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Jeff LPH 3 sends in word that 60 soldiers will have valor awards related to action during Operation Gothic Serpent, the US\/UN intervention in Somalia in 1993. This was the operation that led to the famous Black Hawk Down incident in what became the Battle of Mogadishu. Fifty-eight soldiers will have awards upgraded to Silver Stars and two will have an award upgraded to the Distinguished Flying Cross. Army times reports<\/a>;<\/p>\n The Army has upgraded 60 medals for special operators involved in Operation Gothic Serpent \u2014 58 are being upgraded to Silver Stars and two are being upgraded to the Distinguished Flying Cross.<\/p>\n Gothic Serpent culminated in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu and cost the lives 19 U.S. service members, with dozens more wounded.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time we are not releasing the names or units as we are still working through the notifications and are able to confirm that the soldiers would like their names to be released to the public,\u201d said Bonita Riddley, a spokesperson for Army Special Operations Command.<\/p>\n The upgraded awards will be presented later this year \u2014 the 28th anniversary of the mission \u2014 in separate ceremonies, according to a press release. Each service member will be hosted by their former units.<\/p>\n The awards were upgraded following a directive issued in October by former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy to re-evaluate the actions taken during the mission.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This will more than double the number of Silver Stars awarded for action on the Horn of Africa. Previously the Army had noted<\/a> that 41 Silver Stars and 17 Distinguished Flying Crosses were awarded for Somalia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"