[78], On 5 October, President Mahamadou Issoufou condemned the ambush and called for a moment of silence "to the memory of our soldiers who have fallen on the field of honour" and to the memory of "all victims of terrorism". Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sgt. La David Johnson, made the fight the deadliest on the African continent for . Army Commendation Medal w/C Device [36], The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35a.m. on their planned route back to base. On 10 October, CNN reported that a US defense official had shared details of an after action report that consisted of interviews with the survivors of the ambush. ", "A Deadly Ambush's Great Mystery: What Are We Doing in Niger? Army Service Ribbon Jeremiah Johnsons own Silver Star medal will be presented to his parents in the coming weeks. Within minutes, an unarmed US drone captured video of the firefight. [60] They would later move to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they raised two sons, Ezekiel and Isaac. [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. Debra Gannon's son, 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. La David Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida; Staff Sgt. The four team members who split from the second position would regroup with the remainder of the team and partner force. La . 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. The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the . Overseas Service Ribbon The battle of Tongo Tongo was over, and the search for four fallen members of Team Ouallam would begin. Two other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in southwest Niger. The ambush left five Nigeriens, [11] four Americans, [7] and 21 militants dead. Johnson], killing him with small-arms fire.". He was from Springboro, Ohio. Name. 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. Army Commendation Medal Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the money would "bolster our regional partners" in fighting against militant groups. 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Johnson (right) became honorary Green Berets. National Defense Service Medal They killed at least four of the attackers before they were forced back by the larger enemy unit. First Class Jeremiah W. Johnson, Staff Sgt. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Johnson alive," the summary said in disputing several reports that circulated immediately after the ambush. Niger: August 2017 October 2017 La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. . ABC News' investigative journalist James Gordon Meek remembers reporting on the ambush of Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3212, an Army Special Forces team, in Tongo Tongo, Niger, on Oct. 4 . At Dachau's cold-water immersion baths, Nazi doctors calculated death to arrive at around 77 degrees Fahrenheit. For Wright, Niger was his first overseas deployment. Through the night of the 4th, the team made their movement north and reached the objective officials referred to as "objective north" at sunrise. Waldhauser also said there will be "accountability" for command failures that were factors in the ambush. [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. A helicopter support team pulled out due to weather conditions, leaving the team exposed in Tongo Tongo, near the border with Mali. The version shown to defense reporters was 10 minutes long, compared to the 22-minute version shown to members of Congress. Dustin Wright and Sgt. As they advanced toward the ambush site they engaged and killed several militants before retreating to a safe position due to overwhelming fire. 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. Dustin Wright were killed as they returned from a low-risk patrol in Tongo Tongo with 30 Nigerian and up . They tried a textbook maneuver to end the threat. [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. When he ran out of ammunition for the M240, he fought on with an M2010 sniper rifle, the summary and video said. National Defense Service Medal Honoring those who fought and died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom Army Good Conduct Medal [87] On the day of the ambush, Trump was briefed by telephone by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. The lowest recorded core temperature in a surviving adult is 60.8 degrees. The Tongo Tongo ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) attacked Nigerien and U.S. soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, while they were returning to base from a mission. Jordan: May 2012, Awards: Jeremiah Johnson regained his footing and ran to Black, checking for wounds. Certificate of Achievement (two awards) He was eventually assigned to the Second Battalion, Third Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Hall of Valor includes citations related to actions during the Global War on Terror. Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon Footage taken from Jeremiah Johnson's helmet camera was later posted online which showed the engagement and subsequent deaths of the soldiers. [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". History of the United States Army Special Forces, Jeremiah Johnson, La . [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. He was incapacitated but still breathing, as the helmet cam stopped moving and was only heaving up and down . 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. Tongo Tongo ambush footage, October 2017.webm. While there, the Team OUALLAM commander conducted an . Army Commendation Medal Army Service Ribbon Members of the 3rd Special Forces Group, 2nd battalion cry at the tomb of US Army Sgt. Somehow, it was left behind. [41] The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than the team leader expected. 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. Niger: June 2016 October 2016, Awards: Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. [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. 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. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ", "Trump says he did not 'specifically' authorize Niger mission that killed four U.S. soldiers", "After Niger Attack, U.S. Jeremiah Johnson (gridiron football) (born 1987), American and Canadian football running back. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson ODA 3212 In Other News [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. 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