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. 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 . The lowest recorded core temperature in a surviving adult is 60.8 degrees. He served as a Special Forces engineer sergeant, or an 18C. ", Staff Sgts. Simultaneously, Black was slightly ahead of the SUV and was hit by small arms fire, killing him instantly. [34][8][35][36][37], In Tiloa, the team failed to locate the ISGS commander and began their return to base. [85], Karimou Yacouba, the local member of the National Assembly, told The Guardian, "Everything that happened could have been prevented if help had arrived sooner". Operational Detachment Alpha Team 3212, also known as "Team Ouallam" for their base in Niger, had just left the village of Tongo Tongo near the Mali border on the morning of Oct. 4 in a convoy of seven unarmored pickups. 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. La David Johnson at his burial service in the Memorial Gardens East . Bryan Black, 35, and an Army support enabler, Staff Sgt. Black, 35, served as a Special Forces medical sergeant, also known as an 18D. [40] The US soldiers were divided in two groups: one that would stay back and guard the vehicles and another that would attend the meeting. ", "APNewsBreak: US soldier fought to end after ambush in Niger", "ISIS Affiliate Claims October Attack on U.S. ", "A Deadly Ambush's Great Mystery: What Are We Doing in Niger? 47 relations. 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. It's outrageous, and it's the epitome of how little, at times, our political leadership cares about the troops. La David Johnson received the Silver Star after firing his weapon until it ran out of ammunition, switching to another gun and making a last stand alone under a tree against an enemy truck and its heavy machine gun. Dustin Wright, 29, and Staff Sgt. The T-6B Texan II is a two-seat turboprop used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots in flight school. Kyle Rempfer is an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. They quickly put it on as the firefight began. 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. He was eventually assigned to the Second Battalion, Third Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Bagu Soumana was an adjudant-chef (Chief warrant officer) of the BSR. Johnson was married to Crystal and had two daughters, Addie and Elisa. Both were killed on Oct. 4, 2017 in Niger. [88], On 17 October, during a press conference, Trump was asked about his silence by a reporter and commented on the incident. They thought they could handle it at first -- no immediate need to call for backup or air support. Questions persist concerning an ambush in which four U.S. Army special forces were killed Oct. 4 in the West African country of Niger. [61] While in school, Black learned to play chess and, by the sixth grade, had earned a national ranking. Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), MOS/Branch: Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C), Dates of Service: July 2012 October 2017, Deployments: [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. 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. Army Commendation Medal [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. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. [67] In 2010, Johnson graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School. [59], Among the Nigeriens, five were killed and eight were wounded. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, . The deaths of four U.S. soldiers, Staff Sgt. 3.2k. Sgt. . ", The attackers brought up a truck-mounted heavy machine gun and raked the tree, the summary said. However, Senator Richard Blumenthal said, "I could not look those families in the eye and say we're doing everything we need to do to provide sufficient intelligence that will enable them to be successful in their missions and avoid the kind of catastrophe that we saw here". Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017. Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson, 39; Sergeant La David Johnson, 25; and Staff . In addition to the summary, the Pentagon released an abbreviated version of an animated video prepared by AFRICOM depicting the firefight. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. From there, he "continued to return fire against the pursuing enemy. The country is also host to a small U.S. drone base that operates surveillance and intelligence drones. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal. Army Commendation Medal (two awards) He enlisted in the Army October 2007. Chilling helmet-cam video, stolen from dead US soldier, shows ambush by Islamic State in Niger At 1522 on 6 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of SGT L. Johnson to U.S. custody. Bryan Black and Sgt. On the anniversary of the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush that killed four American soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, . National Defense Service Medal Johnson alive," the summary said in disputing several reports that circulated immediately after the ambush. Abdoul Rachid Yerimah was a soldat de 2nde classe (private) of the BSR. [24][25] In that month, US President Barack Obama sent 150 military personnel to Niger to set up a surveillance drone operation that would aid France in its counterterrorism efforts in the Northern Mali conflict. Jeremiah Johnson (mayor) (1766-1852), mayor of Brooklyn, New York. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Niger: June 2016 October 2016, Awards: "What it shows, Meek said, is Jeremiah . [101] After the briefing, Senator Ted Cruz said that "on the initial assessment there were not significant steps that could have been taken to prevent this assault". 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. Wright continued to engage the enemy until incapacitated by enemy fire. On 7 October, the deceased Nigerien soldiers were buried after their bodies were taken from the city morgue in Niamey with Defence Minister Kalla Moutari, US Ambassador Eunice Reddick, and Nigerien lawmakers watching. ", "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? Bryan C. Black and Sgt. Username. The team leader, Perozeni, was also initially recommended for a Bronze Star with Valor. https://www.armytimes.com/flashpoints/2017/10/06/dod-releases-names-of-3rd-special-forces-group-soldiers-killed-in-niger/. [92] On 23 October, Trump wrote on Twitter, "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation! [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". They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. [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. q. Find 16087 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. However, they submitted a CONOP that was copied from a previous routine reconnaissance patrol. 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. 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. You have reached a collection of archived material. [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. Dustin Wright died Wednesday. [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. [95], On 13 December, Wilson told Jonathan Capehart on his podcast that there was a cover-up. This information can be obtained through a FOIA request. . I still would like to have somebody get up and apologize and tell everybody that [the team] didnt go rogue and they damn well performed above and beyond what they had to do, Gannon told Army Times. [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". Two other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in southwest Niger. Army Commendation Medal Dustin Wright were killed as they returned from a low-risk patrol in Tongo Tongo with 30 Nigerian and up . Army Achievement Medal First Class Jeremiah Johnson posthumously received the Bronze Star with Valor. SFC Jeremiah Johnson was promoted posthumously to the rank of Sergeant First Class. The second Nigerien soldier was shot and killed about another 110 meters further on. [102] McCain said the ambush was "a direct result" of budget sequestration. The Americans and their Nigerien partners fought back fiercely, but they were outnumbered and outgunned. 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. Myeshia Johnson wanted to see her husband's body, but was reportedly not allowed to do so by the military. ISIS has released a sickening video appearing to show their fighters ambushing and killing four US soldiers in Niger. 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. Was also initially recommended for a Bronze Star with Valor Bragg, North Carolina 60.8 degrees either... 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