From Black Hawk Down to Healing at Home: The Battle Retired Delta Force Operator Tom Satterly Never Trained For

 

West Palm Beach, Fl - Retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Tom Satterly's war didn't end when he left the battlefield. After 25 years of service, 20 of them in the elite Delta Force, Satterly had seen more combat than most could imagine. But what almost destroyed him wasn't gunfire, rockets, or the chaos of battle. It was the silence that came after.

"I came home with invisible wounds," Tom shares. "PTSD is a battle I never trained for. And those were the hardest to face."

The Real Black Hawk Down: A Mission That Changed Everything

On October 3, 1993, Satterly was on the ground in Mogadishu, Somalia, during Operation Gothic Serpent. The mission, intended to capture lieutenants of Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid, was supposed to last an hour. Instead, it turned into a brutal overnight firefight, later dramatized in the movie "Black Hawk Down". Two helicopters were shot down, 18 Americans were killed, and 73 were wounded.

"That wasn’t just a movie for us," Tom recalls. "That was our life. And some of us didn’t come back the same."

Satterly's resume is nothing short of legendary. He’s earned a Silver Star, four Bronze Stars (one with valor), and helped capture Saddam Hussein. But medals didn’t stop the mental spiral that came after.

"I almost ended it all," he admits. "I hit rock bottom. I felt like a failure, not as a soldier, but as a man."
This honesty makes his story impactful. His episode on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast sheds light on the raw human experience of war’s aftermath. Through his struggles, Tom found a turning point, and together with his wife Jen Satterly, he co-founded the All Secure Foundation.

Rebuilding with Purpose: The All Secure Foundation

The All Secure Foundation is a nonprofit focused on helping Special Operations Forces (SOF) veterans and their families transition from combat to civilian life. "In the military, ‘All Secure’ means everyone is safe," Tom says. "For us, it means no one gets left behind anymore."

The foundation offers several programs, including couples’ retreats tailored to SOF families, six-week mind and body reset programs for trauma recovery, one-on-one coaching, and peer community support. A healing guide for military families is also forthcoming.

"You Can Survive a Gunfight, But Still Die Inside"

Tom’s bestselling book, All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier’s Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront, details his journey. "I realized I’d been wearing a mask for years," he says. "You can survive a gunfight, but still die inside if you don’t get help."

Through the All Secure Foundation, Tom and Jen are helping warriors learn a new kind of courage, the kind it takes to heal, reconnect, and lead at home. "Special Operators are trained to win," Jen explains. "But no one trains them for home life. That’s where we come in."

Why You Should Listen

Tom's story is more than a war story; it's a human story of trauma, perseverance, and purpose. His episode on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast is available for free on various platforms.

"The silence after war is often louder than the fight itself," Tom says. "But healing is possible. And no one has to do it alone." His story might be the reminder you didn’t know you needed, especially if you're a veteran, spouse, first responder, or someone who cares.

Every warrior deserves to hear two words: All Secure.

Attributions

US Army

Amazon

Wikipedia

All Secure Foundation

Wikipedia

 



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