[54], In December 2017, Major General Mark Hicks, the commander of Special Operations Command, Africa (SOCAFRICA), wrote a letter to the Special Operations Forces that read, "To reinforce and clarify guidance going forward I would like to emphasize that we must reduce our risk exposure and build trust in our ability to exercise sound judgment and disciplined planning and execution". [71] The couple had two children, Ah'Leesya and La David Jr., and one unborn child, La'Shee. As they advanced toward the ambush site they engaged and killed several militants before retreating to a safe position due to overwhelming fire. [75], A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019. [135], Two Nigeriens received Bronze Stars with Valor for their actions during the ambush one for a Nigerien who joined in a flanking maneuver against the ISGS militants and one for a Nigerien who exposed himself to stop friendly fire coming from a quick reaction force's heavy machine-gun.[136]. Families of those slain soldiers have argued for years that blame for the botched Oct. 4, 2017, mission was unfairly placed on the 11-man Army Special Forces team that fought through the unexpected attack, rather than the senior officers who greenlit the operation. The first call for air support came 53 minutes after they started taking fire. For Wright, Niger was his first overseas deployment. 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. They killed at least four of the attackers before they were forced back by the larger enemy unit. In a statement attributed to Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the group said, "We declare our responsibility for the attack on the US commandos last October in the Tongo Tongo region of Niger". The investigation also found that "two junior officers had 'mischaracterized' the mission" in planning documents. [123], Interviewed in a 2020 documentary, United States Army veteran and author Paul Rieckhoff described the significance of the incident:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, When I watch that video I think of the worst-case scenario. La David Terrence Johnson (19922017) was born in Miami Gardens, Florida, to Samara Johnson and Terrance McGriff. Somehow, it was left behind. All three were assigned to the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North . [126], On 19 October, NBC News reported that AFRICOM sent a team to Niger to conduct a "review of the facts". Find 16087 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. Bryan C. Black and Sgt. Purple Heart ", "What Are U.S. Members of team Quallem killed several enemies during this movement out of the ambush site. [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. Army Sgt. Johnson acknowledged the order and attempted to get behind the wheel, but heavy fire drove him back. . Bryan . The team radioed in that they were being overrun, then destroyed their radios to avoid them getting in the hands of the enemy. SFC Jeremiah Johnson was promoted posthumously to the rank of Sergeant First Class. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the money would "bolster our regional partners" in fighting against militant groups. [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". Army Commendation Medal w/C Device Armed Forces Service Medal Debra Gannon's son, Sgt. The new footage provided a more comprehensive understanding of Johnsons actions during the ambush, and directly led to the decision for the upgraded award, Army spokesman Matt Leonard confirmed. [128] The US Department of Defense released military records on 26 October that showed that the killed US soldiers had little to no experience in combat. [88], On 17 October, during a press conference, Trump was asked about his silence by a reporter and commented on the incident. Jeremiah Johnson regained his footing and ran to Black, checking for wounds. [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. Staff Sgt. 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. Abdoul Rachid Yerimah was a soldat de 2nde classe (private) of the BSR. All soldiers showed wounds consistent with small arms fire and had received additional bursts of fire at close range. All three were assigned to the Armys 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. They were: Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Wash.; Staff Sgt. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal. Army Good Conduct Medal Bagu Soumana was an adjudant-chef (Chief warrant officer) of the BSR. In addition to the summary, the Pentagon released an abbreviated version of an animated video prepared by AFRICOM depicting the firefight. [116], On 18 October, Mark Landler and Yamiche Alcindor, reporters from The New York Times, drew comparisons between the incident with the phone call to La David Johnson's widow and Trump's feud with the parents of another American soldier killed in action, Humayun Khan, during the 2016 US presidential election. Parachutist Badge [20] The report did not make specific recommendations on the handling of future missions. Niger: August to October 2017 Trump responded by saying that he wrote letters to the families of the victims, and accused his predecessors, specifically President Obama, of not or rarely calling the families of deceased soldiers. [115] La David Johnson's sister, Richshama, said, "We find out everything via social media". Niger: August 2017 October 2017 After completion of the second mission the team was ordered to return to base, before returning the team commander ordered an overhead ISR asset to continue monitoring the area in order to gather intelligence on possibly enemy routes leading into Mali, in turn leaving the team unwatched as they departed toward Tongo Tongo at 8:30 am (local time). [20] Some within the US military were critical of the report because they viewed it as underplaying blame for senior officers who had approved of the mission. She said she didn't like Trump's tone and that she broke down when Trump fumbled her husband's name. In March 2018, more than five months after the attack, the SUV used by the Americans and the helmet cam footage was discovered by Tuareg Rebels in Mali after clashes with bandits in the border area. 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. "They were last seen by team members actively engaging the enemy from defensive positions near their vehicle and preparing to withdraw with the rest of the team," the summary said. 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. La David Johnson was born on January 2, 1992, in Miami, Florida. The families of four soldiers killed in an October 2017 ambush in Tongo Tongo, Niger, have started receiving posthumous medals on the soldiers' behalves. The Mauritanian Nouakchott News Agency reported Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 that Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi with the self-professed IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the Oct. 4 ambush about 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Niger's capital, Niamey. q. 