only with their sniper rifles and pistols. Upon reaching the downed Blackhawk, which was under intense enemy fire, Gordon and Shughart pulled the crew from the wreckage and proceeded to set up a defensive perimeter. The snipers, assisted by the severely injured Durant, began to engage the attacking Somalis from the opposite side of the wreckage using assault rifles stored on the Blackhawk. Shughart and Gordon were eventually mortally wounded after nearly exhausting all available ammunition; Durant, the only survivor, was taken hostage. According to Durant's account, 25 Somalis were killed and many more were wounded. On Monday, May 23, 1994, President Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to the widows of Gordon and Shughart. They are the only snipers to have received the Medal of Honor. The film Black Hawk Down, based on the book of the same name, includes a narrative of the events. 21st century War in Afghanistan The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was launched by the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies in response to the September 11 attacks. It was the beginning of the war on terror. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to al-Qaeda. Since 2001, 18 American service-members have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan, four of them posthumously. Army Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti received his medal for attempting to rescue a wounded soldier at the cost of his own life. Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy received his for actions against insurgent forces and for sacrificing his life to call for help when his team had been overwhelmed by a much larger enemy force. Army Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller's surviving family was presented with his medal on October 6, 2010. On June 19, 2014, Kyle Carpenter received the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House. He is the eighth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan. John Allan Chapman (July 14, 1965 – March 4, 2002) was a Combat Controller in the United States Air Force who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on August 22, 2018 for his actions in the Battle of Takur Ghar. The first living recipient since the Vietnam War and the fourth Afghanistan recipient, Salvatore