The September 2019 confrontation at Baledogle Military Airfield marked a significant clash between U.S. forces and al-Shabaab, a terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda, designated as such by the U.S. Department of State. The 102nd Cavalry Regiment of the New Jersey Army National Guard had been deployed in Somalia for the purpose of training and advising local forces. However, they found themselves caught in a sudden and fierce firefight when al-Shabaab launched a coordinated attack on the airfield.
Despite the heavy gunfire, U.S. and Somali forces responded with remarkable coordination and were able to repel the assault. No American casualties were reported, but al-Shabaab sustained heavy losses. This battle became the largest engagement between U.S. forces and al-Shabaab since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, also known as Operation Gothic Serpent. The clash underscored the persistent threat posed by the group in the region and emphasized the continued necessity of U.S. military operations to combat extremism in East Africa.
History of Baledogle Military Airfield
Baledogle Military Airfield, located roughly 60 miles northwest of Mogadishu in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, has a long history. Originally constructed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s to support Soviet personnel and the Somali Air Force, it has since played a significant role in various military operations. Between 1993 and 1995, the U.S. 10th Mountain Division was stationed at the airfield as part of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II).
Since 2007, the U.S. has maintained a continuous presence in Somalia as part of the broader Global War on Terrorism. Baledogle remains one of the most isolated U.S. military bases in the region, surrounded by constant security threats. To protect the airfield and the surrounding areas, a Special Operations Task Force is regularly stationed there, alongside private security contractors from Bancroft, ensuring the safety and operational readiness of the base.
The 102nd Cavalry Regiment was prepared for a potential attack
In 2019, Charlie Troop, 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment was deployed to Somalia as part of Task Force Warrior, supporting U.S. military operations and helping the Somali people. Before they left, their original group of 70 soldiers was reinforced with extra personnel, including fire direction officers from the 3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery Regiment and a mortar platoon from the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment. By the time they reached Somalia, their unit had grown to 160 soldiers.
Stationed at Baledogle Military Airfield, the soldiers knew an al-Shabaab attack was likely—it was only a matter of time. The militants regularly observed the base, watching its defenses and studying how the U.S. troops reacted to various situations. To avoid giving away too much information, the 102nd Cavalry was ordered not to return fire.
Instead, they stayed sharp by running live-fire drills, preparing for different attack scenarios, and conducting patrols, all while rotating through guard duty shifts to keep the base secure.
al-Shabaab militants launch their attack
On September 30, 2019, members of the 102nd Cavalry were preparing a convoy to meet the chief of police and other leaders in a town 25 miles from Baledogle. At approximately 9:45 AM, they heard an explosion, which turned out to be the detonation of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). The truck had been driving toward the airfield, but went off prematurely.
As the attack began, a UN aircraft was preparing to land and one manned by the US Air Force was about to take off. As well, 50 civilian construction workers were repairing the runway. The first course of action was to clear the area, so three soldiers were tasked with moving the civilians to safety, while the UN aircraft was diverted and the Air Force one told to immediately leave the area.
“I ran to the operations center and [Capt. London] Nagai was already maneuvering Charlie Troop toward the explosion site,” recalled Lt. Col. Richard Karcher, commander, Task Force Warrior. “He had the vehicles that were originally part of the convoy going to the airfield; he started moving additional personnel to the towers, which covered the approach to the airfield, and he closed all entry control points. Snipers were also posted base-wide.”
Members of the 102nd Cavalry ran to their positions both on the exterior of Baledogle and in the operations center, where they used cameras tethered to an aerostat to watch the base. As Nagai later explained, “The key was not engaging with the enemy until they were committed to utilizing a specific route that would ultimately be a fatal choice for them.”
They waited until the militants were right where they wanted them before launching their counteroffensive.
The then-largest VBIED used on the African continent
Ten minutes later, a second truck separated from a convoy carrying construction materials and drove toward the perimeter fence. The 102nd Cavalry fired at the vehicle, but their bullets couldn’t penetrate its reinforced, armored windows.
Luckily, before the attack, an engineer platoon had dug a trench around Baledogle’s outer boundary. It was designed to stop anything smaller than a tank—including the approaching truck. The vehicle got stuck in the trench, and the driver couldn’t reverse, giving the 102nd the chance to take it out.
Five minutes later, the truck exploded with the power of 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of explosives, making it the largest VBIED ever used in Africa at the time. The blast shook the base, ripped open a 200-yard-wide hole in the fence, and left a crater 20 feet deep.
A third truck hides 12 armed militants
Around 10 minutes after the second truck exploded, a third truck arrived at the hole in the fence line, stopping just short of the large crater. The wind then blew off the tarp covering the truck bed, exposing a group of a dozen al-Shabaab militants, armed with PKM machine guns, hand grenades, assault rifles, RPG-7s and ammunition.
It seemed that the militants tried to get inside the perimeter, not directly outside it, and they struggled to regroup in the midst of the confusion. Almost immediately, snipers Staff Sgt. Nicholas Swanson and Sgt. James O’Brien opened fire, killing half of them in just five minutes.
As the remaining militants sought shelter behind their truck, Capt. Nagai and Lt. Col. Karcher made the decision to deploy their mortar team. A combination of 60 mm, 81 mm, and 121 mm weapons was fired, along with both indirect and direct fire against them.
It was over in less than an hour
A ceasefire was later called, during which Lt. Col. Karcher’s team examined the third vehicle through the cameras set up around Baledogle. After consulting with a US Marine Corps unit assigned to the airfield, it was determined the truck was another VBIED, prompting the deployment of an Air Force drone to destroy it.
After less than an hour, the al-Shabaab militants had been completely wiped out. While the most recent press release states that none of the 102nd Cavalry’s members suffered injuries, a 2019 statement from US Africa Command (AFRICOM) did say a soldier suffered a concussion.
The engagement was the first time since the Second World War that a unit from New Jersey was involved in a combined arms battle, and it was the largest meeting between US forces and al-Shabaab since 1993’s Operation Gothic Serpent, which included the infamous Battle of Mogadishu. The latter was immortalized by 2001’s Black Hawk Down.
The day following the attack, al-Shabaab leadership published a letter and video online, claiming a decisive victory at Baledogle. This contradicted the real outcome, which saw the 102nd Cavalry secure a much-deserved win. However, as Karcher later said, “There is no question that if it hadn’t been for Charlie Troop, al-Shabaab would have destroyed the aircraft and killed as many people as possible.”
Militants opted to not launch any other attacks on Baledogle Military Airfield following the September assault. Seventy-six days later, on December 12, 2019, the 160 members of the 102nd Cavalry returned to the US.
The 102nd Cavalry Regiment are recognized for their actions
In the days following the engagement, members of the 102nd Cavalry were awarded the Combat Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge and Combat Infantry Badge, depending on their branch. Just under a year later, in August 2020, they received even more recognition at a ceremony at their home station in Westfield, New Jersey. During the ceremony, members were the recipients of Bronze Stars and Army Commendation Medals with Combat Device for their actions and bravery.
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Speaking about the bravery of those who fought the militants that day in September 2019, Capt. Nagai said, “The discipline and bravery of the Soldiers was something I will never be able to fully explain and something I am sure I will never see again.”