The Tongo Tongo ambush or the Niger ambush occurred on 4 October 2017, when armed militants from the

Islamic State in the Greater Sahara The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS) is a terrorist group adhering to the ideology of Salafi Jihadism. IS-GS was formed on 15 May 2015 as the result of a split within the militant group Al-Mourabitoun. The rift was a reaction to the ad ...

(ISGS) attacked

Nigerien This article is about the demographic features of the population of Niger, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. The largest ...

and US soldiers outside the village of Tongo Tongo,

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesHelene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff & Eric Schmitt
Military Inquiry Finds Soldiers Were Unprepared in Deadly Niger Ambush
''New York Times'' (May 10, 2018). During the ambush, four Nigeriens, four US soldiers, and at least 21 ISGS militants were killed, and eight Nigeriens and two US soldiers including the team commander were wounded. In the day preceding the ambush, the Nigerien and US soldiers conducted a mission attempting to locate and capture or kill Doundou Chefou, a commander in the ISGS. The ambush sparked political debate over the presence of US forces in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and brought attention to previously under-reported US military activities in the region. The ambush also prompted congressional inquiries, and an investigation by the

US Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

(DoD). The DoD inquiry, completed in 2018, found that the 11-member

US special forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...

team was not prepared for the mission, and identified other flaws in planning. The ambush remains the largest loss of American lives in combat in Africa since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.

Background

In January 2013, a senior

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesReuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

that

Bisa Williams Bisa Williams (born 1954) is an American diplomat. She is the former Ambassador from the United States of America to the Republic of Niger in Niamey. She assumed the post on October 29, 2010. She left her post in 2013. Early life Bisa Williams w ...

, the then-

United States Ambassador to Niger The day before Niger's independence on August 3, 1960, the first American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Donald R. Norland, presented his credentials to take effect the following day. The first United States ambassador to Niger, R. Borden Ream ...

, requested permission to establish a drone base in a meeting with

Nigerien President This is a list of heads of state of Niger since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. A total of ten people have served as head of state of Niger. The current head of state of Niger is the President of the Re ...

Mahamadou Issoufou Mahamadou Issoufou (born 1 January 1952) is a Nigerien politician who served as the President of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. Issoufou was the prime minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 t ...

. On 5 February, officials from both Niger and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

said that the two countries signed a status of forces agreement that allowed the deployment of unarmed surveillance drones. In that month, US

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

sent 150 military personnel to Niger to set up a surveillance drone operation that would aid

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

in its counterterrorism efforts in the Northern Mali conflict. In October 2015, Niger and the US signed a military agreement committing the two countries "to work together in the fight against terrorism".

US Army Special Forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...

personnel (commonly referred to as Green Berets) have deployed on numerous occasions to train personnel of the

Niger Armed Forces The Niger Armed Forces (french: Forces armées nigériennes) (FAN) includes military armed force service branches ( Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches ( National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) a ...

(FAN) to assist in the fight against terrorists from neighboring countries. In October 2017, there were about 800 US military personnel in Niger, most of whom were working to build a second drone base for US and French aircraft in

Agadez Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...

. 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. In 2015, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara was established by Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, who was a spokesperson and senior leader of the

Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MOJWA) or the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MUJWA; ar, جماعة التوحيد والجهاد في غرب أفريقيا ''Jamāʿat at-tawḥīd wal-jih ...

(MUJAO), a splinter group of

al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to o ...

. In August 2013, MUJAO merged with

al-Mourabitoun The Independent Nasserite Movement – INM ( ar-at, حركة الناصريين المستقلين-المرابطون, translit=Harakat al-Nasiriyin al-Mustaqillin) or simply Al-Murabitoun ( lit. ''The Steadfast''), also termed variously Mouveme ...

, which swore allegiance to al-Qaeda emir Ayman al-Zawahiri. In May 2015, Sahrawi spoke on the behalf of al-Mourabitoun and had pledged his allegiance to the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

and its leader,

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ( ar, أبو بكر البغدادي, ʾAbū Bakr al-Baḡdādī; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai ( ar, إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي, ʾIb ...

