Some More Somalia PSYOP Products

[bryang]

Found a few more PSYOP items from my time in Somalia.

 

While U.S. forces had been out of Somalia for some time, the UN still had troops there. In early 1995 UN forces were to withdraw from Somalia completely and thus Operation United Shield took place.

 

Under this new operation, U.S. forces assisted the UN military and civilian personnel pepare for withdrawal, then actually pull out from Somalia. By this time, most UN elements were in Mogadishu - the Airport and Sea Port.

 

I was deployed to Mombasa, Kenya, where U.S. forces established its HQ for the operation. A member of the 5th Special Forces Group (as an Intelligence Sergeant), I was attached to the Special Operations Command - Central (SOCCENT) at Moi Airbase (part of Mombasa's airport).

 

We had SF teams deployed into Mogadishu to work with the Pakistani and Egyptian UN forces, while at the same time U.S. Marines went in to help secure the facilities and facilitate air and sea evacuation of personnel and equipment.

 

On several occasions I accompanied a U.S. Navy P3 Orion crew on flights over Somalia, where we would take up station over Mogadishu and observe and report threats to our guys. We had just off shore U.S. Naval ships ... and when the guys on the ground needed a little extra assistance there was usually an Air Force AC-130 Spectre gunship orbiting just off shore until needed. We subsequently learned that the Somalis despised the Spectre, with good reason! They learned to recognize the different pitch to the sound of the AC-130's engines from the regular cargo planes.

 

 

By the end of the operation, those remaining UN, as well as U.S. Marines and Special Forces, were pretty much holed up on Mogadishu airfield. They boarded U.S. amphibious craft and slipped out of the country middle of the night.

 

At about 2am that morning I was hanging out on the tarmac with the P3 flight crew. The aircraft commander was debating whether or not to spend several hours flying all the way up the coast to Mogadishu. I smiled and asked him if he ever kicked over an ant hill before. He smiled and gave the order, and we boarded and took off.

 

We were orbiting Mogadishu early that morning as the sun came up. When the Somalis realized that the airport was unoccupied they swarmed the airfield ... looked like ants. We watched people carrying off anything and everything that was portable ... again, just like watching ants. Within a short while the competing Somali warlords sent their armed vehicles ("technicals") onto the runway and the shooting started. From high up we orbited and were witness to mayhem.

 

We'd seen enough and flew back south down the coast to Kenya. I was one of two American Soldiers aboard the flight (the rest being Navy and Marine). An Army Major asked me which of the crew was at the very back of the plane when we left Somali airspace. I told him that I had been at the back of the aircraft - observing the scene below on one of the video monitors. He then told me that I was officially the last U.S. serviceman out of Somalia. I asked if I'd get a medal for it or something! The answer was "no."

 

Sorry for the long write-up. Been many years since I thought of any of this.

 

Here is a booklet given to me by one of the U.S. PSYOP NCOs I knew while in country. This booklet is a summary of the 4th PSYOP battalion's campaign for Operation United Shield, and included examples of the products produced and distributed in support of the UN pull out from Somalia:

 

[bryang]

Continued:

 

 

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And finally:

 

 

[bryang]

Last few things I'll post on this are a few leaflets I got my hands on:

 

 

I particularly liked these because this was one of the few leaflets which actually threaten the Somalis ... of course the AC-130 Spectre had the most impact on them.

 

 

 

[b_hinch]

Very cool story. I was on the last CH-53 full of Marines from the 24th MEU in February of '94. We were the covering force for the 10th Mountain Div. as they pulled out of Mogadishu. We knew there would be small SF units supporting the Egyptians and Pakistanis, and I felt for them. The Egyptians and Pakistanis had no fire discipline and poor training, and we were more fearful of their indiscriminate firing from behind us than the Somali gangs in front of us. I'm amazed that they weren't overrun after the U.S. pulled out (I'm assuming because of the SF, CIA support from us). I have a bunch of these pamphlets and flyers, as well as a blank passport from Somalia, tickets from Somalia Airlines, and wads of Somali cash. I bought it all from what we called "Wal-Mart", a bunch of local vendors who set up shop next to our perimeter selling whatever they could.

[bryang]

The Egyptians were a bunch of crooks. They sold UN vehicles (which we mostly paid for). Whenever the Somali buyers would come to take delivery of the trucks, the Egyptians would fire some shots over their heads so that they could report that they had chased off thieves who had "broken into the UN supply depot and stolen several trucks."

 

The Pakistanis were just plain scary. They wasted a lot of skinnies when we got there in early '93. They shot at pretty much anyone who happened to come into their view. The Pakistanis lost (I believe) 38 KIA while we were there, and they really kept to themselves afterwards.

 

Among the worst, by far, I believe were the Belgian contingent. Those guys regularly shot at skinnies as they were driving around. The Belgians would drive along and shoot the donkeys pulling the local's carts ... and you know how important these animals are to them for their livelihood.

 

Having the Italians in country was awkward, as they once occupied much of Somalia (I'm sure you might have noticed that the old Italian cement road markers were still prevalent. The Italians were actually showing favoritism to certain Somali clans, while targeting others.

 

The Botswana troops were selling confiscated weapons back to the skinnies we were taking them from.

 

Overall, Somalia pretty much sucked.

[Jeeper704]

 

Among the worst, by far, I believe were the Belgian contingent.

 

 

Really now?

The first I hear about it.

You got some proof of this happening?

If not, then I advice you to be very careful with your comments.

