#346 James Lechner - Army Ranger Recounts the Battle of Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down

Lt. Col. James Lechner (Ret.) is a 27-year U.S. Army veteran and former Army Ranger whose deployments span Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. As a young Ranger officer, he fought with Task Force Ranger in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, where he was wounded in combat and awarded the Purple Heart. He later served as deputy brigade commander during the Battle of Ramadi and held assignments with SOCOM and the CIA. Most recently, Lechner traveled to Ukraine—first as a war correspondent and later training and advising Ukrainian forces, including service with the International Legion. Today, he works in the drone and counter-drone defense space, serves as an adjunct professor of American and Military History at Liberty University, and is the author of With My Shield.

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James Lechner Links:

Book: With My Shield - https://a.co/d/06aHhXRe

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/James.lechner

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/james.lechner.2025

X - https://x.com/Lechner_jim

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