AUSA’s Noon Report webinar series features presentations by senior Army leaders responsible for key programs and initiatives, as well as contemporary military authors who weave together the past, present and future story of the United States Army.
AUSA’s Noon Report Webinar series invites you to join us on Thursday, 6 June 2024, at 12:00 EDT to hear a presentation by James Lechner, author of With My Shield: An Army Ranger in Somalia. When Lechner was interviewed regarding whether the use of snipers is an ethical choice in warfare, specifically in discussions around the movie American Sniper (in which Bradley Cooper portrayed Chris Kyle—the Navy SEAL who served in Iraq alongside Lechner and who was America’s deadliest sniper), Lechner argued that snipers save lives. “Using snipers shows the greatest amount of restraint. . . . Innocent people are not getting killed.” As a lieutenant in 1993, and a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, Lechner was selected for a top-secret special operations task force being sent to Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the insurgent leader Mohamed Farah Aideed. The events that ensued would later be adapted into another movie: Black Hawk Down. His presentation will focus on this service in Somalia.
About the Book
With My Shield: An Army Ranger in Somalia
In early October 1993, after weeks on the ground and conducting a number of raids in Mogadishu, Lechner and his fellow Soldiers were called upon to conduct a daring daylight mission into the heart of Mohamed Farah Aideed’s territory. Following the initial and dangerous insertion and the subsequent capture of a group of Aideed’s lieutenants, one of their Black Hawk helicopters was shot down; Lechner and his comrades were soon caught up in the fiercest combat involving U.S. forces since the Vietnam War. In the middle of the hostile city, deep in the enemy’s stronghold, the small group of Rangers and special operators found themselves fighting not only to rescue the helicopter’s crewmen, but also to save their own lives. This first-hand account tells the story of how these elite warriors were able to stand together and prevail against incredible odds. It gives the reader the perspective of an Army Ranger fighting on the ground, combined with professional military analysis, in a groundbreaking book that tells the complete story with never-before-revealed details.
“A powerful and vivid account of the Battle of Mogadishu from the middle of the fight. Here is the clash through the eyes of a soldier's soldier, a man who emerged from the fight badly wounded but unbroken.”
―Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
The views and opinions of our speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Association of the United States Army. The discussions held, in the opinion of the Association, will contribute to the overall discussions on defense or national security issues. These webinars should not be taken to represent the views of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, the United States government, the Association of the United States Army or its members.
SPONSORSHIP
Interested in being a sponsor for this event? Sponsors receive:
- Recognition of your sponsorship on all marketing materials/emails. Distribution is to 180,000+ recipients including key leaders from around the world;
- Recognition of your sponsorship on all registration pages;
- Opportunity to provide a video that will be embedded into the registration confirmation page;
- Opportunity to post a PDF handout on the webinar chat at the beginning of the webinar;
- Opportunity to provide a short video to be played before the webinar; and
- Recognition from the host of the webinar.
For more information, and to secure your sponsorship, please contact Gaye Hudson, Deputy Director, Sponsorship & International Programs, GHudson@ausa.org, 703-907-2401 or Emily Call, Sponsorship Coordinator, ECall@ausa.org, 703-907-2606.