. However, the declaration was not recognized by the group's leader,

Mokhtar Belmokhtar Mokhtar Belmokhtar (; ar, مختار بلمختار;pronounced in Algerian Arabic as born 1 June 1972), also known as Khalid Abu al-Abbas, The One-Eyed, Nelson, and The Uncatchable, is an Algerian leader of the group Al-Murabitoun, former mil ...

, and the al-Qaeda loyalists, creating a split in the group. According to the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

, ISIL leaders in Syria had acknowledged Sahrawi's allegiance through their

Amaq News Agency Amaq News Agency ( ar, وكالة أعماق الإخبارية) is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq publishes news reports about claims of responsibility for terrorist attacks in Western countries. It is often the "first poi ...

but ISGS "has not been formally recognized as an official branch of ISIL". The ISGS's first confirmed terror attack occurred on 2 September 2016 when fighters targeted a customs post in Markoye,

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...

, an attack that left a border agent and a civilian dead. The ISGS had since been targeting pro-government militias that support the French and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

forces in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. According to the

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaster ...

(OCHA), at least 46 attacks occurred since early 2016 in the

Tahoua Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.Tah ...

and

Tillabéri Tillabéri (var. Tillabéry) is a town in northwest Niger. It is situated 113 km northwest of the capital Niamey on the River Niger. It is an important market town and administrative center, being the capital of department of Tillabéri and ...

regions of Niger. 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. The FAN had launched a military operation to reestablish security in Tillabéri in June 2017.

Pre-ambush

First mission

On 2 October 2017, a US special forces ( SOF) team from

3rd Special Forces Group The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) – abbreviated 3rd SFG(A) and often simply called 3rd Group – is an active duty United States Army Special Forces (SF) group which was active in the Vietnam Era (1963–69), deactivated, and then react ...

based in Quallam received intelligence that placed a high value ISGS sub-commander in their area of responsibility. Following this intelligence, the team submitted a mission plan for the vicinity of Tiloa the next day. The plan the team submitted did not accurately describe the mission's intention, describing it as civil/military reconnaissance instead of the actual purpose which was to locate and capture or if necessary kill the ISGS sub-commander. The mission plan was assessed and approved by the Niger and commanders and on 3 October at 5:59 am (local time), the team of 11 personnel consisting of eight US Special Forces operators, two support, and an intelligence contractor accompanying 35 Nigerien personnel from the Security and Intelligence Battalion (Bataillon Sécurité et de Renseignement or BSR) and the 433rd Special Interdiction unit, departed toward the vicinity of Tiloa in an eight vehicle convoy. The Americans traveled in two

technicals Technicals may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle often used in civil conflict * TECHNICALS, a clothing brand owned by Blacks Leisure Group See also * Technical (disambiguation) * Cambridge Technicals Cambridge Tech ...

and an unarmored

Toyota Land Cruiser The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...

while the Nigeriens traveled in five vehicles, one of which had been provided by the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

and had specialized surveillance equipment on board.

Second mission

Motorcycle destroyed by Team Ouallam and Nigerien force before the Tongo Tongo ambush

In Tiloa, the team failed to locate the ISGS commander and began their return to base. More than halfway back to base, the team received time sensitive intelligence that placed the commander northwest of Tiloa at the

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

border. The approved mission plan originally called for a helicopter team as the primary force with the Quallam team serving as a quick reaction force, however bad weather forced the helicopter team to cancel forcing team Quallam to continue on their own. Through the night of the 4th, the team made their movement north and reached the objective officials referred to as "objective north" at sunrise. As the team searched they discovered enemy rations, uniforms and a motorcycle all of which were destroyed by partner Nigerien soldiers. After completion of the second mission the team was ordered to return to base, before returning the team commander ordered an overhead asset to continue monitoring the area in order to gather intelligence on possibly enemy routes leading into Mali, in turn leaving the team unwatched as they departed toward Tongo Tongo at 8:30 am (local time).

Stop at Tongo Tongo

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 Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

them.

