[117], On 20 October, National Review senior writer David French criticized the comparison between the ambush and the 2012 Benghazi attack and said, "All available evidence suggests that this is a tragedy rather than a scandal". Adjutant Chef Bagu Soumana and Soldier 2nd Class Abdoul Rachid Yarima were posthumously awarded, while four surviving soldiers received their awards in an October 2019 ceremony in Niamey. [64][74] His funeral was held at Toombs County High School on 15 October 2017. [72] with about 1,200 people in attendance, including Representative Wilson. They were: Sgt. The plan the team submitted did not accurately describe the mission's intention, describing it as civil/military reconnaissance instead of the actual purpose which was to locate and capture or if necessary kill the ISGS sub-commander. [17][26][28] The expectations were that construction of the base would be completed in 2018, which would allow the US to conduct surveillance operations with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper to monitor ISIL insurgents flowing south and other extremists flowing north from the Sahel region. Troops in Niger", "Niger Ambush Came After 'Massive Intelligence Failure,' Source Says", "Pentagon Sends Team to Niger to Find Out What Happened", "Death of U.S. National Defense Service Medal Jeremiah Wayne Johnson. [75], A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019. [104], In October 2017, Defense Secretary James Mattis said that the ambush was "considered unlikely". It was during this time that the rear Nigerien vehicle departed the area by an unknown route. [91] On CNN, Wilson said, "This might wind up to be Mr. Trump's Benghazi". Joint Service Achievement Medal ", Staff Sgts. 2017 attack on Nigerien and US soldiers by Islamist militants in Tongo Tongo, Niger . 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, was one of four U.S. special operations soldiers killed in Niger on October 4, 2017, when Islamist fighters ambushed their team. The report found that "personnel turnover" had caused the 11-member US Special Forces team to forgo important training before being deployed, and that the team did not rehearse the mission. Niger Cross of Valor with Star Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. An official website of the United States government, Army Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia. [120] On 26 October, Phillip Carter and Andrew Swick wrote on Vox, sharing a similar view that missions similar to the one in Niger "have never been specifically authorized by Congress, let alone discussed and debated by the American public". Little information has been made public about the incident, and the attack is still under investigation. Staff Sgt. During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. [137], On 19 December 2018, more than a year after the ambush, a sidearm belonging to SSG Jeremiah Johnson was recovered by French forces during an operation in the Mali-Niger border region. Sgt. As they continued their movement towards the south under fire, Jeremiah Johnson fell to the ground, leaving him exposed to enemy fire. [133], In November 2018, the US military sent letters of reprimand to four officers and two soldiers, most notably to Air Force Major General Marcus Hicks, who was in charge of special operations forces in Africa, and Captain Michael Perozeni. Copyright 2023 Military.com. Tongo Tongo ambush footage, October 2017.webm. After viewing new helmet camera footage recovered last year, Army officials have decided to award the Silver Star medal to one of four U.S. troops killed in an ambush by Islamic State-aligned militants in Niger nearly five years ago, Army Times has learned. On the anniversary of the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush that killed four American soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, . Forces in Niger Were Denied Armed Drone", "Pentagon suspects Green Berets in Niger killed by self-radicalized group", "Top US general reveals new info on Niger ambush", "Attaques jihadistes: le Niger sous le feu", "Video showing deadly ambush of US soldiers in Niger raises new questions", "U.S. soldier in Niger ambush was bound and apparently executed, villagers say", "Missing soldier found nearly a mile from Niger ambush, officials say", "Additional remains of Sergeant La David Johnson found in Niger", "Puyallup Green Beret killed in Niger once was a chess whiz and stock", "Trump's call to one widow has dominated the news. Johnson was awarded the Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon during his service. [36], The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35a.m. on their planned route back to base. . Air Assault Badge All three were assigned to the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North . After what I saw him do, yeah, Im glad theyre recognizing him for that., Jeremiah composed himself after being shot three times and he was still helping Dustin, telling him where the [enemy] shots were coming from, and he was still shooting.. The approved mission plan originally called for a helicopter team as the primary force with the Quallam team serving as a quick reaction force, however bad weather forced the helicopter team to cancel forcing team Quallam