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. [73], In July 2012, Wright enlisted in the US Army as an engineer and ultimately became a Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C) assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group. He was awarded a Bronze Star . 1st Class Jeremiah W. Johnson (right) became honorary Green Berets. Purple Heart Black earned the Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab while in the Army. Copyright 2023 Military.com. Wright was initially recommended for the Medal of Honor in August 2018. La David Johnson and 3 fellow soldiers killed in Niger", "Miami stunt rider known as the 'Wheelie King', "For soldier killed in Niger, making life better every day in the world was his mission", "U.S. Army Sgt. 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. They were: Sgt. As the enemy force mounted and advanced through the tree line, the convoy halted. The remains were retrieved from the spot near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, where Johnson and three other American soldiers were ambushed and killed on Oct. 4 by ISIS-linked militants. On October 4, 2017, four U.S. soldiers from the Africa Command were ambushed and killed during a mission near Tongo Tongo, Niger. Jeremiah Johnson. 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. [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. Niger: May to October 2016, Awards: It's outrageous, and it's the epitome of how little, at times, our political leadership cares about the troops. They thought they could handle it at first -- no immediate need to call for backup or air support. Wright and Jeremiah Johnson went to Black's side, firing back at the enemy, but began to pull back as the enemy closed in. The families of four soldiers killed in an October 2017 ambush in Tongo Tongo, Niger, have started receiving posthumous medals on the soldiers' behalves. Approximately 100 meters (110yd) outside of the village, armed ISGS militants believed to be led by Doundou Chefou, a lieutenant in the terrorist group given the code name "Naylor Road" by US forces,[42] began their assault against the rear of the convoy. Johnson "continued to evade, running west for an additional 450 meters before eventually seeking cover under a thorny tree," the summary said. [118] Laura Seay, an assistant professor of government at Colby College, shared French's view in an article on Slate. The team radioed in that they were being overrun, then destroyed their radios to avoid them getting in the hands of the enemy. La David Johnson's body was not recovered until 48 hours after the firefight. Dustin Wright defending a fatally shot 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. ", Staff Sgts. Jeremiah Johnson, Black and Wright were outside the same vehicle when . 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 . For a . Purple Heart Jeremiah Johnson. They tried a textbook maneuver to end the threat. The incident is under investigation. [19], Bryan Christopher Black (19822017) of Puyallup, Washington,[60] was born in Camp Pendleton, California, to Henry and Karen Black. Staff Sgt Jeremiah Johnson.jpg 310 435; 19 KB. Armed Forces Service Medal The T-6B Texan II is a two-seat turboprop used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots in flight school. Jeremiah Johnson, and continued to engage the enemy until each was shot and killed by small-arms fire. Parachutist Badge [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. [12], When the soldiers were found, one US soldier was found lying next to an enemy pickup truck while two other US soldiers were found in the bed of the pickup. Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), MOS/Branch: Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C), Dates of Service: July 2012 October 2017, Deployments: [27] US Army Special Forces personnel (commonly referred to as Green Berets) have deployed on numerous occasions to train personnel of the Niger Armed Forces (FAN) to assist in the fight against terrorists from neighboring countries. 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 first call for additional support was relayed by the US forces nearly an hour after they first came under fire. 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. [80] On 21 October, a Niger security source told AFP that the village chief, Mounkaila Alassane,[81] was arrested for "complicity" with the militants. Silver Star medal Niger ambush Tongo Tongo ambush Army medals to Niger ambush soldiers killed in Niger U.S. Africa Command October 2017 Niger Sgt. [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. Honoring those who fought and died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. A re-enactment of the events in Tongo Tongo, Niger, Oct. 4, 2017. I did watch the head cam. [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". 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. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq. [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. [20], The ambush remains the largest loss of American lives in combat in Africa since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The team leader and four Nigerien soldiers moved to the southeast to flank what was thought to be a small enemy force; meanwhile the team sergeant ordered the rear US vehicle to the middle of the convoy to better coordinate machine gun fire with US vehicle one. The version shown to defense reporters was 10 minutes long, compared to the 22-minute version shown to members of Congress. As of October 2022, Jeremiah John was awarded the Silver Star. [67], Johnson's family enrolled him in 5000 Role Models, a mentorship program of US Representative Frederica Wilson that prepared African American children for college, vocational school, or the military. Black, Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were fighting could not disengage. At the Pentagon briefing, Cloutier was asked if the captains had lied. [60] Black moved to Mammoth Lakes, California, where he taught skiing, worked construction jobs in the off season, and met his wife, Michelle. Black, 35, served as a Special Forces medical sergeant, also known as an 18D. La David Johnson was also killed during the 2017 ambush. Under heavy fire, seven American and four Nigerian soldiers would run through the wooded area and break contact with the enemy. Johnson acknowledged the order and attempted to get behind the wheel, but heavy fire drove him back. [33], On 2 October 2017, a US special forces (SOF) team from 3rd Special Forces Group based in Quallam received intelligence that placed a high value ISGS sub-commander in their area of responsibility. La . Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. They threw smoke grenades to cover the move, but two Nigerien vehicles and one U.S. vehicle from which Staff Sgts. 2017 attack on Nigerien and US soldiers by Islamist militants in Tongo Tongo, Niger . [41] The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than the team leader expected. La David Johnson of Miami Gardens, Fla.; and Staff Sgt. La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East . Tongo Tongo ambush. Jeremiah Johnsons own Silver Star medal will be presented to his parents in the coming weeks. LaDavid Johnson was killed by small arms between 12:30 and 12:45pm. Simultaneously, Black was slightly ahead of the SUV and was hit by small arms fire, killing him instantly. Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Parachutist Badge The 9 minute, 15 second video appears to be shot from multiple helmet . Myeshia Johnson wanted to see her husband's body, but was reportedly not allowed to do so by the military. [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. [13] 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. Air Assault Badge Jeremiah Johnson joined the active-duty Army in 2008 after a year in the Army Reserves. 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. Two Army Green Berets, Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, American soldier killed in the Tongo Tongo ambush. [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. 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 team leader and the four Nigerien soldiers continued their flanking movement until they were stopped by a body of water, at which point they identified and engaged the enemy across the water, killing approximately four combatants. [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. [89], On 16 October, Trump called the widow of La David Johnson. McCain also said that the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which he was the chairman, would like to get the information "it deserves and needs", before deciding whether a formal investigation is necessary. [4] The ISGS's first confirmed terror attack occurred on 2 September 2016 when fighters targeted a customs post in Markoye, Burkina Faso, an attack that left a border agent and a civilian dead. [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. [67][68] After his mother's death in September 1999, Johnson's care was entrusted to Richard and Cowanda Johnson. The investigators learned that Wright jumped back into the vehicle and slowly began driving south while Staff Sgts. The first call for air support came 53 minutes after they started taking fire. Army Commendation Medal (two awards) 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". 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. 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. Wright exited the halted vehicle, looked toward the enemy and then dragged Black into cover. [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. [87] On the day of the ambush, Trump was briefed by telephone by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Jeremiah Johnson (blues musician) (born 1972), American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was from Springboro, Ohio. Username. Roughly two hours after the ambush began, the first sign of air support arrived. As the main Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) element attempted to evade enemy forces, they came under heavy fire which resulted in one Nigerien soldier killed while the team leader and team sergeant would suffer multiple gunshot wounds. [54] Nevertheless, the presence of the fighter jets brought the engagement to an end. 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. He was awarded three medals during his service: the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Waldhauser also said there will be "accountability" for command failures that were factors in the ambush. [132], After a Twitter user published a series of posts claiming to have footage from the ambush, AFRICOM said on 24 January 2018, "We are reviewing the post and determining the veracity of the tweet and the assertions that there is an associated video". ISIS has released a sickening video appearing to show their fighters ambushing and killing four US soldiers in Niger. [96], Senator John McCain stated that the Trump administration was not being forthcoming about the details of the ambush. The team leader, Capt. The four team members who split from the second position would regroup with the remainder of the team and partner force. Niger Cross of Valor with Star As they advanced toward the ambush site they engaged and killed several militants before retreating to a safe position due to overwhelming fire. [68], In school, Johnson met Myeshia Manual, whom he married on 22 August 2014. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, . On the anniversary of the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush that killed four American soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, . An official website of the United States government, Army Sgt. 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. At 1522 on 6 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of SGT L. Johnson to U.S. custody. The footage shows Johnson and Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. [67] Johnson had her name tattooed on his chest. [1], In January 2013, a senior Nigerien official told Reuters that Bisa Williams, the then-United States Ambassador to Niger, requested permission to establish a drone base in a meeting with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou. [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". Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. All soldiers had their serviceable equipment including their body armour and boots taken from them. [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. Air Assault Badge The nine-minute video is shot from the helmet cams of the tragic Americans who died on October 4 in Tongo Tongo after being attacked by 50 brainwashed jihadis. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [70] In January 2014, Johnson enlisted in the US Army as a wheeled vehicle mechanic (91B). 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. [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". He was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Americans traveled in two technicals and an unarmored Toyota Land Cruiser[34] while the Nigeriens traveled in five vehicles, one of which had been provided by the Central Intelligence Agency and had specialized surveillance equipment on board. Allowed to do so by the US Forces nearly an jeremiah johnson tongo tongo after they started fire! 4 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of Sgt L. 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