An elder of Tongo Tongo with 27 villagers approached the US forces

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. During this, team members met with local leaders and 27 men of the village. The US and Nigerien team leaders objected to the task because they were not heavily armed or equipped for intense combat should they encounter Chefou's ISIS fighters alone. But the team leaders' concerns were overruled by a higher command. The US soldiers were divided in two groups: one that would stay back and guard the vehicles and another that would attend the meeting. However, the meeting would drag on with the local leaders delaying the soldiers' departure by stalling and keeping them waiting. The group guarding the vehicles began to suspect that something was wrong when they witnessed two motorcycles race out of the village. The team believed the local leader was complicit in an impending attack. After completion of the meeting, the soldiers walked back to the rest of the unit and their unarmored pickup trucks. The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than the team leader expected.

Ambush

The eight vehicle convoy left the village at 11:35 a.m. on their planned route back to base. Approximately 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, began their assault against the rear of the convoy. 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 grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads ar ...

s, and

mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...

had allowed the convoy to move through the kill zone before attacking, trapping the rear of the convoy. As the enemy force mounted and advanced through the tree line, the convoy halted. The team reported enemy contact and immediately returned fire using vehicle mounted M240 machine guns while the rest of the team dismounted from their vehicles, donned protective equipment, and began to exchange small arms fire. The team leader and four Nigerien soldiers moved to the southeast to flank what was thought to be a small enemy force; meanwhile the team sergeant ordered the rear US vehicle to the middle of the convoy to better coordinate machine gun fire with US vehicle one. It was during this time that the rear Nigerien vehicle departed the area by an unknown route. 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 team leader observed a larger enemy force moving from his east consisting of armed men on motorcycles and vehicles with mounted machine guns. The team leader returned to the halted convoy at 11:57 a.m. and ordered the convoy to head south to prevent getting outflanked. Members of team Quallem killed several enemies during this movement out of the ambush site. Niger vehicles one and two were the first vehicles to depart. A team member threw a smoke grenade to conceal the team's movement south to regroup with the Nigeriens. Team members last saw Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright taking cover behind the team's unarmored

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...

Islamic State in the Greater Sahara fighter during the Tongo-Tongo ambush

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. After passing the colored smoke, Black ran and took cover behind a nearby tree while Jeremiah Johnson fired over the hood of the vehicle towards the tree line. As they continued their movement towards the south under fire, Jeremiah Johnson fell to the ground, leaving him exposed to enemy fire. Wright immediately backed up the SUV to bring him into cover. Simultaneously, Black was slightly ahead of the SUV and was hit by small arms fire, killing him instantly. Jeremiah Johnson regained his footing and ran to Black, checking for wounds. Wright exited the halted vehicle, looked toward the enemy and then dragged Black into cover. The two remained with Black's body and further assessed his wounds. Eventually, as enemy combatants pushed forward, they hastily abandoned their position. Approximately southwest of the SUV, Jeremiah Johnson was hit by enemy fire and collapsed; Wright stopped running and returned to Jeremiah Johnson's position. Wright continued to engage the enemy until incapacitated by enemy fire. Wright and Jeremiah Johnson were shot multiple times at close range by the militants, killing them. After initially escaping the ambush site, the American and Nigerien forces established a secondary position. Upon realizing Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Wright were missing, Two team members volunteered to head back to the ambush site in an attempt to locate vehicle three. As they advanced toward the ambush site they engaged and killed several militants before retreating to a safe position due to overwhelming fire. At this point two additional team members would head back toward the initial ambush site to help locate the missing teammates. At the secondary position the remaining team members and partner forces were becoming overwhelmed by enemy fire and were forced to enter their vehicles and egress out of the area at a high speed. During this manoeuvre, Sergeant La David Johnson and two Nigerien soldiers became separated from the rest of his team. Believing he had successfully reentered his vehicle, the other vehicles had left the area. La David Johnson was unable to enter his vehicle due to concentrated enemy fire and was forced to escape and evade on foot with the two Nigeriens. Both Nigerien soldiers were killed by enemy fire as La David continued sprinting through the open desert. Approximately from the initial ambush site, La David took cover under a dense thorny tree and engaged the encroaching enemy. Soon after, a vehicle with a mounted machine gun stopped within of La David Johnson's position and pinned him down. La David Johnson was killed by small arms between 12:30 and 12:45 pm. Initial reports indicated that La David Johnson may have been captured and executed, but he was found laying on his back with his arms by his sides and had wounds consistent with sporadic fire while he actively engaged the enemy. As the main

Operational Detachment Alpha An operational definition specifies concrete, replicable procedures designed to represent a construct. In the words of American psychologist S.S. Stevens (1935), "An operation is the performance which we execute in order to make known a concept." F ...

