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. [91], On 18 October, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared that Wilson had willfully mischaracterized the spirit of the conversation. Wright got in the SUV and began to slowly drive south while Black and Jeremiah Johnson ran alongside, continuing suppressive fire at the enemy while under heavy fire. 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. [26] In October 2017, there were about 800 US military personnel in Niger, most of whom were working to build a second drone base for US and French aircraft in Agadez. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnsons mother, Debra Gannon, said helmet camera footage that militants took from the Americans kit helped trigger an upgrade for her sons award, which was previously a Bronze Star with Valor. For a . Dustin Wright defending a fatally shot Staff Sgt. But I am honored that they finally decided to upgrade him.. Haley also expected the G5 Sahel to "take on full regional ownership of the force within a period of three to six years, with continued US engagement". Global War on Terrorism Service Medal [86], The ambush was the deadliest combat incident involving US soldiers since Donald Trump took office as president on 20 January 2017. The 2017 ambush pitted the outmanned and outgunned 11 U.S. troops and their 30 Nigerien partners against scores of enemy fighters armed with mortars, truck-mounted heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. La David Johnson, made the fight the deadliest on the African continent for . [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. [97] On 19 October, McCain said that a subpoena may be required to determine what happened in Niger. ", "Trump says he did not 'specifically' authorize Niger mission that killed four U.S. soldiers", "After Niger Attack, U.S. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. ", "A Deadly Ambush's Great Mystery: What Are We Doing in Niger? Johnson acknowledged the order and attempted to get behind the wheel, but heavy fire drove him back. [89], On 16 October, Trump called the widow of La David Johnson. As the team searched they discovered enemy rations, uniforms and a motorcycle all of which were destroyed by partner Nigerien soldiers. Purple Heart Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [119], On 20 October, Jason Ditz wrote an article for The American Conservative saying, "Niger provides a terrifying reminder of how far we are from being an informed American public that serves as a check and balance on what our military is doing in our name. The top U.S. military officer, Army Gen. Mark Milley, has delivered a message to Ukrainian soldiers at a new training program Two of three NATO surveillance planes deployed temporarily to Romania have arrived at an air base near Bucharest. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. [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. [84] On 30 November, the government of Niger gave the US permission to fly armed drones out of Niamey. They would establish a perimeter and began treating the wounded. On October 4, 2017, four U.S. soldiers from the Africa Command were ambushed and killed during a mission near Tongo Tongo, Niger. Staff Sgt. 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. Jeremiah Johnson. Wright was initially recommended for the Medal of Honor in August 2018. q. . Meritorious Service Medal It's outrageous, and it's the epitome of how little, at times, our political leadership cares about the troops. He was from Springboro, Ohio. [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. A n ISIS propaganda video released over the weekend that appears to include combat footage from the helmet cameras of an ambushed U.S. Special Forces team has prompted . [75], A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019. [29][31] In May 2015, Sahrawi spoke on the behalf of al-Mourabitoun and had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The new video was quietly recovered during a French operation to kill the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara this summer. Purple Heart La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. 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. Army Good Conduct Medal (two awards) As of October 2022, Jeremiah John was awarded the Silver Star. 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. [121] On 27 October, The New York Times editorial board wrote that "the lack of clarity about the Niger operation is one more reason for Congress to replace the 2001 law authorizing military force against Al Qaeda with legislation to address current threats like the Islamic State, limit American interventions, and ensure regular congressional oversight". Dustin Wright were killed as they returned from a low-risk patrol in Tongo Tongo with 30 Nigerian and up . 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. 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. ", "APNewsBreak: US soldier fought to end after ambush in Niger", "ISIS Affiliate Claims October Attack on U.S. 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. Air Assault Badge Johnson "continued to evade, running west for an additional 450 meters before eventually seeking cover under a thorny tree," the summary said. Dustin M. Wright", "Lyons community gathers together for SSgt. Two US soldiers who were wounded in the ambush were transferred to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The incident is under investigation. After the meeting, Mattis told reporters, "We can do better at communication". [60] They would later move to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they raised two sons, Ezekiel and Isaac. March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. [68], In school, Johnson met Myeshia Manual, whom he married on 22 August 2014. At 1522 on 6 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of SGT L. Johnson to U.S. custody. "Dismounted enemy then maneuvered on [Sgt. 