United States Army Ranger, Military Consultant and Stuntman for the film Black Hawk Down

Program Title - Modern Warrior: The True Story of Black Hawk Down

For U.S. Army Sergeant First Class John Collett, the phrase "Black Hawk Down" isn't just the name of a New York Times best-selling book or acclaimed movie, it was a life-changing experience. His heroism as one of the Rangers who survived a nightmarish eighteen-hour showdown in Mogadishu earned him a Bronze Star with a "V" for Valor and a place in history as an American hero. Nearly a decade later, Sergeant Collett relived the horror while serving as a consultant and stuntman for star, Ewan McGregor, in the Ridley Scott/Jerry Bruckheimer film, Black Hawk Down.

As a member of the U.S. Army's third Ranger Battalion, Collett's platoon was sent to Somalia in 1993 to assist U.N. forces in the city of Mogadishu. On October 3, approximately one hundred Army Rangers and Delta Force troops were dropped by helicopter into the teeming city of Mogadishu. The mission--to capture warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's top-ranking deputies as part of an overall strategy to quell Somalia's civil war and relieve the famine against the people of Somalia--turned into a nightmare when two of the Army's high-tech MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. What was to have been a routine mission that would take less than an hour became a full-fledged confrontation, as U.S. troops were overwhelmed by thousands of armed Somalis. By morning, eighteen Americans soldiers were dead and more than seventy badly injured.

At the speaker's podium, Collett's gripping firsthand account of the now well-known story has even greater relevance and resonance in light of our current War on Terrorism. His perspective will give audiences invaluable insight into those on the frontlines of modern warfare. Combining this special lecture presentation with the showing of the film is a perfect formula for a successful and thought provoking engagement.