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The version shown to defense reporters was 10 minutes long, compared to the 22-minute version shown to members of Congress. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class and received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [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. [64][74] His funeral was held at Toombs County High School on 15 October 2017. As they advanced toward the ambush site they engaged and killed several militants before retreating to a safe position due to overwhelming fire. They quickly put it on as the firefight began. ", The attackers brought up a truck-mounted heavy machine gun and raked the tree, the summary said. Tongo Tongo ambush footage, October 2017.webm. A re-enactment of the events in Tongo Tongo, Niger, Oct. 4, 2017. But the militarys accusation that the team went off-script on the mission still bothers her. 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. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Jeremiah Johnson, American soldier killed in the Tongo Tongo ambush. Little information has been made public about the incident, and the attack is still under investigation. Members of the 3rd Special Forces Group, 2nd battalion cry at the tomb of US Army Sgt. 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. The footage shows Johnson and Staff Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Wayne Johnson. This information can be obtained through a FOIA request. [36], The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35a.m. on their planned route back to base. The patrol's leader, an Army captain who was not identified in the summary; the Nigerien commander; and several Nigerien soldiers worked their way around from the south in an effort to outflank the attackers. [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. Combat Infantryman Badge [75], A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019. They saved the lives of many soldiers. ", Staff Sgts. Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as LaDavid continued sprinting through the open desert. Bryan C. Black and Sgt. 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. He was incapacitated but still breathing, as the helmet cam stopped moving and was only heaving up and down . Simultaneously, Black was slightly ahead of the SUV and was hit by small arms fire, killing him instantly. Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon [64][66] He would later be assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group as a support element. [139][140] He was killed by French forces in a mid-2021 raid and a 45 minute video of the 2017 incident was recovered.[141]. 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. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Jeremiah Johnson, Sergeant Wright and Sergeant Black were in the black S.U.V. Myeshia Johnson wanted to see her husband's body, but was reportedly not allowed to do so by the military. Dustin Wright defending a fatally shot Staff Sgt. 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. La David T. Johnson's Funeral Held Saturday", "Honor the Fallen: Army Staff Sgt. [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. Jeremiah Johnson regained his footing and ran to Black, checking for wounds. He was awarded a Bronze Star . Army Sgt. "What it shows, Meek said, is Jeremiah . 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. They were: Sgt. This account was disputed by Trump, who said that he "had a very nice conversation with the woman, with the wife" and accused Wilson of "fabricating" her account. [72] with about 1,200 people in attendance, including Representative Wilson. [34][8][35][36][37], In Tiloa, the team failed to locate the ISGS commander and began their return to base. Army Service Ribbon Johnson], killing him with small-arms fire.". Jeremiah Johnson, Sgt. 39, of Springboro, Ohio, died Oct. 4 in southwest Niger, as a result of hostile fire while on a reconnaissance patrol. Jeremiah Johnson (mayor) (1766-1852), mayor of Brooklyn, New York. Sgt. [56], On 6 October, the body of LaDavid Johnson was found by children tending cattle. Jeremiah Johnson, Sgt. Approximately 960 meters (1,050yd) from the initial ambush site, LaDavid took cover under a dense thorny tree and engaged the encroaching enemy. The native of Puyallup, Washington, enlisted in the Army in October 2009, according to a statement from U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [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". Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), MOS/Branch: Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C), Dates of Service: July 2012 October 2017, Deployments: Simultaneously, Black was slightly ahead of the SUV and was hit by small arms fire, killing him instantly. Jeremiah Wayne Johnson. [69], Dustin Michael Wright (19882017) of Lyons, Georgia, was born in Toombs County, Georgia, to Arnold Wright and Terri Criscio. All three were assigned to the Armys 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 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. Combat Action Badge. [83], On 1 November, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said that Niger was open to allowing US drone strikes against terror groups. Johnson, 39, served as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist, also known as a 74D. "The enemy did not capture Sgt. Team members last saw Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright taking cover behind the team's unarmored SUV. Name. From the truck bed of his vehicle, Sgt. The two remained with Black's body and further assessed his wounds. March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. Black, Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were fighting could not disengage. [114], On 18 December, Jones-Johnson accused the Department of Defense of lying to her family about how her son was killed. 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: Bryan Black as dozens of enemy fighters bound toward them, the mothers of Wright and Johnson told Army Times in November. Abdoul Rachid Yerimah was a soldat de 2nde classe (private) of the BSR. [127] According to The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has since joined the investigation. Air Assault Badge . [4], According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 46 attacks occurred since early 2016 in the Tahoua and Tillabri regions of Niger. [91], On 18 October, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared that Wilson had willfully mischaracterized the spirit of the conversation. He enlisted in the Army July 2012. Here are the other U.S. soldiers killed in Niger", "City to host memorial service for Green Beret killed in Niger", "DoD releases names of 3rd Special Forces Group soldiers killed in Niger", "Fayetteville funeral held for Green Beret killed in Niger", "Pentagon identifies fourth soldier killed in Niger attack", "More than 1,000 mourn Sgt. Air Assault Badge The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. Staff Sgt. Purple Heart [73] Wright graduated from Toombs County High School in 2007. [29] According to the United States Department of Defense, ISIL leaders in Syria had acknowledged Sahrawi's allegiance through their Amaq News Agency but ISGS "has not been formally recognized as an official branch of ISIL". The new footage provided a more comprehensive understanding of Johnsons actions during the ambush, and directly led to the decision for the upgraded award, Army spokesman Matt Leonard confirmed. 1st Class Jeremiah . 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. ", "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.". That was downgraded to an Army Commendation Medal by Thomas in early 2019. ", "Trump says he did not 'specifically' authorize Niger mission that killed four U.S. soldiers", "After Niger Attack, U.S. Adjutant Chef Bagu Soumana and Soldier 2nd Class Abdoul Rachid Yarima were posthumously awarded, while four surviving soldiers received their awards in an October 2019 ceremony in Niamey. An official website of the United States government, Army Sgt. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, . Wright immediately backed up the SUV to bring him into cover. [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". Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; Sgt. 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. Wright earned the Special Forces Tab. The parents of U.S. Army Sgt. He enlisted in the Army October 2007. During this sustained attack the ODA leader was thrown from the bed of the team's pickup. A team member threw a smoke grenade to conceal the team's movement south to regroup with the Nigeriens. They sent final messages to loved ones on personal devices and prepared for the worst, team members would observe Nigerien soldiers on the ground praying. Ranger Tab [63] US Representative Dennis Heck and Washington State Senator Hans Zeiger spoke at his memorial service. [126], On 19 October, NBC News reported that AFRICOM sent a team to Niger to conduct a "review of the facts". 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. [130], On 2 November, four senior Nigerien officials told ABC News that the operation was always a kill or capture mission, contradicting the statement made by Dunford on 23 October. During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. [111] On the same day, Arnold Wright said that Trump was respectful when he called with his condolences, "He talked to me about the loss of my son and how he served with honor and dignity and he just wanted to give me a call to thank me". Johnson "continued to evade, running west for an additional 450 meters before eventually seeking cover under a thorny tree," the summary said. [79] On 6 October, Issoufou declared three days of national mourning. 'S unarmored SUV ) of the BSR is Jeremiah, Radiological, and Specialist... Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Wright and Sergeant Black were in the Tongo! 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