Raid on ISIS in Iraq

     As American militants try to mount a wider counteroffensive against ISIS or ISIL, military officials declined to comment on details of the classified operation. They have conducted a significant joint strike against the Islamic State. The military did the same thing in Somalia while supposedly providing humanitarian aid.  

     As Mark Bowden depicted in Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War the Delta Force were called in to help apprehend Mohamed Aidid. They conducted several raids to arrest high profile leaders, while the general public believed they were in the country to supply food and water to the nationals. 

     The raids on ISIS militants, using American helicopters, were conducted by a combination of American and Kurdish Special Operations forces. The Kurdish are said to have led the raids while the Americans assisted. 

      Similar to the situation in Black Hawk Down where the UN official were officially in charge of the missions taking place. In Iraq we managed to cut off roads to successfully raid these locations unlike in Black Hawk Down where the Somalis were able to construct road blocks and ambushes so quickly are reaction times were cut down so drastically the original plan was forced to change and exfil was significantly delayed. Both missions were successes in the sense that we were able to take the high profile targets we were after into custody despite the plan not going the way military leaders had originally planned for them to go.

     Technology has advanced greatly since the 1990’s. Today there are unmanned drones, satellite imagery, and infrared sensors that allow soldiers to detect enemy presence. We are able to plot battles using GPS and track via computer. This helps provide better intelligence than in Black Hawk Down, where the intelligence came from a single human being blending in with the enemy. 

     During the Civil War, Albert James Myer, an assistant surgeon developed a system of flag signals used by both the Union and Confederate armies to send messages and direct troop movements. These methods, while having been evolved, are still being used today. The elite forces described in Black Hawk Down were using various hand signal to move throughout Somalia. 

     The methods used today are not near as complicated or time consuming as the complex flag system. Using hand signals in todays terms, there are no encryption methods used. The signals may vary slightly between the different units but are for the most part universal.

     Despite changes in time the fundamentals of warfare have not changed. Yes we use different equipment and tactics but we still have to be able to communicate and know what we are supposed to do in our specific roles. We still have the important need to be able to communicate to each other quickly, clearly, and reliably. 

      Fortunately only one American life was lost in the recent turn of events, compared to Black Hawk Down, where there was a reported 16 deaths after the 18 hour battle.