(ODA) element attempted to evade enemy forces, they came under heavy fire which resulted in one Nigerien soldier killed while the team leader and team sergeant would suffer multiple gunshot wounds. During this sustained attack the ODA leader was thrown from the bed of the team's pickup. The team circled the area and recovered the injured team leader. At this point the team's vehicle became bogged down and unable to continue. The four team members who split from the second position would regroup with the remainder of the team and partner force. Under heavy fire, seven American and four Nigerian soldiers would run through the wooded area and break contact with the enemy. They would establish a perimeter and began treating the wounded. The team radioed in that they were being overrun, then destroyed their radios to avoid them getting in the hands of the enemy. 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. French_helicopters_during_the_Tongo_Tongo_ambush

French_helicopters_during_the_Tongo_Tongo_ambush

The first call for additional support was relayed by the US forces nearly an hour after they first came under fire. Within minutes, an unarmed US drone captured video of the firefight. French Mirage jets were ordered to respond to the ambush, and they arrived roughly thirty minutes after notification. Even though there was now air support, the French pilots could not engage because they could not readily identify enemy forces in the firefight. Nevertheless, the presence of the fighter jets brought the engagement to an end. Two French

Super Puma The Airbus Helicopters H215 (formerly Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma) is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aerospace company Aérospatiale. It has been subsequently manufactu ...

helicopters were brought in from Mali to evacuate the injured Nigeriens and Americans, while Berry Aviation, an

independent contractor Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any oth ...

, evacuated the bodies of the fallen US soldiers. Within three to four hours after the soldiers called in for support, a French special operations team arrived at the scene.

Post-ambush

When the soldiers were found, one US soldier was found lying next to an enemy pickup truck while two other US soldiers were found in the bed of the pickup. All soldiers had their serviceable equipment including their body armour and boots taken from them. Footage taken from Jeremiah Johnson's helmet camera was later posted online which showed the engagement and subsequent deaths of the soldiers. On 6 October, the body of La David Johnson was found by children tending cattle. His body was nearly away from the scene of the ambush. On 12 November, additional remains of La David Johnson were found at the site where his body was recovered. All soldiers showed wounds consistent with small arms fire and had received additional bursts of fire at close range. All deaths were considered either instantly fatal or rapidly fatal.

Casualties

Among the Nigeriens, five were killed and eight were wounded. Among the US soldiers, four were killed: Staff Sergeant Bryan Black, Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson, Sergeant La David Johnson, and Staff Sergeant Dustin Wright. Two US soldiers who were wounded in the ambush were transferred to the

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), also known as Landstuhl Hospital, is a U.S. Army medical center, located in the German town of Landstuhl, near Ramstein Air Base. The installation is an amalgamation of Marceau Kaserne (german: Infan ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. A senior US intelligence official told

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

that at least 21 militants were killed, all of which were buried on the Malian side of the border.

Americans

Bryan Black

Bryan Christopher Black (1982–2017) of

Puyallup, Washington Puyallup ( or ) is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Tacoma and 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle. It had a population of 42,973 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from th ...

, was born in

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, to Henry and Karen Black. While in school, Black learned to play chess and, by the sixth grade, had earned a national ranking. Black graduated from

Puyallup High School Puyallup High School is a high school in the Puyallup School District in Pierce County, Washington, commonly referred to as PHS. History Founded in 1890 as Central High School, the first nine students graduated from the school in 1893. In 1902, ...

in 2000. At the age of 20, Black earned a business degree at

Central Washington University Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Lif ...

. Black moved to

Mammoth Lakes, California Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, and is the county's only incorporated community. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,191, r ...

, where he taught skiing, worked construction jobs in the off season, and met his wife, Michelle. They would later move to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they raised two sons, Ezekiel and Isaac. 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 Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

for two months in July. He was awarded three medals during his service: the Good Conduct Medal, the

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

, and the

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service ...