 

Erwin

[501stGeronimo]

 

Really now?

The first I hear about it.

You got some proof of this happening?

If not, then I advice you to be very careful with your comments.

 

Erwin

Well, he was there!

[Jeeper704]

Did he see it happening?

Because he states he believes ....

That's what I want to know.

Because I know guys who were there too, ok?

And I never heard of them shooting the mules of people passing by.

 

Erwin

[b_hinch]

I was there twice, in '92 and '94, and I back up every claim he makes. Look, bad things happen in any conflict that host countries might not be proud of. The Belgium paratroopers misdeeds were well documented as were Canadian troops. They did some bad things. I personally witnessed American troops taking down camels that were "in the way" during clashes. A high-ranking officer in my own unit reportedly ordered his Huey pilot to fly close to hostile positions to draw fire just so they could return fire. Not for any tactical reason, just to be able to shoot some "skinnies". (We called them "Sammies" early on). The Pakistanis suffered high casualties because of their treatment of the local population.

 

On a side note, my good friend, a Navy chaplain's assistant, was bitten by a monkey that was owned by the Belgium troops. He had to undergo the rabies shots. I still have pics of him with the monkey!

[501stGeronimo]

Did he see it happening?

Because he states he believes ....

That's what I want to know.

Because I know guys who were there too, ok?

And I never heard of them shooting the mules of people passing by.

 

Erwin

Pretty sure no one would go around admitting committing horrific stuff like that, but you are free to believe what you want.

 

[Jeeper704]

I heard about the brutality of some Belgian paratroopers yes, but it was the first time I heard about shooting mules.

So I ask for proof of that.

It is easy to spread undocumented rumors, especially on public forums.

Sadly enough, these few paratroopers were not the only ones committing brutality.

A real shame, but this gives nobody a reason to say the whole Belgian contigent behaved like that.

The were also other Belgian troops than paratroopers present.

 

Yes, I am free to believe what I want, as long as it is proven and not only hearsay.

So 501stGeronimo get off your high horse, ok?

I don't see you give any proof here, only reaction to my posts in here.

And those guys I talked with did tell me of bad behavior of soldiers (not only Belgians) in that area.

Some of the things they told me were pretty disgusting.

 

Erwin

[501stGeronimo]

I heard about the brutality of some Belgian paratroopers yes, but it was the first time I heard about shooting mules.

So I ask for proof of that.

It is easy to spread undocumented rumors, especially on public forums.

Sadly enough, these few paratroopers were not the only ones committing brutality.

A real shame, but this gives nobody a reason to say the whole Belgian contigent behaved like that.

The were also other Belgian troops than paratroopers present.

 

Yes, I am free to believe what I want, as long as it is proven and not only hearsay.

So 501stGeronimo get off your high horse, ok?

I don't see you give any proof here, only reaction to my posts in here.

And those guys I talked with did tell me of bad behavior of soldiers (not only Belgians) in that area.

Some of the things they told me were pretty disgusting.

 

Erwin

High Horse? I need one that is high because I'm tall

[bryang]

Jeeper704, I offer my own information to this forum as a veteran to the whole Somali experience.

 

From the first day there we "peacekeepers" were generally treated with hostility by the very people we thought we were there to aid. In the cities (primarily Mogadishu and Kismaayo) we were regularly accosted - we were shot at, came under RPG and mortar fire, were pelted with rocks by Somali men, women and children, we endured them darting at us and having personal and military gear snatched off of us, they broke into our camps and took whatever they could get our hands on.

 

Jeeper, you have to understand that this was an extremely terrible experience for us. As a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, I had only been home from the First Gulf War less than a year. We were extremely fortunate enough to have suffered only one casualty (accidental shooting), and we came home from the Middle East as heroes! Between the accolades and parades, being thanked by strangers for our service, we were still very proud of our unit and ourselves.

 

Somalia dashed all of this.

 

Our unit took casualties - one of them happened to be a friend, and to this day I still remember having to help take him to the morgue at Mogadishu airfield. Morale was horrible - among the officers and NCOs, as well as the rank and file troops.

 

Many reasons coalition forces over there did what they did.

 

The Belgian contingent was harsh. The Canadians were also. The beating death of a Somali detainee in early 1993 actually led to eventual trials of Canadian Paratroopers, and the disbanding of the Canadian Airborne Regiment.

 

 

During other wars the U.S. participated in there are numerous accounts of horrible acts on the part of American troops, such as cases where German and Japanese POWs were shot out of hand. These acts weren't anything to be proud of, however they happened.

 

Those incidents I relate to our experiences in Somalia - while not always pleasant - are fact and happened. Again, I offer my tale as an eyewitness to historic events which unfolded over two decades ago.

 

This is not intended to disparage the Belgian troops in Somalia. It is what it is.

 

By the way, I happen to love Belgium. As a teenager I lived for three years in Mons.

 

Best - Bryan

[bryang]

As part of Operation United Shield, I spent the first few months of 1995 in Mombasa Kenya (and accompanied Navy and Marine P3 Orion aircraft missions over Mogadishu). An Intelligence Sergeant with the 5th Special Forces Group, I was attached to Special Operations Command - Central (SOCCENT).

 

While there we had these shirts made up as souvenirs.

 

[b_hinch]

If anyone is interested, I took many photos during my time in the cesspool of Somalia. Thought I would add some here. There are MANY more! The first one is the obligatory self-shot with me on the far left.

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