[24] On 5 February, officials from both Niger and the United States said that the two countries signed a status of forces agreement that allowed the deployment of unarmed surveillance drones. Niger Cross of Valor with Star Air Assault Badge The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the . La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. After the meeting, Mattis told reporters, "We can do better at communication". March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. [60] Black moved to Mammoth Lakes, California, where he taught skiing, worked construction jobs in the off season, and met his wife, Michelle. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the money would "bolster our regional partners" in fighting against militant groups. Ranger Tab -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. The version shown to defense reporters was 10 minutes long, compared to the 22-minute version shown to members of Congress. As the enemy pressed in, La David Johnson and the two Nigerien soldiers began pulling back on foot to the west. Jordan: May 2012, Awards: Username. But the militarys accusation that the team went off-script on the mission still bothers her. [19] After completion of the meeting, the soldiers walked back to the rest of the unit and their unarmored pickup trucks. Rank: Staff sergeant (E-6), effective June 2015posthumously promoted to sergeant first class (E-7), effective Oct. 4, 2017. [18] Among the US soldiers, four were killed: Staff Sergeant Bryan Black, Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson, Sergeant La David Johnson, and Staff Sergeant Dustin Wright. 1st Class Jeremiah . 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. They offered to return it to the US by legal means. [79] On 6 October, Issoufou declared three days of national mourning. Parachutist Badge Purple Heart [80] On 21 October, a Niger security source told AFP that the village chief, Mounkaila Alassane,[81] was arrested for "complicity" with the militants. If we have drones and satellite eyes in space, how do we let American troops get abandoned? [62], Black's funeral was held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on 18 October 2017. Somehow, it was left behind. 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! 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: Wright also received the Silver Star after he maneuvered multiple times across open terrain through intense and accurate fire from an overwhelming hostile force to protect and recover two of his fallen comrades, his award citation stated. Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. Both were killed on Oct. 4, 2017 in Niger. "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. [60] They would later move to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they raised two sons, Ezekiel and Isaac. [51][52] French Mirage jets were ordered to respond to the ambush, and they arrived roughly thirty minutes after notification. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. [55] Within three to four hours after the soldiers called in for support, a French special operations team arrived at the scene. Jeremiah Johnson. 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. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal [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. [53] Two French Super Puma helicopters were brought in from Mali to evacuate the injured Nigeriens and Americans, while Berry Aviation, an independent contractor, evacuated the bodies of the fallen US soldiers. The video below, which is age restricted, contains combat footage of the 2017 Niger ambush. Army Good Conduct Medal Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as LaDavid continued sprinting through the open desert. [118] Laura Seay, an assistant professor of government at Colby College, shared French's view in an article on Slate. [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. At a 2018 Pentagon press briefing, the ambushed team was blamed for poor training and reckless mission planning in their attempt to capture Doundou Chefou, a mid-level commander for the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Jeremiah Johnson, Black and Wright were outside the same vehicle when . Army Achievement Medal (five awards) Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Bagu Soumana was an adjudant-chef (Chief warrant officer) of the BSR. All soldiers had their serviceable equipment including their body armour and boots taken from them. [91] On CNN, Wilson said, "This might wind up to be Mr. Trump's Benghazi". Dustin Wright and Sgt. Johnson alive," the summary said in disputing several reports that circulated immediately after the ambush. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal. [72] with about 1,200 people in attendance, including Representative Wilson. The first call for air support came 53 minutes after they started taking fire. 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. 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. The tree where Sgt Johnson's died, seen from an islamist firing position.png 937 616; 541 KB. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. 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. Name. [102] McCain said the ambush was "a direct result" of budget sequestration. Johnson acknowledged the order and attempted to get behind the wheel, but heavy fire drove him back. Black earned the Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab while in the Army. The content available is no longer being updated and may no longer be applicable. While there, the Team OUALLAM commander conducted an . [73] Wright graduated from Toombs County High School in 2007. The lowest recorded core temperature in a surviving adult is 60.8 degrees. It was shot near Tongo Tongo in Niger last October and shows Isis militants in pickups en route to the attack. [67] In 2010, Johnson graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School. 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. 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. Staff Sgt. 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. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Army Good Conduct Medal (three awards) Two Army Green Berets, Staff Sgt. 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. He previously deployed to Jordan in 2012. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, 29, and Staff Sgt. [41] The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than the team leader expected. 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. Find 16087 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. [63], Black enlisted in the US Army in October 2009 and eventually became a Special Forces medical sergeant (18D), he was subsequently assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd SFG in June 2015 and deployed to Afghanistan for two months in July. "[93], On 25 October, Trump told reporters that he did not "specifically" authorize the mission in Niger. Army Commendation Medal w/ C Device The Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army, or IPPS-A, is now live across the entire service, according to a spokesperson. [66] His funeral was held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on 19 October 2017.[66]. Djibouti: April 2016 September 2016 I did watch the head cam. [58] On 12November, additional remains of LaDavid Johnson were found at the site where his body was recovered. La David Terrence Johnson (19922017) was born in Miami Gardens, Florida, to Samara Johnson and Terrance McGriff. Sergeant First Class Jeremiah W. Johnson of Springboro, Ohio, was killed while conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Tongo Tongo, Niger, on 4 October 2017. Waldhauser also said there will be "accountability" for command failures that were factors in the ambush. Find 91 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok search on PeekYou - true people search. The four U.S. Army soldiers killed were Sgt. Niger: August 2017 October 2017 The investigators learned that Wright jumped back into the vehicle and slowly began driving south while Staff Sgts. [48][49] The team leader returned to the halted convoy at 11:57a.m. and ordered the convoy to head south to prevent getting outflanked. Staff Sgt. "What it shows, Meek said, is Jeremiah . Dustin Wright . During this sustained attack the ODA leader was thrown from the bed of the team's pickup. For a . [98] On the same day, Senator Lindsey Graham said that the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will be briefed next week. Johnson enlisted in the Army in October 2007 as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist. 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[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. [41] The group guarding the vehicles began to suspect that something was wrong when they witnessed two motorcycles race out of the village. The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. so the convoy stopped near the village of Tongo Tongo to resupply. It was ambushed outside the village of Tongo Tongo by a large group of Islamic State militants that had been tracking its movements for hours. Perozeni was concerned because his team had been up for 18 hours and still had to travel 25 kilometers through difficult terrain under limited visibility to conduct the raid on their own, the investigation stated. [36], The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35a.m. on their planned route back to base. Yacouba Issoufou was a soldat de 2nde classe (private) of the BSR. 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 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. She said she didn't like Trump's tone and that she broke down when Trump fumbled her husband's name. [36], In a video recorded before the ambush, young men can be seen on motorbikes armed with rifles and machine guns, repeating Islamist slogans, and discussing what they would do in the event they captured soldiers, with one of them saying that they would decapitate them. [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". The team radioed in that they were being overrun, then destroyed their radios to avoid them getting in the hands of the enemy. [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". [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. 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. La David Johnson sprayed the treeline with fire from an M240 machine gun. Wright continued to engage the enemy until incapacitated by enemy fire. 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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