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. The graphic footage was recorded on the helmet cameras of Staff Sgt. [39] The US and Nigerien team leaders objected to the task because they were not heavily armed or equipped for intense combat should they encounter Chefou's ISIS fighters alone. Niger: August 2017 October 2017 Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia. [19], Bryan Christopher Black (19822017) of Puyallup, Washington,[60] was born in Camp Pendleton, California, to Henry and Karen Black. March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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Bryan Black, 35, and an Army support enabler, Staff Sgt. Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were shot multiple times at close range by the militants, killing them.[50]. At Dachau's cold-water immersion baths, Nazi doctors calculated death to arrive at around 77 degrees Fahrenheit. [28] On 19 October, Kelly, whose son was killed in the War in Afghanistan in 2010, defended Trump's call with the widow of La David Johnson. [94], In a United Nations Security Council meeting on 30 October, US ambassador Nikki Haley pledged $60 million towards a new counterterrorism force in West Africa. [113], On 25 October, Michelle Black said she was grateful that Trump called her and spoke to her children: "So, yeah he was very gracious and I appreciate anyone who calls cause, like I said, that takes quite a bit of bravery to call into that kind of situation". [33] OCHA also said that seven districts in the two regions had been under a state of emergency since March 2017, and the government renewed the measure for an additional three months on 18 September. Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. [27] A senior US intelligence official told ABC News that at least 21 militants were killed, all of which were buried on the Malian side of the border. Army Service Ribbon Niger vehicles one and two were the first vehicles to depart. From there, he "continued to return fire against the pursuing enemy. Niger: June 2016 October 2016, Awards: "There are three cases there that will be dealt with by [Special Operations Command]" to determine whether disciplinary action or a court-martial is merited, he said. Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017. Im glad that theyre recognizing him for what he did, Gannon said, recalling the recently recovered helmet camera footage. [91] On the same day, three reporters from the Los Angeles Times wrote that his response "illustrated the hazards of his extemporaneous governing style, the disorganization within his White House, and his refusal to back down in the face of criticism". [78], On 5 October, President Mahamadou Issoufou condemned the ambush and called for a moment of silence "to the memory of our soldiers who have fallen on the field of honour" and to the memory of "all victims of terrorism". Niger: June 2016 November 2016 [61] While in school, Black learned to play chess and, by the sixth grade, had earned a national ranking. Questions persist concerning an ambush in which four U.S. Army special forces were killed Oct. 4 in the West African country of Niger. The footage shows Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, 29, and Staff Sgt. All soldiers had their serviceable equipment including their body armour and boots taken from them. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) attacked Nigerien and US soldiers outside the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, while they were returning to base after a stop in the village. [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. "During the movement, enemy small-arms fire hit Staff Sgt. A spokesperson from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces said on 5 October that French soldiers who were participating in Operation Barkhane and based in Chad were involved in an operation in Niger. Stumps Up $60 Million for Africa Counterterrorism Force", "McCain: Niger attack information 'may require a subpoena', "Mattis, McCain meet a day after subpoena threat", "The Latest: Graham Says Senators to Be Briefed on Niger", "US Defense Officials Brief Lawmakers on Niger Attack", "Senators diverge on Niger ambush after classified briefing", "John McCain blames Niger killings on budget cuts: 'We should be embarrassed', "Rep. Gallego: Shanahan's involvement in a 'cover-up' of the Niger attack is disqualifying", "Mattis says Niger ambush was 'considered unlikely,' pledges probe", "Everything we know about the Niger attack that left 4 U.S. soldiers dead", "U.S. Gen. ", Staff Sgts. 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. Both were killed on Oct. 4, 2017 in Niger. [122], On 10 November, local villagers told The Washington Post that La David Johnson's body was found with his arms tied,[57] but the Associated Press reported on 17 December that there were no indications he was shot at close range, had been bound, or taken prisoner. [67] Johnson had her name tattooed on his chest. [83], On 1 November, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said that Niger was open to allowing US drone strikes against terror groups. Dustin M. Wright", "Lyons community gathers together for SSgt. Army Achievement Medal [73] He attended Georgia Southern University and Fayetteville State University. ", "There were a series of contributing factors to what occurred in Tongo Tongo," he said in reference to the command failures, "but not one of those contributing factors are the direct cause of the enemy attack in Tongo Tongo.The direct cause of the enemy attack in Tongo Tongo is that the enemy achieved tactical surprise there and our forces were outnumbered approximately three to one.". [47] The team leader observed a larger enemy force moving from his east consisting of armed men on motorcycles and vehicles with mounted machine guns. Name. La David Johnson was also killed during the 2017 ambush. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal It has a total of valor award citations. Soldiers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tongo_Tongo_ambush&oldid=1133945159, Green Beret senior Officers and team leaders disciplined for the outcome of the ambush, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 06:37. La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East . Black, Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were fighting could not disengage. [16] On 20 October, McCain and Mattis met in McCain's office in the United States Capitol. 1st Class Jeremiah Wayne Johnson. The account was in the form of an unclassified eight-page summary of a classified 3,600-page Article 15-6 fact-finding investigation ordered by Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the AFRICOM commander, and led by his chief of staff, Army Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier. Staff Sgt. Army Service Ribbon 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. 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.
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