. He spoke

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, French,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, and

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

, the last of which is spoken in Niger. Black's funeral was held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on 18 October 2017. A memorial service was also held for Black on 19 November in Puyallup. US Representative Dennis Heck and Washington State Senator

Hans Zeiger Hans Andreas Zeiger (born February 20, 1985) is an American author and politician serving as a member of the Pierce County Council, representing the 2nd district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of ...

spoke at his memorial service.

Jeremiah Johnson

Jeremiah Wayne "JW" Johnson (1977–2017) of

Springboro, Ohio Springboro is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. A suburb of Cincinnati and Dayton, it is located mostly in Warren County in Clearcreek and Franklin Townships; with a small portion in Miami Township in Montgomery County. The city is part of th ...

, was born in New Bern, North Carolina, to J.W. and Debra Johnson, and graduated from North Stafford High School in 1996. After graduating high school, Johnson owned and operated a business until he enlisted in the US Army as a

CBRN Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consi ...

specialist in October 2007. He would later be assigned to the

as a support element. He previously deployed to

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

in 2012. Johnson was married to Crystal and had two daughters, Addie and Elisa. His funeral was held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on 19 October 2017. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class and received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.

La David Johnson

La David Terrence Johnson (1992–2017) was born in

Miami Gardens, Florida Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its w ...

, to Samara Johnson and Terrance McGriff. After his mother's death in September 1999, Johnson's care was entrusted to Richard and Cowanda Johnson. In 2010, Johnson graduated from

Miami Carol City Senior High School Miami Carol City Senior High School (MCCSH) is a public high school located at 3301 Miami Gardens Drive in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. It was established in 1963. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. The sc ...

. Johnson's family enrolled him in 5000 Role Models, a mentorship program of US Representative

Frederica Wilson Frederica Smith Wilson (born Frederica Patricia Smith, November 5, 1942) is an American politician who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 2011, representing . Located in South Florida, Wilson's congressional dis ...

that prepared African American children for college, vocational school, or the military. When Johnson was a

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

employee in Miami, people in his community knew him as a local stunt rider and was called the "Wheelie King". In January 2014, Johnson enlisted in the US Army as a wheeled vehicle mechanic (91B). He was eventually assigned to the Second Battalion, Third Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Johnson was awarded the

Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to recei ...

, the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the

Army Service Ribbon The Army Service Ribbon (ASR) is a military award of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990. History Effective 1 A ...

during his service. In school, Johnson met Myeshia Manual, whom he married on 22 August 2014. Johnson had her name tattooed on his chest. The couple had two children, Ah'Leesya and La David Jr., and one unborn child, La'Shee. His funeral was held at a church in

Cooper City, Florida Cooper City is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named for Morris Cooper, who founded the community in 1959. The city's population was 34,401 at the 2020 census. In 2006, with the annexation of the Waldrep Dairy F ...

, on 21 October 2017. with about 1,200 people in attendance, including Representative Wilson.

Dustin Wright

Dustin Michael Wright (1988–2017) of

Lyons, Georgia Lyons is a city in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,367 at the 2010 census, up from 4,169 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Toombs County. Lyons is part of the Vidalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Lyo ...

, was born in

Toombs County, Georgia Toombs County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,067. The county seat is Lyons and the largest city is Vidalia. The county was created on August 18, 190 ...

, to Arnold Wright and Terri Criscio. Wright graduated from Toombs County High School in 2007. He attended

Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hi ...

and

Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University (FSU) is a public historically black university in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History The second oldest state suppo ...

. In July 2012, Wright enlisted in the US Army as an engineer and ultimately became a Special Forces engineer sergeant (18C) assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group. His funeral was held at Toombs County High School on 15 October 2017. A small section of Georgia Highway 1 was named in memorial of Wright in April 2019.

Nigeriens

Goubé Mahamadou Issaka was a NCO-cadet of the Gendarmerie. Yacouba Issoufou was a ''soldat de 2nde classe'' ( private) of the BSR. Bagué Soumana was an ''adjudant-chef'' (

Chief warrant officer Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Pakistan Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force, the Lebanese Armed Forces and, since 2012, th ...

) of the BSR. Abdoul Rachid Yerimah was a ''soldat de 2nde classe'' (private) of the BSR. They were buried in the Muslim Cemetery of

Niamey Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...

on 7 October.

Aftermath

Nigerien response

On 5 October, President Mahamadou Issoufou condemned the ambush and called for a

moment of silence A moment of silence (also referred to as a minute's silence or a one-minute silence) is a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of ...

"to the memory of our soldiers who have fallen on the field of honour" and to the memory of "all victims of terrorism". On 6 October, Issoufou declared three days of national mourning. On 7 October, the deceased Nigerien soldiers were buried after their bodies were taken from the city morgue in

with Defence Minister Kalla Moutari, US Ambassador

Eunice Reddick Eunice Sharon Reddick (born 1951) is an American diplomat and is a former ambassador to Niger. She previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe. Biography Reddick graduated from Hunter College High School in New ...

, and Nigerien lawmakers watching. On 21 October, a Niger security source told AFP that the village chief, Mounkaila Alassane, was arrested for "complicity" with the militants. In an interview with

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

, 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". On 1 November,

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Brigi Rafini said that Niger was open to allowing US drone strikes against terror groups. On 30 November, the government of Niger gave the US permission to fly armed drones out of Niamey. Karimou Yacouba, the local member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

, told ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', "Everything that happened could have been prevented if help had arrived sooner".

US response

White House response

The ambush was the deadliest combat incident involving US soldiers since

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

took office as president on 20 January 2017. On the day of the ambush, Trump was briefed by telephone by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. The former was aboard Air Force One, having left

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

after visiting victims and first responders affected by a recent mass shooting. On 17 October, during a press conference, Trump was asked about his silence by a reporter and commented on the incident. 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. On 16 October, Trump called the widow of La David Johnson. Representative

, who was present during the call, alleged that Trump told the widow that La David Johnson "knew what he signed up for" and only referred to him as "your guy". 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. On 18 October, White House Press Secretary

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders (born August 13, 1982) is an American former political spokesperson and the governor-elect of Arkansas. She was the 31st White House press secretary, serving under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. She ...

declared that Wilson had willfully mischaracterized the spirit of the conversation. On

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

, Wilson said, "This might wind up to be Mr. Trump's Benghazi". On 19 October, Kelly, whose son was killed in the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

in 2010, defended Trump's call with the widow of La David Johnson. 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!" On 25 October, Trump told reporters that he did not "specifically" authorize the mission in Niger. In a

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

meeting on 30 October,

US ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...

Nikki Haley pledged $60 million towards a new counterterrorism force in West Africa. Haley also expected the G5 Sahel to "take on full regional ownership of the force within a period of three to six years, with continued US engagement". Secretary of State

Rex Tillerson Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American engineer and energy executive who served as the 69th U.S. secretary of state from February 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, under President Donald Trump. Prior to joining the Trump administ ...

said that the money would "bolster our regional partners" in fighting against militant groups. On 13 December, Wilson told Jonathan Capehart on his podcast that there was a cover-up.

Congressional response

Senator John McCain stated that the Trump administration was not being forthcoming about the details of the ambush. McCain also said that the

Senate Armed Services Committee The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for ''Senate Armed Services Committee'') is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Def ...

, of which he was the chairman, would like to get the information "it deserves and needs", before deciding whether a formal investigation is necessary. On 19 October, McCain said that a subpoena may be required to determine what happened in Niger. On 20 October, McCain and Mattis met in McCain's office in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

. After the meeting, Mattis told reporters, "We can do better at communication". On the same day, Senator

Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, Graham chaired the Senate Committee on ...

said that the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will be briefed next week. After a meeting with Mattis, Graham told reporters that the

rules of engagement Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...

would be changing and warned that the US should anticipate more military operations in Africa as the

war on terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...

continues to morph. On 26 October, Robert Karem, the

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs In the United States, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs or ASD (ISA) is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD (P)) and the United States Secretary of Defense on internation ...

, and Air Force

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Albert Elton briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee in a

closed session An executive session is a term for any block within an otherwise open meeting (often of a board of directors or other deliberative assembly) in which minutes are taken separately or not at all, outsiders are not present, and the contents of the dis ...

. After the briefing, Senator

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...

said that "on the initial assessment there were not significant steps that could have been taken to prevent this assault". However, Senator

Richard Blumenthal Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...

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". McCain said the ambush was "a direct result" of

budget sequestration Budget sequestration is a provision of United States law that causes an across-the-board reduction in certain kinds of spending included in the federal budget. Sequestration involves setting a hard cap on the amount of government spending with ...

. On 9 May 2019, US Representative

Ruben Gallego Rubén Marinelarena Gallego (; born November 20, 1979) is an American politician and U.S. Marine combat veteran, having served and deployed as a USMCR Corporal during Operation Iraqi Freedom, who is the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 7th co ...

urged senators to oppose

Patrick M. Shanahan Patrick Michael Shanahan (born June 27, 1962) is a former United States United States federal government, federal government official who served as acting United States Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of Defense in 2019. President of the U ...

's nomination as Secretary of Defense, alleging that he "mishandled" the investigation into the Tongo Tongo ambush.

Military response and inquiries

In October 2017, Defense Secretary

James Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian ...

said that the ambush was "considered unlikely". 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. General

Joseph Dunford Joseph Francis Dunford Jr. (born December 23, 1955) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, who served as the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2015, until September 30, 2019. He was the 36th command ...

, 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. 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". On 10 May 2018, the

released an unclassified executive summary of the DoD's investigation and gave a briefing on the outcome of the department's investigation. 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. The investigation also found that "two junior officers had 'mischaracterized' the mission" in planning documents. The report did not make specific recommendations on the handling of future missions. 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. On 17 May 2018, the US Department of Defense released a 23 minute video showing a digital recreation of the ambush.

Family members' response

On 18 October, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, who was also present during the conference call, confirmed Wilson's account saying "Yes, ilson'sstatement is true", and "I was in the car and I heard the full conversation". Jones-Johnson said, "President Trump did disrespect my son and my daughter and also me and my husband". 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". On 23 October, Myeshia Johnson said on ABC's '' Good Morning America'' that Wilson's account of the call with Trump was "100 percent correct" and that the call "made ercry even worse". She said she didn't like Trump's tone and that she broke down when Trump fumbled her husband's name. Myeshia Johnson wanted to see her husband's body, but was reportedly not allowed to do so by the military. 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". On 18 December, Jones-Johnson accused the Department of Defense of lying to her family about how her son was killed. La David Johnson's sister, Richshama, said, "We find out everything via social media".

Media response

On 18 October,

Mark Landler Mark Aurel Landler (born October 26, 1965) is an American journalist who is the London bureau chief of ''The New York Times''. He was previously a White House Correspondent, based in Washington, D.C. Early life and education Born on October 26, ...

and Yamiche Alcindor, reporters from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', 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. On the same day, three reporters from the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' 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". On 20 October, ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'' senior writer David French criticized the comparison between the ambush and the

2012 Benghazi attack The 2012 Benghazi attack was a coordinated attack against two United States government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, by members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia. On September 11, 2012, at 9:40 pm local time, members of Ansar a ...

and said, "All available evidence suggests that this is a tragedy rather than a scandal". Laura Seay, an assistant professor of government at

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philant ...

, shared French's view in an article on '' Slate''. On 20 October, Jason Ditz wrote an article for ''

The American Conservative ''The American Conservative'' (''TAC'') is a magazine published by the American Ideas Institute which was founded in 2002. Originally published twice a month, it was reduced to monthly publication in August 2009, and since February 2013, it has ...

'' 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. We can't have a debate on US intervention overseas if we don't even know where are our forces are, let alone to what end". On 26 October, Phillip Carter and Andrew Swick wrote on Vox, sharing a similar view that missions similar to the one in Niger "have never been specifically authorized by Congress, let alone discussed and debated by the American public". On 27 October, ''The New York Times'' editorial board wrote that "the lack of clarity about the Niger operation is one more reason for Congress to replace the 2001 law authorizing military force against Al Qaeda with legislation to address current threats like the Islamic State, limit American interventions, and ensure regular congressional oversight". On 10 November, local villagers told ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' that La David Johnson's body was found with his arms tied, but the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

reported on 17 December that there were no indications he was shot at close range, had been bound, or taken prisoner. Interviewed in a 2020 documentary, United States Army veteran and author

Paul Rieckhoff Paul (P.J.) Rieckhoff is an American writer, social entrepreneur, activist and veteran of the United States Army and the Iraq War. He is the president oRighteous Media Incand the host of thIndependent Americans podcast Prior to that, he was the ...

described the significance of the incident:

ISGS response

On 12 January 2018, the ISGS claimed responsibility for the attack after a long delay. 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".

