Black Hawk Down (2002) - Quotes

Commitment to Brotherhood in Adversity

Taglines: Leave No Man Behind

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Commitment to Rescue Mission

Eversmann: [in disbelief] You're going back in?

Hoot: There are still men out there.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Debate on Resource Allocation During Crisis

Sgt. Eversmann: What are you doing?

Hoot: We need the ammo. You did all you could here.

Eversmann: They should've sent a medevac.

Hoot: Well, right now we'd be out there defending another crashed chopper, and more men would get torn up.

Eversmann: Maybe.

Hoot: See, you're thinking. Don't. Because, Sergeant, you can't control who gets hit or who doesn't. Who falls out of a chopper, or why. It ain't up to you. It's just war.

Eversmann: Yeah, well, Smith's still dead. If Blackburn hadn't fallen, none of this would've happened.

Hoot: Would have, could have, should have - it don't matter. You'll have plenty of time to think about that later. Believe me.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Conflict Between Captor and Captive

Somali Militiaman: You are the Ranger who kills my people?

CWO Durant: [Durant declines a cigarette] I'm not a Ranger. I'm a pilot.

Durant: What do you want with me?

Militiaman: You have taken hostages. We... have you.

Durant: My government will never negotiate for me.

Militiaman: Then perhaps you and I can negotiate, huh? Soldier to soldier.

Durant: I'm not in charge.

Militiaman: Course not. You have the power to kill, but not negotiate. In Somalia, killing is negotiation. Do you really think if you get General Aidid, we will simply put down our weapons and adopt American democracy? That the killing will stop? We know this: without victory, there can be no peace. There will always be killing, you see? This is how things are, in our world.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Securing the Crash Site

SFC. Shughart: [on radio; to Durant] C-2, we're at the Six-Four crash site. Securing a perimeter. You all right?

CWO Durant: Yeah, I'm good.

Shughart: [handing him a weapon; He turns and starts outside] You're locked and loaded. Any Skinnies come around these corners, you watch our backs.

Durant: Hey - where's the rescue squad?

Shughart: [exits] We're it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Requesting Permission for Tactical Support

CWO Goffena: There's a large crowd advancing six, seven blocks from the crash. Shughart and Gordon again request permission to secure until convoy arrives. Over.

Col. Harrell: General, the crowd's in the hundreds now. From where they are they can see things clearer than any of us. They know what they're asking.

Gen. Garrison: Let me talk to them. This is Garrison. I want to make sure y'all know what you're asking for, so say it out loud and clear.

MSG. Gary Gordon: We're asking to go in and set up a perimeter until ground support arrives.

Garrison: And you realize I cannot tell you when that will be? It could take quite a while.

SFC. Randy Shughart: Roger that.

Garrison: You still want to go in there?

Gordon: Yes, sir.

Garrison: Colonel Harrell, it's your call.

Harrell: Roger that. Goffena, put them in.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Miscommunication in a Critical Situation

Nelson: The Humvees ain't coming back, dude.

Twombly: What? Were we supposed to go to them?

Nelson: I thought they were supposed to come to us.

Twombly: I think we're supposed to go to them.

Nelson: Shit.

Twombly: Okay, let's go to the crash site.

Nelson: Okay. Just don't fire that thing so close to my head. I can barely hear as it is.

Twombly: [sees a group of Somali militiamen closing in on them.; fires a long burst inches above Nelson's head.] Shit! Get down!

Nelson: [Twombly fires on another group of armed Somalis] What did I just tell you? I swear to God if you do that again - AAAAHHH!

Twombly: You okay? Nelson, you all right?

Nelson: WHAT?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Debate on Supplies Before the Mission

Nelson: [Grimes sets aside the canteen and starts to pack his NOD night vision goggles.] You're not gonna need that, dude. We're not out there long enough.

Twombly: You're not gonna need that, either. Might as well take dope and beer instead.

Grimes: What?

Twombly: Ammo, dude. Take ammo.

Weapon Safety in Military Operations

Captain Steele: Sergeant, what's going on here?

Hoot: Oh, just some aerial target practice, sir. Didn't want to leave it behind.

Steele: [points to Hoot's slung M4] I'm talking about your weapon. Delta or no Delta, that's a hot weapon. You know better than that. Your safety should be on at all times on base.

Hoot: [holding up his index finger; bends finger and walks away] Well, this is my safety, sir.

Sanderson: Let it go, sir. The guy hasn't eaten in a couple of days.

Steele: [visibly annoyed] You Delta boys are a bunch of undisciplined cowboys. Let me tell you something, Sergeant. We get on the five-yard line, you're going to need my Rangers. So you all better learn to be team players. We're done here.

Sanderson: [stares at him; walks away] Enjoy your meal, Captain.

Stalemate in the Hunt for Aidid

Osman Ali Atto: I see not catching Aidid is becoming routine.

General William Garrison: We're not leaving Somalia until we find him. And we will find him.

Atto: (scoffing) You've been here, what, six weeks. Six weeks, you tried to catch the General. You put up reward posters. $25,000. What's this, gunfight at K.O. Corral?

Garrison: [[w:O.K. Corral|O.K. Corral] It's ].

Atto: [[Bill Clinton|Arkansas white-boys'] Don't make the mistake of thinking because I grew up without running water I am simple, General. I do know something about history. See all this? It's simply shaping tomorrow. A tomorrow without a lot of ] ideas in it.

Garrison: Well, I wouldn't know about that. I'm from Texas.

Atto: Mr. Garrison, I think you should not have come here. This is civil war. This is our war, not yours.

Garrison: Three hundred thousand dead and counting. That's not a war, Mr. Atto. That's genocide.

Understanding the Bonds of Brotherhood in War

Sergeant First Class Norm "Hoot" Gibson: When I go home, people ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it, man? Why? You some kind of war junkie?" I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand it's about the men next to you... and that's it. That's all it is.

The Reality of Combat and Politics

Sergeant First Class Norm "Hoot" Gibson: Y'know what I think? Don't really matter what I think. Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit just goes right out the window.

The Choice Between Action and Inaction

Sergeant Matt Eversmann: Look, these people... they have no jobs, no food, no education, no future. I just figure that you know, I mean, we have two things we can do. We can help, or we can sit back and watch a country destroy itself on CNN. Right?