On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri interviews Mike Durant.

Mike was famously in Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu. During the operation, his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by Somali militias. The event was featured in the Black Hawk Down book and movie.

Mike spent 22 years in the military, the majority of them as a Night Stalker of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He is now running for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.

Mike Durant talks about what led him to join the military, and his first experience flying in a helicopter. After going to flight school, Mike managed to get the only Black Hawk slot. At first, flying the new and iconic bird with all its gadgets and gizmos was as if flying a space shuttle.

Mike also talks about Somalia and recounts the events of that fateful day and the heroic actions of Delta Force members Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart. Yet, he highlights that Operation Gothic Serpent was a tactical success but a political failure.

Steve and Mike then switch to politics. Mike tells us why he decided to run for office: and from Afghanistan to vaccine mandates and career politicians who have no real-life experience there are plenty of reasons to do so.

As Mike says, the only way to know if you can make a difference is by getting in the fight.

You can find out more about Mike Duran's candidacy at https://mikedurant.com/.

Join us for another episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri!

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