The T-6B Texan II is a two-seat turboprop used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots in flight school. 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. Find 91 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok search on PeekYou - true people search. The clash . Jeremiah Johnson, Black and Wright were outside the same vehicle when . 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: Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sgt. He was incapacitated but still breathing, as the helmet cam stopped moving and was only heaving up and down . [73] Wright graduated from Toombs County High School in 2007. They quickly put it on as the firefight began. The parents of U.S. Army Sgt. Black and Jeremiah Johnson moved alongside, providing covering fire. Army Service Ribbon He served as a Special Forces engineer sergeant, or an 18C. During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. "[93], On 25 October, Trump told reporters that he did not "specifically" authorize the mission in Niger. The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. Black, Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were fighting could not disengage. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. Questions persist concerning an ambush in which four U.S. Army special forces were killed Oct. 4 in the West African country of 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. 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. Soldiers in Niger Sparks FBI Probe, Criticism", "Military records reveal U.S. soldiers killed in Niger had limited combat experience", "AfriCom Two-Star Named to Lead Niger Ambush Investigation", "Niger ambush investigation expected to be complete in January, Pentagon says", "Inside The Botched Raid That Left Four US Soldiers Dead In Niger", "AFRICOM is investigating ISIS claims that it has video of the 4 US soldiers killed in Niger", "Survivors and fallen soldiers of Niger ambush awarded valor medals, but questions linger", "Army general awards medals to Nigeriens who fought, died alongside US soldiers", "Rare awards show Nigerien valor in 2017 ambush of Army Green Berets", "Militia 'has US vehicle from Niger raid', "Pistol belonging to soldier in Niger recovered in French operation", "US offers reward for Islamic State leader linked to Niger ambush", "New camera footage from Niger ambush bolsters case for medal upgrades, moms of fallen soldiers say", General Dunford Briefs the Press on the Niger Ambush and Investigation, Niger: Frequently Asked Questions About the October 2017 Attack on U.S. His hands "were not bound and he was not executed but was killed in action while actively engaging the enemy," the summary said. But Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, who led U.S. Special Operations Command-Africa at the time, downgraded the recommended decoration to a Distinguished Service Cross in September of that year, according to award approval records previously viewed by Army Times. [21], The ambush sparked political debate over the presence of US forces in Africa and brought attention to previously under-reported US military activities in the region. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [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. Username. Username. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Copyright 2023 Military.com. 3.2k. At 1522 on 6 October 2017, the Nigeriens transferred the remains of SGT L. Johnson to U.S. custody. Book excerpt: Sacrifice: A Gold Star Widows Fight for the Truth, Rare awards show Nigerien valor in 2017 ambush of Army Green Berets, Army officer awarded less than $4,000 in traffic stop lawsuit, As 2 of the MARSOC 3 go on trial for homicide, the 3rd gets immunity, How a comedian and Air Force spouse are helping feed military families, Fake general scammed seniors in online romance scheme, Ruben Gallego on defense priorities, concerns in the new Congress, New parental leave policy and Ukraine aid update | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 1.14.23, Important financial steps to take before deployment Money Minute, Canada expands joint strike fighter fleet | Defense Dollars, Star of new movie talks bond between athletes, troops, Army Special Forces are testing this rapid-fire mortar system, Nov. 11, 1918: Wasted Lives on Armistice Day. [38], At 10:30 am (local time), 4 October, the convoy stopped at the village of Tongo Tongo so that partner Nigeriens could eat breakfast and get water. Username. On the anniversary of the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush that killed four American soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, . [13] 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. Gen. Raymond Thomas III, who helmed SOCOM at the time, then downgraded the award again to a Silver Star in December 2018, the records showed. [135], Two Nigeriens received Bronze Stars with Valor for their actions during the ambush one for a Nigerien who joined in a flanking maneuver against the ISGS militants and one for a Nigerien who exposed himself to stop friendly fire coming from a quick reaction force's heavy machine-gun.[136]. Roughly two hours after the ambush began, the first sign of air support arrived. The tree where Sgt Johnson's died, seen from an islamist firing position.png 937 616; 541 KB. 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. They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of Niamey on 7 October. 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. [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. [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. They were: Sgt. First Class Jeremiah Johnson posthumously received the Bronze Star with Valor. Team members last saw Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright taking cover behind the team's unarmored SUV. [88], On 17 October, during a press conference, Trump was asked about his silence by a reporter and commented on the incident. [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. Staff Sgt. First Class Jeremiah W. Johnson, Staff Sgt. ", "APNewsBreak: US soldier fought to end after ambush in Niger", "ISIS Affiliate Claims October Attack on U.S. Forces Doing in Niger Anyway? [67], His funeral was held at a church in Cooper City, Florida, on 21 October 2017. Kyle Rempfer is an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. [67] Johnson had her name tattooed on his chest. [54], In December 2017, Major General Mark Hicks, the commander of Special Operations Command, Africa (SOCAFRICA), wrote a letter to the Special Operations Forces that read, "To reinforce and clarify guidance going forward I would like to emphasize that we must reduce our risk exposure and build trust in our ability to exercise sound judgment and disciplined planning and execution". 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. . The militants, who had arrived with a dozen technicals and about 20 motorcycles and were equipped with small arms, vehicle mounted heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, and mortars had allowed the convoy to move through the kill zone before attacking, trapping the rear of the convoy.[43][44][45][46]. Staff Sgt. 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. On October 4, 2017, four U.S. soldiers from the Africa Command were ambushed and killed during a mission near Tongo Tongo, Niger. 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. 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". "As enemy fighters advanced through the ambush site, they fired several additional bursts into the bodies of the three soldiers.". March 8, 2018 1:43 PM EST. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. At the Pentagon briefing, Cloutier was asked if the captains had lied. Forces in Niger Were Denied Armed Drone", "Pentagon suspects Green Berets in Niger killed by self-radicalized group", "Top US general reveals new info on Niger ambush", "Attaques jihadistes: le Niger sous le feu", "Video showing deadly ambush of US soldiers in Niger raises new questions", "U.S. soldier in Niger ambush was bound and apparently executed, villagers say", "Missing soldier found nearly a mile from Niger ambush, officials say", "Additional remains of Sergeant La David Johnson found in Niger", "Puyallup Green Beret killed in Niger once was a chess whiz and stock", "Trump's call to one widow has dominated the news. La David Johnson's body was not recovered until 48 hours after the firefight. National Defense Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal 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. Army Service Ribbon [20] The report did not make specific recommendations on the handling of future missions. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Dates of Service: July 2007 - October 2017. Find 16087 people named Jeremiah Johnson along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. Army Sgt. Niger: June 2016 November 2016 Jeremiah Johnson, and continued to engage the enemy until each was shot and killed by small-arms fire. 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. Little information has been made public about the incident, and the attack is still under investigation. The second Nigerien soldier was shot and killed about another 110 meters further on. [63] US Representative Dennis Heck and Washington State Senator Hans Zeiger spoke at his memorial service. [75], A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019. The graphic footage was recorded on the helmet cameras of Staff Sgt. "During the movement, enemy small-arms fire hit 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.
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