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". According to the summary, the video, and statements by Waldhauser and Cloutier at the Pentagon briefing Thursday, the members of Team Ouallam were not wearing body armor when they left Tongo Tongo. The four U.S. Army soldiers killed were Sgt. Within minutes, an unarmed US drone captured video of the firefight. [41] A senior congressional aide told NBC News that the ambush was caused by a "massive intelligence failure" with no overhead surveillance of the mission, or a quick reaction force in place to swiftly respond in the event that the mission went wrong. He enlisted in the Army July 2012. [96], Senator John McCain stated that the Trump administration was not being forthcoming about the details of the ambush. As the enemy pressed in, La David Johnson and the two Nigerien soldiers began pulling back on foot to the west. Despite the concerns, the team was directed by their battalion commander in Chad to continue the mission anyway. Jeremiah Johnson, 39, were killed fighting in one location near the . [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. and Operation New Dawn. Army Commendation Medal w/C Device [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. [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. Bryan C. Black and Sgt. "The enemy did not capture Sgt. All rights reserved. The team circled the area and recovered the injured team leader. Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as LaDavid continued sprinting through the open desert. Air Assault Badge Wright continued to engage the enemy until incapacitated by enemy fire. A team member threw a smoke grenade to conceal the team's movement south to regroup with the Nigeriens. Army Service Ribbon [69], Dustin Michael Wright (19882017) of Lyons, Georgia, was born in Toombs County, Georgia, to Arnold Wright and Terri Criscio. Johnson enlisted in the Army in October 2007 as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist. Niger: June 2016 November 2016 Who Is the Army Punishing? The two remained with Black's body and further assessed his wounds. The Tongo Tongo village elder first notified and then led Nigerien forces to the location of SGT L. Johnson's remains. Army Commendation Medal (two awards) The last moments of SSG Jeremiah Johnson was brutal. "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 Tongo Tongo ambush was a 4 October 2017 attack on Nigerien and American soldiers in Tongo Tongo, Niger, by armed militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Black and Jeremiah Johnson moved alongside, providing covering fire. The former was aboard Air Force One, having left Las Vegas after visiting victims and first responders affected by a recent mass shooting. Jeremiah Johnson, 39, La David . [67] In 2010, Johnson graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School. WASHINGTON The Pentagon on Friday released the names of the three soldiers killed this week in Niger while conducting a joint patrol with Nigerien forces. The Hall of Valor includes citations related to actions during the Global War on Terror. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. It has a total of valor award citations. La David Johnson was born on January 2, 1992, in Miami, Florida. Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017. They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. [64][66] He would later be assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group as a support element. During this manoeuvre, Sergeant LaDavid Johnson and two Nigerien soldiers became separated from the rest of his team. Niger Cross of Valor with Star Im glad that theyre recognizing him for what he did, Gannon said, recalling the recently recovered helmet camera footage. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Army Good Conduct Medal La David Terrence Johnson was an African American Army Sergeant, vehicle mechanic, and father who was killed in the Tongo Tongo Ambush on October 4, 2017 in the West African nation of Niger, alongside three other American soldiers, Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright. Somehow, it was left behind. ABC News' investigative journalist James Gordon Meek remembers reporting on the ambush of Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3212, an Army Special Forces team, in Tongo Tongo, Niger, on Oct. 4 . [115] La David Johnson's sister, Richshama, said, "We find out everything via social media". [66] His funeral was held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on 19 October 2017.[66]. National Defense Service Medal [36], The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35a.m. on their planned route back to base. Name. That was downgraded to an Army Commendation Medal by Thomas in early 2019. Jeremiah Johnson (mayor) (1766-1852), mayor of Brooklyn, New York. [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. Honoring those who fought and died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom La . [61] At the age of 20, Black earned a business degree at Central Washington University. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. From there, he "continued to return fire against the pursuing enemy. [19] The team believed the local leader was complicit in an impending attack. Michael Perozeni, shouldered much of the blame for the ambush until it was revealed that he asked not to continue the mission after the helicopter assault force they were supporting unexpectedly pulled out due to weather issues, according to the redacted investigation. [10] On 8 November, the US Department of Defense said that the investigation would be completed in January 2018. Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sgt. In addition to the summary, the Pentagon released an abbreviated version of an animated video prepared by AFRICOM depicting the firefight. ", The attackers brought up a truck-mounted heavy machine gun and raked the tree, the summary said. Jeremiah Johnsons own Silver Star medal will be presented to his parents in the coming weeks. Bryan Black, Sgt. The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal.
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