Michael Durant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Durant
Durant in 2017
Personal details
Born	Michael John Durant (1961-07-23) July 23, 1961 (age 64) Berlin, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (BS, MBA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1979–2001
Rank	Chief Warrant Officer 4
Unit	101st Aviation Regiment 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Battles/wars	Operation Prime Chance Operation Just Cause Gulf War Operation Gothic Serpent  • Battle of Mogadishu
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Bronze Star Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal (3) Prisoner of War Medal

Michael John Durant (born July 23, 1961) is an American who served in the military, flew helicopters, became a businessman and author, and also ran for political office. He is well-known for being involved in the "Black Hawk Down" incident. This happened in 1993 while he was a U.S. Army pilot in Somalia. Later, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Alabama in 2022 but did not win.

Durant was a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the "Night Stalkers." He retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. He was a skilled Blackhawk helicopter pilot. He took part in several combat missions, including Operation Prime Chance, Operation Just Cause, and Desert Storm. He was also part of Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia. During this mission in 1993, he was held as a prisoner for 11 days.

After leaving the military in 2001, Durant wrote a book about his experiences. He also gave many speeches and started an engineering company in Huntsville, Alabama. He became active in politics as a member of the Republican Party.

Early Life and Military Start

Michael Durant was born on July 23, 1961, in Berlin, New Hampshire. He joined the U.S. Army in August 1979. After his basic training, he went to the Defense Language Institute. He was then sent to Panama to work as a Spanish voice intercept operator. Later, Durant completed his helicopter flight training in Alabama. During this training, he learned to fly TH-55 and UH-1 helicopters.

U.S. Army Service

Durant receiving an award in 2001

Durant speaking to officers in 2002

In November 1983, Durant became a Warrant Officer 1. He finished his training to fly the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. He was then sent to South Korea. By 1985, Durant had flown over 150 medical rescue missions in UH-1 and UH-60 helicopters. He later moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As a Chief Warrant Officer 2, he became a flight instructor. He also led air assault missions in the UH-60.

Durant joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) on August 1, 1988. He worked as a Flight Lead and instructor pilot. He participated in combat missions like Prime Chance, Just Cause, and Operation Desert Storm. In Desert Storm, he was the first U.S. helicopter pilot to fire at a SCUD missile launcher.

The "Black Hawk Down" Incident

During a mission called Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, Durant was piloting a helicopter named "Super Six Four." On October 3, 1993, his helicopter was hit by a rocket. It was the second of two Black Hawk helicopters to crash during the Battle of Mogadishu. The helicopter crashed about a mile from the mission's target.

Durant and his three crew members, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Tommy Field, were seriously hurt in the crash. Durant suffered a back injury and a broken leg. Three brave Delta Force snipers, Gary Gordon, Randy Shughart, and Brad Halling, were providing cover from the air. Gordon and Shughart volunteered to go down to the crash site to protect the injured crew. They fought off many hostile Somalis. Sadly, Cleveland, Frank, and Field died. Gordon and Shughart also ran out of ammunition and were killed. Both Gordon and Shughart were later given the Medal of Honor for their amazing bravery.

Durant was the only American survivor from his helicopter. Hostile Somalis captured him and held him for 11 days. During his captivity, a doctor named Abdullahi "Firimbi" Hassan protected and cared for him. General Mohamed Farrah Aidid later released Durant and a Nigerian soldier to the Red Cross.

After being freed, Durant recovered in Germany. He then returned to flying with the 160th SOAR. He retired from the Army in 2001. He had flown over 3,700 hours, with more than 1,400 hours using night vision goggles.

Durant received many military awards for his service. These include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. He also received the Prisoner of War Medal.

Business and Writing

After retiring from the military, Durant moved to Alabama. He started giving talks to military members about flying helicopters and rescue operations. He often shared his experiences from the Somalia raid and his time as a prisoner. He also spoke with actor Ron Eldard, who played him in the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down. This movie showed the events of the raid.

In 2003, Durant published a book called In the Company of Heroes. In this book, he wrote about his military career and his time as a captive.

Durant earned two degrees from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2008, he became the owner and CEO of Pinnacle Solutions. This is an engineering company in Huntsville, Alabama. The company works with clients like the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and NASA. In December 2021, when he started his campaign for the U.S. Senate, Durant gave control of his company to its employees.

Political Career

Early Political Activities

Durant became involved in politics after leaving the military. As a Republican, he helped with the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush in 2004 and John McCain in 2008. In both campaigns, he worked in a leadership role for veterans.

In July 2008, Durant criticized then-presidential candidate Barack Obama. Obama had canceled a visit to a medical center in Germany where wounded American soldiers were recovering. Durant felt this was not appropriate for someone who wanted to be the country's leader. An advisor for Obama's campaign said that Obama did not want the visit to seem like a political event.

In 2011, Durant gave a speech where he talked about disarming people in places like Somalia. He said it could lead to more law and order. These comments came up again during his Senate campaign. Durant said that his words were misunderstood. He explained that he was actually arguing against such actions, especially when soldiers are outnumbered.

2022 U.S. Senate Campaign

In September 2021, people started talking about Durant possibly running for the U.S. Senate. He officially announced his campaign on October 19, 2021. He wanted to replace Senator Richard Shelby, who was retiring. Durant joined the race later than others. He presented himself as someone new to politics and a supporter of former president Donald Trump. He focused his campaign on an "Alabama First" message.

By March 2022, Durant started to lead in polls against other Republican candidates, Katie Britt and Mo Brooks. His lead grew after Brooks lost Trump's support. That same month, Durant said in interviews that he believed the 2020 presidential election results were not fair. He also said he would not have approved them.

In April 2022, the Alabama Republican Party suggested televised debates between Durant, Britt, and Brooks. Durant's campaign did not agree to participate. Britt and Brooks criticized him for this. Durant later said he was open to debating but had scheduling conflicts. He then officially declined the proposed debate dates.

Durant's support in polls began to drop in May, before the primary election. He faced many negative ads that made voters view him less favorably. There was also false talk that he did not actually live in Alabama. Durant's views on immigration also got attention. He said that more legal immigration was "America First" while also saying he was "the toughest on illegal immigration." On May 24, Durant lost the election. He finished in third place behind Britt and Brooks. Durant later said he would not support either Britt or Brooks in the runoff election. He blamed his loss on unfair attack ads. He also stated that this campaign would be his last time running for political office.

Personal Life

Durant and his wife, Lisa, live in Madison, Alabama. Lisa is also a former Army aviator. They have six children and three grandchildren. Durant's first marriage ended in divorce. He later said that the media attention he received after the "Black Hawk Down" incident likely contributed to the divorce.

Awards and Decorations

Durant has received many awards for his military service. These include:

See also

In Spanish: Michael Durant para niños