Jeffery Dean Struecker (March 7, 1969)Curriculum Vitae
, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; retrieved June 2018Congressional Record 107th Congress (2001–2002)
, thomas.loc.gov; retrieved February 2011 is an American author, pastor, and former United States Army Ranger who was involved in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.Kelly, Clint
"Facing Fear"
, HomeLife Magazine, March 2007'Black Hawk Down' hero urges Gator Bowl teams to trust Christ
, www.gofbw.com; retrieved December 2010 He also participated in the 1989 invasion of Panama ( Operation Just Cause) and in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. Struecker has co-authored five published books.Books > Jeff Strueker
, www.amazon.com; retrieved December 2010 Struecker was portrayed by American actor Brian Van Holt in the 2001 film, '' Black Hawk Down,'' and in 2017, he was inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

Enlisted service

Enlisted in the United States Army in September 1987 at the age of 18, Struecker served ten years in the

75th Ranger Regiment The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as Army Rangers, is the U.S. Army's premier light infantry unit and special operations force within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgi ...

in positions ranging from Ranger Reconnaissance

specialist Specialist may refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), a military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist (arena football) * Specialist degree, in academia * Specialty (medicine) * Designated market maker, in the American stock market * ...

to platoon sergeant. He would go on to win the

Best Ranger Competition The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is an annual competition held in Fort Benning, Georgia, hosted by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade. It is a two-man team competition where competitors must be active military who are Ranger ...

in 1996 with partner SPC Isaac Gmazel.Best Ranger Competition – Previous Winners
www.army.mil; retrieved December 2010 Struecker was also recognized in 1998 with the United States Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.Struecker...Joins Staff at Local Church
www.ledger-enquirer.com; retrieved January 2011

Battle of Mogadishu

In the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, Struecker was a 24-year-old

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

and squad leader assigned to Task Force Ranger as a part of the

. He led the 3-vehicle convoy that returned, through intense fire, wounded Ranger Private Todd Blackburn to base. Struecker was awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

for his actions in Mogadishu."Ft. Benning Soldiers Awarded Silver Stars for Serving in Battle of Mogadishu"
, www.wtvm.com; retrieved October 2021 In the film based on the battle, '' Black Hawk Down'', Struecker is portrayed by Brian Van Holt.Brian Van Holt Credits
, www.tvguide.com; retrieved December 2010

Commissioned service

After his enlisted service ended in April 2000, Struecker went on to graduate from seminary and became commissioned as a chaplain.Jeff Strueker
, www.bhpublishinggroup.com; retrieved December 2010 As chaplain, Struecker served multiple tours in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. Struecker's final military assignment was chaplain with the Regimental Special Troops Battalion of the

. Struecker retired from active military service at the end of January 2011.

Awards and decorations

*Struecker has also earned six Overseas Service Bars, 2nd Infantry Regiment DUI and Thai Parachutist Wings as well as other foreign wings and one unidentified fourragère.Chaplain (Maj.) Jeff Struecker to speak...
, www.ledger-enquirer.com; retrieved January 7, 2011

Post-military career

Immediately following his retirement from the military, Struecker joined the staff of Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia and became its lead pastor in April 2014 and resigned the position in May of 2019.Wilhite Ending 40 Years at Calvary Baptist Church
, www.ledger-enquirer.com; retrieved May 2014 Struecker then founded 2 Cities Church in Columbus, Georgia, where he is currently the lead pastor. Struecker has also continued to author books and he speaks regularly to audiences across the United States about his experiences and about his

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

faith.A List of Evangelistic Speakers
www.godsquad.com; retrieved December 2010

Return to Mogadishu

In March 2013 Struecker returned to Mogadishu with a film crew to shoot a short film ''Return to Mogadishu: Remembering Black Hawk Down'' which debuted in October 2013 on the 20th anniversary of the battle. Struecker and fellow veteran-turned-country singer Keni Thomas relived the battle as they drove through the Bakaara Market in armored vehicles and visited the Wolcott crash site.

Education and personal life

Struecker earned the Doctor of Philosophy from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, a Master of Divinity Degree from the

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at ...

in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Science Degree and Associate of Science Degree from

Troy State University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

in Troy, Alabama. He is married to his wife Dawn and has five children.

Published books

* ''The Road To Unafraid: How the Army's Top Ranger Faced Fear and Found Courage through Black Hawk Down and Beyond'' (2006) * ''Certain Jeopardy'' (2009) * ''Blaze of Glory: A Novel'' (2010) * ''Fallen Angel: A Novel'' (2011) * ''Hide and Seek: A Novel'' (2012) * ''Start Here'' (2021) ISBN 978-1736799109

References

External links

Jeff Struecker's home page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Struecker, Jeff 1969 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American male novelists American religious writers Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army personnel of the Gulf War United States Army personnel of the Iraq War United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) People from Fort Dodge, Iowa People from Columbus, Georgia Southern Baptist ministers Battle of Mogadishu (1993) United States Army chaplains United States Army Rangers Novelists from Iowa Writers from Columbus, Georgia Troy University alumni Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni 21st-century American male writers Novelists from Georgia (U.S. state) 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers