An official website of the United States government, Army Sgt. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the . His hands "were not bound and he was not executed but was killed in action while actively engaging the enemy," the summary said. SSG Jeremiah W. Johnson 4 October 2017, Niger Special Forces. The T-6B Texan II is a two-seat turboprop used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots in flight school. The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our country and sustain American influence abroad. The team leader, Capt. [100], On 26 October, Robert Karem, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and Air Force Major General Albert Elton briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee in a closed session. This information can be obtained through a FOIA request. A much shorter, edited version was disseminated by the Islamic State group a year after the ambush outside the village of Tongo Tongo, near the Niger-Mali border. [134], Six medals were awarded to Nigerien soldiers. The mothers of two of the four soldiers killed in a 2017 ambush in Niger say recently discovered video from the battle is more proof that their sons' valor awards should be reevaluated. [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". Despite the concerns, the team was directed by their battalion commander in Chad to continue the mission anyway. [23] The DoD inquiry, completed in 2018, found that the 11-member US special forces team was not prepared for the mission, and identified other flaws in planning. Armed Forces Service Medal Dustin Wright died Wednesday. [106] General Joseph Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided new information about the ambush to the public and said that the operation was initially a reconnaissance mission. After initially escaping the ambush site, the American and Nigerien forces established a secondary position. Sgt. 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. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Ga. All four were killed in Niger, when a joint patrol of American and Niger forces was ambushed on Oct. 4, 2017, by militants believed linked to the Islamic State group. At Dachau's cold-water immersion baths, Nazi doctors calculated death to arrive at around 77 degrees Fahrenheit. They worked around to the south, intending to outflank the enemy and sweep the treeline, but were forced to retreat. They would establish a perimeter and began treating the wounded. [96], Senator John McCain stated that the Trump administration was not being forthcoming about the details of the ambush. All rights reserved. While there, the Team OUALLAM commander conducted an . [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. Jeremiah Johnson, Sgt. Driver and Mechanic Badge It was during this time that the rear Nigerien vehicle departed the area by an unknown route. National Defense Service Medal Black, 35, served as a Special Forces medical sergeant, also known as an 18D. Purple Heart Staff Sgt. La David Johnson was born on January 2, 1992, in Miami, Florida. q. 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. [72] with about 1,200 people in attendance, including Representative Wilson. [97] On 19 October, McCain said that a subpoena may be required to determine what happened in Niger. [105] Officials from the Department of Defense said that soldiers had carried out 29 similar operations in the past six months with no problems, and such operations were considered routine by the time of the ambush. La David Johnson sprayed the treeline with fire from an M240 machine gun. 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. Initial reports indicated that LaDavid Johnson may have been captured and executed, but he was found laying on his back with his arms by his sides and had wounds consistent with sporadic fire while he actively engaged the enemy. [19] After completion of the meeting, the soldiers walked back to the rest of the unit and their unarmored pickup trucks. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. Niger - 4 October 2017- Bryan Black- Jeremiah Johnson- La David Johnson [29][4] The ISGS had since been targeting pro-government militias that support the French and United Nations forces in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. From the truck bed of his vehicle, Sgt. 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. [20], On 17 May 2018, the US Department of Defense released a 23 minute video[108] showing a digital recreation of the ambush. He enlisted in the Army July 2012. But I am honored that they finally decided to upgrade him.. Dustin M. Wright", "Lyons community gathers together for SSgt. [98] On the same day, Senator Lindsey Graham said that the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will be briefed next week. If we have drones and satellite eyes in space, how do we let American troops get abandoned? 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. [67], His funeral was held at a church in Cooper City, Florida, on 21 October 2017. The Tongo Tongo ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) attacked Nigerien and U.S. soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, while they were returning to base from a mission. Army Achievement Medal [84] On 30 November, the government of Niger gave the US permission to fly armed drones out of Niamey. [71] The couple had two children, Ah'Leesya and La David Jr., and one unborn child, La'Shee. Johnson enlisted in the Army in October 2007 as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist. LaDavid Johnson was killed by small arms between 12:30 and 12:45pm. Team members last saw Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright taking cover behind the team's unarmored SUV. The winding tale of how the lightly armed team wound up in the melee, and why the militarys investigation placed primary blame on the ground force rather than senior leaders, has been covered extensively, including in a recent ABC documentary, 3212 UN-REDACTED. Last Assignment: Deceased. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. When you go through training at Fort Benning as an infantryman you think you'll never be left alone we always say, "leave no man behind," and that video is American troops left behind, left to die. ISIS has released a sickening video appearing to show their fighters ambushing and killing four US soldiers in Niger. Wright exited the halted vehicle . Kyle Rempfer is an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as LaDavid continued sprinting through the open desert. [52][50][53][13] Even though there was now air support, the French pilots could not engage because they could not readily identify enemy forces in the firefight. Bagu Soumana was an adjudant-chef (Chief warrant officer) of the BSR. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. . 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. Jeremiah Johnson, 39, and La David Johnson, 25, died in the rare firefight in Africa involving U.S. troops alongside two Green Berets, Staff Sgt. The country is also host to a small U.S. drone base that operates surveillance and intelligence drones. Staff Sgt. Johnson was married to Crystal and had two daughters, Addie and Elisa. "[93], On 25 October, Trump told reporters that he did not "specifically" authorize the mission in Niger. He was from Springboro, Ohio. "That's not what the evidence indicates," he said, but Cloutier and Waldhauser said there were "processes" throughout the chain of command that need addressing. The Defense Department released the results of the U.S. Africa Command-led investigation into the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush on U.S. and Nigerien forces near Tongo Tongo, Niger. Believing he had successfully reentered his vehicle, the other vehicles had left the area. Djibouti: April 2016 September 2016 Bryan Black and Sgt. Niger: August 2017 October 2017 "Realizing that the team was significantly outnumbered by a well-trained force, the Team Ouallam commander returned to the vehicles and ordered everyone to break contact and withdraw to the south," the summary said. They were on a dirt track headed south about 120 miles to Camp Ouallam at the end of a joint patrol that began on Oct. 3. . Army Commendation Medal La . The team radioed in that they were being overrun, then destroyed their radios to avoid them getting in the hands of the enemy. Niger: August to October 2017 Jeremiah Johnson, Black and Wright were outside the same vehicle when . The documentary shows what happened as the unit was caught in a surprise ISIS attack in outside the Saharan village of Tongo Tongo. [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". Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. First Class Jeremiah Johnson posthumously received the Bronze Star with Valor. All three were assigned to the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North . Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017. The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. Jeremiah Johnson, Sergeant Wright and Sergeant Black were in the black S.U.V. The content available is no longer being updated and may no longer be applicable. Niger: June 2016 November 2016 [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". Search by Name . [1], Nine valor medals, including four Silver Stars, were awarded to members of ODA 3212 for their actions during the ambush. 3.2k. Forces Doing in Niger Anyway? In summing up the findings of the investigation, Cloutier said, "I think the first point is that all of our soldiers fought valiantly that day. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Find 91 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok search on PeekYou - true people search. [82], In an interview with Voice of America, Almou Hassane, the mayor of Tondikiwindi, alleged that residents of Tongo Tongo were complicit in the ambush: "The attackers, the bandits, the terrorists have never lacked accomplices among local populations". He enlisted in the Army October 2007. ", "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.". SFC Jeremiah Johnson was promoted posthumously to the rank of Sergeant First Class. For a . Service verification is as following: Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017, MOS/Branch: Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist (74D), Dates of Service: July 2007 October 2017, Deployments: Johnson alive," the summary said in disputing several reports that circulated immediately after the ambush. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, who was killed in action in the 2017 attack and decorated with the Bronze Star Medal with "V" for Valor, praised the French but said the U . Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, and continued to engage the enemy until each was shot and killed . Staff Sgt. Air Assault Badge Bryan Black as dozens of enemy fighters bound toward them, the mothers of Wright and Johnson told Army Times in November. Wright and Jeremiah Johnson went to Black's side, firing back at the enemy, but began to pull back as the enemy closed in. [129], On 26 October, Dunford announced that Army Major General Roger Cloutier would lead the investigation into the ambush. Jeremiah Johnsons own Silver Star medal will be presented to his parents in the coming weeks. "Dismounted enemy then maneuvered on [Sgt. Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), MOS/Branch: Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C), Dates of Service: July 2012 October 2017, Deployments: [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. The Hall of Valor includes citations related to actions during the Global War on Terror. The clash . [66] After graduating high school, Johnson owned and operated a business until he enlisted in the US Army as a CBRN specialist in October 2007. The award citation is not releasable due to PII and information that will compromise a specific mission or operation. Sgt. [20] During the ambush, four Nigeriens, four US soldiers, and at least 100+ISGS militants were killed, and eight Nigeriens and two US soldiers including the team commander were wounded. Army Commendation Medal w/ C Device Under heavy fire, seven American and four Nigerian soldiers would run through the wooded area and break contact with the enemy. Im glad that theyre recognizing him for what he did, Gannon said, recalling the recently recovered helmet camera footage. Dustin Wright's funeral", "Leve des corps suivie de l'inhumation des lments de FDS dcds suite l'attaque du 4 Octobre Tongo-Tongo (Ouallam): Hommage aux soldats tombs sur le champ d'honneur", "Dernier hommage aux soldats tus dans l'embuscade Tongo Tongo", "Many casualties in Niger 'terrorist' attack: president", "Niger buries soldiers killed in 'terrorist' attack", "New Details Emerge About Attack That Killed US Soldiers in Niger", "Village chief arrested for "complicity" in deadly ambush in Niger", "Villagers Suspected of Luring US Soldiers into Niger Ambush", "Niger Open to Allowing U.S. Drone Strikes From the Country, Prime Minister Says", "Niger Approves Armed U.S. Drone Flights, Expanding Pentagon's Role in Africa", "A swarm of motorbikes, then heavy fire: witnesses shed new light on Niger attack", "Nation's top general says U.S. troops in Niger were ambushed on way back to base", "Three US special forces among eight dead in Niger ambush", "Twelve days of silence, then a swipe at Obama: How Trump handled four dead soldiers", "Kelly emotionally defends Trump's call to military widow", "Trump's Condolence Call to Soldier's Widow Ignites an Imbroglio", "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson ODA 3212 In Other News Bryan Black, 35, and an Army support enabler, Staff Sgt. La David Johnson was separated from his comrades when he and two Nigerien partners were unable to reenter their vehicle due to concentrated enemy fire. The tree where Sgt Johnson's died, seen from an islamist firing position.png 937 616; 541 KB. At 1522 on 6 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of SGT L. Johnson to U.S. custody. . Username. They offered to return it to the US by legal means. 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. ", "APNewsBreak: US soldier fought to end after ambush in Niger", "ISIS Affiliate Claims October Attack on U.S. Four U.S. soldiers died and it took him 12 days to respond", "Islamic State's Sahara branch claims first attack in Burkina Faso", "Sub-Saharan Africa's Tree "New" Islamic State Affiliates", "Belmokhtar's militants 'merge' with Mali's Mujao", "Confusion surrounds West African jihadists' loyalty to Islamic State", "At least 46 attacks in area of Niger where U.S. troops killed: U.N.", "Niger: Nigerien and US soldiers killed on the Mali border", "US intelligence officials examining video of Nigerien militant group", "Tongo-Tongo and the death of American soldiers", "US soldiers killed in Niger were outgunned, 'left behind' in hunt for ISIS leader", "New details on deadly ambush in Niger that left 4 soldiers dead", "American troops caught in deadly Niger ambush told to proceed despite mission concern", "Senator McCain says subpoena may be required to get answers on", "Oct 2017 Niger Ambush Summary of Investigation", "US special forces 'fought Niger ambush alone after local troops fled', "Hours before death in Niger, U.S. soldiers were targeting militants in Mali", "Troops Ambushed in Niger Waited an Hour to Call for Help, Pentagon Official Says", "Caught in a deadly ambush, US troops in Niger waited an hour for French air power to arrive", "U.S. 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. [41] The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than the team leader expected. All soldiers had their serviceable equipment including their body armour and boots taken from them. Bryan Black, Sgt. Username. [34][8][35][36][37], In Tiloa, the team failed to locate the ISGS commander and began their return to base. Army Commendation Medal w/C Device The investigators learned that Wright jumped back into the vehicle and slowly began driving south while Staff Sgts. Combat Infantryman Badge, Rank: Sergeant (E-5), effective April 2017, MOS/Branch: Wheeled vehicle repairer (91B), Dates of Service: January 2014 October 2017, Deployments: Meritorious Service Medal Name. [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. On Oct. 4, 2017, a unit of the U.S. Army's 3rd Special Forces Group, known as Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3212, was ambushed by affiliates of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS) in Tongo Tongo, Niger, resulting in the deaths of four U.S. soldiers Staff Sgt. [63], Jeremiah Wayne "JW" Johnson (19772017) of Springboro, Ohio, was born in New Bern, North Carolina, to J.W. Dustin Wright were killed as they returned from a low-risk patrol in Tongo Tongo with 30 Nigerian and up . Staff Sgt. 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. [20] The report did not make specific recommendations on the handling of future missions. Bryan . Army Service Ribbon The deaths of four U.S. soldiers, Staff Sgt. [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".

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