Investigation

Multiple US officials told CNN that the French military was leading an investigation to gather intelligence about the perpetrators of the ambush. A spokesperson from the

French Ministry of the Armed Forces , native_name_a = , native_name_r = , type = Ministry , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , logo = Ministère des Armées.svg , logo_width = 150 , logo_caption = Official logot ...

said on 5 October that French soldiers who were participating in

Operation Barkhane Operation Barkhane was an anti-insurgent operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region.Chad were involved in an operation in Niger. On 10 October, CNN reported that a US defense official had shared details of an

after action report An after action report (or AAR) is any form of retrospective analysis on a given sequence of goal-oriented actions previously undertaken, generally by the author themselves. The two principal forms of AARs are the literary AAR, intended for recrea ...

that consisted of

interviews An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" r ...

with the survivors of the ambush. A senior congressional aide told

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

that the ambush was caused by a "massive intelligence failure" with no overhead surveillance of the mission, or a

quick reaction force In military science nomenclature, a quick reaction force (QRF) is an armed military unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations, typically to assist allied units in need of such assistance. They are to have equipment ready to re ...

in place to swiftly respond in the event that the mission went wrong. On 19 October, NBC News reported that AFRICOM sent a team to Niger to conduct a "review of the facts". According to ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

has since joined the investigation. The US Department of Defense released military records on 26 October that showed that the killed US soldiers had little to no experience in combat. For Wright, Niger was his first overseas deployment. On 26 October, Dunford announced that Army Major General Roger Cloutier would lead the investigation into the ambush. 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. On 8 November, the US Department of Defense said that the investigation would be completed in January 2018. On 5 December, people with knowledge of the operation told BuzzFeed that what happened in Niger "was the result of reckless behavior by US Special Forces". After a Twitter user published a series of posts claiming to have footage from the ambush, AFRICOM said on 24 January 2018, "We are reviewing the post and determining the veracity of the tweet and the assertions that there is an associated video". In November 2018, the US military sent letters of reprimand to four officers and two soldiers, most notably to Air Force Major General Marcus Hicks, who was in charge of special operations forces in Africa, and Captain Michael Perozeni.

Medals

Nine valor medals, including four Silver Stars, were awarded to members of ODA 3212 for their actions during the ambush. Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright and Sgt. La David Johnson were posthumously awarded the Silver Star while Staff Sgt. Bryan Black and Sgt. First Class Jeremiah Johnson posthumously received the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with Valor. Six medals were awarded to Nigerien soldiers. Adjutant Chef Bagué 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. Two Nigeriens received Bronze Stars with Valor for their actions during the ambushone 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. As of October 2022, Jeremiah John was awarded the Silver Star.

Recovery of equipment

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

after clashes with bandits in the border area. They offered to return it to the US by legal means. On 19 December 2018, more than a year after the ambush, a sidearm belonging to SSG Jeremiah Johnson was recovered by French forces during an operation in the Mali-Niger border region.

Bounty and recovery of video

On 4 October 2019, the

offered a $5 million bounty on Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi under the Rewards for Justice program. He was killed by French forces in a mid-2021 raid and a 45 minute video of the 2017 incident was recovered.

References

External links

General Dunford Briefs the Press on the Niger Ambush and Investigation

Niger: Frequently Asked Questions About the October 2017 Attack on U.S. Soldiers

Congressional Research Service The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...

{{Militant Islamism in Sub-Saharan Africa 2017 in Niger Ambushes Attacks in Africa in 2017 Battles involving the United States Conflicts in 2017 Filmed killings Military operations involving France Military operations involving Niger Niger–United States relations October 2017 crimes in Africa October 2017 events in Africa Operations involving American special forces Terrorist incidents in Niger Tillabéri Region Trump administration controversies Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2017 Islamic terrorist incidents in 2017 Mass murder in 2017