, not just noise. It is the perfect combination of all the elements needed to transport you away from safety into pure, over saturating battle. Add night time to these aesthetic elements and you get a wildly aggressive night operation. The Rangers started the night with a strongly held casualty collection point in the center of town but the overwhelming hammer brought down on them by the militia meant that holding just was not in the cards for them. So, the night ended much as expected, the Somali side still held the Ranger pilot, the Rangers still controlled the first crash site, and both sides prepared for what would be one more morning push.

So far the op has gone how it was planned, a close tribute to Operation Gothic Serpent with an op tempo designed to follow the real events. Even though the op was designed to follow close and give that feel for the events of October 3rd. It is without a doubt more than most expected, that eerie feeling that we had really been dropped into those events. With all the weight of the Somali militia now bearing down on them in this final showdown, the Rangers and Delta elements prepared to take the full weight of the crashing wave looking to finish them off. It was hard to imagine where the energy was coming from but it is as if both sides reached down in them to conjure up strength and determination for a final battle as fierce as the first. The Rangers would attempt a break out and the Somalis would attempt to overwhelm them. In the final moments the rescue convoy arrived to pull out the dead, the wounded and those still living. Rangers lined up behind the vehicles for a final run to the stadium. The famous Mogadishu mile would be ran by all the Task Force Ranger players in memory of those lost so long ago. This final run would bring the story to a close and create an event that did more than just pay tribute to the operation, but, in a way kept the memory of those who lost their lives, alive.

Op Irene XI was designed as a scripted and coordinated tribute to the events of Black Hawk Down. It is a story many know from the book written and even more from the movie. Being the eleventh installation of the op and the twentieth anniversary of the event meant that it could not just be another year of the same op. The location and story line would push the player into a well immersed experience. The only thing missing was the right costumes or look. But, getting five hundred Airsoft players to give up their cool toys for an op is just not realistic at most events. Still, that detail did not matter when you had an aggressive enemy in the Somali militia willing to give well prepared Rangers a true experience. The tough stalemates and then sudden thrusts rang truer than many ops do with its simulation of battle.

This op had a particularly special meaning to me. I had my opportunity to command with Bubba Moore. He is a well known Ranger who demands every inch from his troops. One could not ask for a better personality to portray a Somali Warlord. For this job you need a character larger than life who commands fear and respect. I once again faced off against MSG Mullen who was recently inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame and Col McKnight who led those brave men twenty years ago in the real battle we were recreating. They are true giants in the world of Airsoft. But, what took it to a whole new level was meeting Dale Sizemore, the Ranger who cut off his arm cast to join his brother in battle. We talked and got to know each other's story. Op Irene XI was Dale's first Airsoft experience and it was as a Somali. You could see the emotion of being at such an event in his face and how the experience was far beyond what he expected. We spoke about his PTSD, how after the first night of play he slept longer then he had in almost two decades. He spoke about the release of energy and reaching back to his Ranger roots in a whole new way. Dale reconnected and felt a relief amongst veteran brothers that he had not known possible. Airsoft had his heart running, his legs moving and his mind working in a way he thought forgotten. It was amazing for me to hear him and see Airsoft work to ease his PTSD, if only for a short while. But, now he is armed with a new tool that he looks forward to continue using and hopes to show others like him. I could not have asked for a better weekend with brothers and battle.

Just one grunt's opinion,

Javier "Darkhorse"

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About The Author

Javier "Darkhorse" Franco, formerly from This Week In Airsoft, runs his own Airsoft Blog on Facebook called "One Grunt's Opinion." This article has been posted here with the author's permission.

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About The OLMCSS Operation Irene XI Photos

All photos here are credited to and owned by the Operation Lion Claws Military Simulation Series.