to continue on their own. [61] While in school, Black learned to play chess and, by the sixth grade, had earned a national ranking. [19], Bryan Christopher Black (19822017) of Puyallup, Washington,[60] was born in Camp Pendleton, California, to Henry and Karen Black. La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. [63], Black enlisted in the US Army in October 2009 and eventually became a Special Forces medical sergeant (18D), he was subsequently assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd SFG in June 2015 and deployed to Afghanistan for two months in July. [99] After a meeting with Mattis, Graham told reporters that the rules of engagement would be changing and warned that the US should anticipate more military operations in Africa as the war on terrorism continues to morph. [20], The ambush remains the largest loss of American lives in combat in Africa since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. They killed at least four of the attackers before they were forced back by the larger enemy unit. [88], On 17 October, during a press conference, Trump was asked about his silence by a reporter and commented on the incident. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal. Johnson alive," the summary said in disputing several reports that circulated immediately after the ambush. [138], On 4 October 2019, the United States offered a $5 million bounty on Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi under the Rewards for Justice program. The mission plan was assessed and approved by the AOB Niger and SOCCE commanders and on 3 October at 5:59 am (local time), the team of 11 personnel consisting of eight US Special Forces operators, two support, and an intelligence contractor accompanying 35 Nigerien personnel from the Security and Intelligence Battalion (Bataillon Scurit et de Renseignement or BSR) and the 433rd Special Interdiction unit, departed toward the vicinity of Tiloa in an eight vehicle convoy. Niger vehicles one and two were the first vehicles to depart. Soldiers in Niger Sparks FBI Probe, Criticism", "Military records reveal U.S. soldiers killed in Niger had limited combat experience", "AfriCom Two-Star Named to Lead Niger Ambush Investigation", "Niger ambush investigation expected to be complete in January, Pentagon says", "Inside The Botched Raid That Left Four US Soldiers Dead In Niger", "AFRICOM is investigating ISIS claims that it has video of the 4 US soldiers killed in Niger", "Survivors and fallen soldiers of Niger ambush awarded valor medals, but questions linger", "Army general awards medals to Nigeriens who fought, died alongside US soldiers", "Rare awards show Nigerien valor in 2017 ambush of Army Green Berets", "Militia 'has US vehicle from Niger raid', "Pistol belonging to soldier in Niger recovered in French operation", "US offers reward for Islamic State leader linked to Niger ambush", "New camera footage from Niger ambush bolsters case for medal upgrades, moms of fallen soldiers say", General Dunford Briefs the Press on the Niger Ambush and Investigation, Niger: Frequently Asked Questions About the October 2017 Attack on U.S. [41] The group guarding the vehicles began to suspect that something was wrong when they witnessed two motorcycles race out of the village. Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as LaDavid continued sprinting through the open desert. Army Achievement Medal [96], Senator John McCain stated that the Trump administration was not being forthcoming about the details of the ambush. (U.S. Army via AP). The documentary shows what happened as the unit was caught in a surprise ISIS attack in outside the Saharan village of Tongo Tongo. La . Deployments: Johnsons mother said a new building at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is also being built for 3rd Special Forces Group the unit her son was assigned and that will be dedicated to him as Johnson Hall. At the secondary position the remaining team members and partner forces were becoming overwhelmed by enemy fire and were forced to enter their vehicles and egress out of the area at a high speed. The award citation is not releasable due to PII and information that will compromise a specific mission or operation. Dustin Wright . Niger: June 2016 October 2016, Awards: Dustin Wright defending a fatally shot Staff Sgt. [80] On 21 October, a Niger security source told AFP that the village chief, Mounkaila Alassane,[81] was arrested for "complicity" with the militants. He was incapacitated but still breathing, as the helmet cam stopped moving and was only heaving up and down . La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East . [90] Representative Frederica Wilson, who was present during the call, alleged that Trump told the widow that La David Johnson "knew what he signed up for" and only referred to him as "your guy". They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. [16] On 20 October, McCain and Mattis met in McCain's office in the United States Capitol. Helene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff & Eric Schmitt, Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Defense Department briefing with Pentagon spokesperson Dana White and Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, 12 October 2017, Statements by US Secretary of Defense James Mattis regarding the 4 Oct. incident in Niger, 19 October 2017, Defense Department briefing with Dana White and Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, 19 October 2017, Operation Enduring Freedom Trans Sahara, "An Operation in Niger Went Fatally Awry. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Officials at the Pentagon refused to provide further details on the incident during a televised briefing on Thursday, citing ongoing operations and force protection issues. This information can be obtained through a FOIA request. [86], The ambush was the deadliest combat incident involving US soldiers since Donald Trump took office as president on 20 January 2017. [69] When Johnson was a Walmart employee in Miami, people in his community knew him as a local stunt rider and was called the "Wheelie King". The French jets did not drop any bombs for fear of hitting friendly forces, but the low passes were effective in scattering the enemy. He was eventually assigned to the Second Battalion, Third Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Clockwise from upper left (ascending order for mobile users): Staff Sergeant Bryan Black, Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson, Staff Sergeant Dustin Wright, Sergeant La David Johnson. [38], At 10:30 am (local time), 4 October, the convoy stopped at the village of Tongo Tongo so that partner Nigeriens could eat breakfast and get water. Johnson acknowledged the order and attempted to get behind the wheel, but heavy fire drove him back. [87] On the day of the ambush, Trump was briefed by telephone by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Niger Cross of Valor with Star About two hours after the initial attack, they were preparing to make a "last stand" when French Mirage fighters arrived overhead and made several "tree-top level" passes. [54] Nevertheless, the presence of the fighter jets brought the engagement to an end. Bryan Black, Sgt. Sgt. ", "Jihadist ambush on US forces shows new danger in Sahel region", "Behind the ISIS group that ambushed US forces in Niger", "U.S. deaths in Niger highlight Africa military mission creep", "U.S. Identifies 3 ISIS Militants Who Led Deadly Ambush in Niger", "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discloses details about Niger ambush", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMuFyzvv9Xw, "American troops caught in deadly Niger ambush told to proceed despite mission concerns", "What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack", "Pentagon acknowledges a second team was on the ground in Niger", "We've Posted The Pentagon's Entire Moment-By-Moment Niger Ambush Video Briefing", "Military investigation finds series of failures led to deadly Niger ambush", "Senator McCain says subpoena may be required to get answers on Niger ambush", "Deadly Ambush of Green Berets in Niger Belies a 'Low-Risk' Mission", "4 Nigerien soldiers killed and 8 injured in Niger ambush", "New details from Niger ambush: when US troops sensed something wrong", Military Inquiry Finds Soldiers Were Unprepared in Deadly Niger Ambush, "Leaders of U.S. soldiers killed in Niger filed misleading mission plan", "Why were US soldiers even in Niger? The team reported enemy contact and immediately returned fire using vehicle mounted M240 machine guns while the rest of the team dismounted from their vehicles, donned protective equipment, and began to exchange small arms fire. Purple Heart . Username. For Wright, Niger was his first overseas deployment. The four are, from left, Staff Sgt. [20], On 17 May 2018, the US Department of Defense released a 23 minute video[108] showing a digital recreation of the ambush. Black and Jeremiah Johnson moved alongside, providing covering fire. U.S. forces are in Niger helping train and advise Nigerien security forces; they are not serving in a combat role, according to officials at U.S. Africa Command. They would establish a perimeter and began treating the wounded. In addition to the summary, the Pentagon released an abbreviated version of an animated video prepared by AFRICOM depicting the firefight. [41] However, the meeting would drag on with the local leaders delaying the soldiers' departure by stalling and keeping them waiting. First Class Jeremiah W. Johnson, Staff Sgt. [1], Nine valor medals, including four Silver Stars, were awarded to members of ODA 3212 for their actions during the ambush. [118] Laura Seay, an assistant professor of government at Colby College, shared French's view in an article on Slate. National Defense Service Medal Footage taken from Jeremiah Johnson's helmet camera was later posted online which showed the engagement and subsequent deaths of the soldiers. 15 second video appears to be shot from multiple helmet cameras on the US soldiers who died on October 4 in Tongo Tongo, Niger in an ambush by 50 ISIS militants. Sgt. Both women were shown the new video by Army officials in the fall. 1st Class Jeremiah Wayne Johnson. One of the captains led the patrol and worked with the second captain to develop a concept of operations (CONOP) for a mission to go after a militant in northwestern Niger suspected in the kidnapping of an American aid worker.

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