Staff Sgt. Col. Bradley Moses retired this year after his promotion to brigadier general had been denied by the U.S. Senate without comment. Johnson, said that the documentary "3212 UN-REDACTED" reveals the reality of war and the injustice suffered by ODA 3212 and their loved ones. And they all believe he was one of the finest officers in the Army and that his record should be expunged and that his reputation should be restored.. That story, as presented by the Pentagon, sounded like an outlandish tale -- but it was all offered as fact by U.S. generals whose stiff uniforms sparkled with the glint of their stars and ribbons as they sat in the Pentagon's press room in the spring of 2018. Jeremiah Johnson. Capt. Rather than be commended for surviving the gunfight in Tongo Tongo, the seven American survivors, who also included the contractor, instead found themselves under investigation by AFRICOM within days of the ambush -- and their commanders who ordered them to carry out their missions did not apparently defend their actions, they said. I didn't even finish listening to the news conference. A funeral was held for Johnson on October 21, 2017, and more than 1,200 people attended. This professionalism is the result of corporate leadership, teamwork, open communications, customer/supplier partnership, and state-of-the-art manufacturing. In a scene from National Geographics documentary series, Chain of Command, Sgt. Jeremi Johnson transferred to Western Kentucky University for his senior season, where he was a key player on the Hilltoppers' NCAA Division I-AA championship team. The results of ABC News' three-year investigation into what happened at Tongo Tongo are revealed in the new documentary feature, "3212 UN-REDACTED," coming to Hulu on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Maj. Van Saun, the company commander, was reprimanded -- even though he was some 5,000 miles away at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the time of the ambush. Wrights father said he was told that his son Dustin was put up for the Medal of Honor, but that it was downgraded twice before he received a posthumous Silver Star, according to ABC News. Mike Perozeni, the officer leading ODA 3212, also received two letters of reprimand. And in the strangest twist of all, they had been trying to locate an American aid worker who was being held hostage by the terrorist commander they were trying to kill. Dustin Wright and Staff Sgt. But intelligence, military, FBI, and Trump White House officials have told ABC News that despite Waldhauser's statements, the mission was never pegged to or driven by the CIA or by any efforts to find or recover Woodke. "I was left with the impression that this guy [Perozeni] was a screw-up. The Islamic State released a propaganda video Sunday that allegedly depicts the Oct. 4 ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, that killed four U.S. soldiers. The Mauritanian Nouakchott News Agency reported Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 that Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi with the self-professed IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the Oct. 4 ambush about 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Niger's capital, Niamey. "They didn't care that there was no backup for those boys.". Those obscured details were classified "Secret" by then-commander Gen. Thomas Waldhauser until the year 2043. Bryan Black, Sgt. He was raised by his parents, Samara Johnson and Terrance McGriff, until 1999 when his mother passed away. Negative, sir. Brent Bartels behind the wheel. And not just as a Gold Star mother who's lost a child, but as an American," Terri Criscio, Dustin Wright's mother and herself an Army veteran, said in an interview for the film. Perozeni's objections to carrying out the mission at the campsite, and Painter's boss, Col. Bradley Moses, located in Germany, did not receive career-ending punishment, despite being deeply involved in the decision-making about ODA 3212's missions. WebThere was originally a rotary wing element which was supposed to join them during their visit to Tongo Tongo, however the rotary wing element had to stand down due to bad weather. Col. Moses told ABC News that, contrary to what AFRICOM claimed, he was informed by his subordinate, Lt. Col. Painter, of ODA 3212 taking the lead in searching the ISIS campsite -- but not that Capt. 5:25. La David Terrence Johnson was an African American Army Sergeant, vehicle mechanic, and father who was killed in the Tongo Tongo Ambush on October 4, 2017 in the West African nation of Niger, alongside three other American soldiers, Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson, and Dustin Wright. He also said he did not intend to hurt the families with his disparaging public remarks about the team. Jeremiah Johnson: Directed by Sydney Pollack. "During the movement, enemy small-arms fire hit Staff Sgt. Like Myeshia Johnson, Will Wright said he couldn't shake the feeling that "something didn't add up.". They are expected to target several different al-Qaida and Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in countries throughout the Sahel, a sprawling region just south of the Sahara, including the area around Lake Chad, where Nigerias Boko Haram insurgency has spread. Had there still been a drone providing over-watch for the team, they may have been forewarned about the enemy ambush that had staged along their departure route a force outnumbering the U.S. and Nigerien soldiers three to one. In fact, Army records obtained by ABC News show that Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. The statement was also supported by Blacks brother and Johnsons widow. Johnson was a standout for Ballard High School, rushing for over 2,000 yards and scoring 35 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored. Dustin Wright was recommended by 3rd Special Forces Group for the nation's highest valor award, the Medal of Honor, for going back to defend his comrade, Sgt. Bryan C. Black, as well as Blacks mother and widow, released a joint statement Friday. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Ga. All four were killed in Niger, when a joint patrol of American and Niger forces was ambushed on Oct. 4, 2017, by militants believed linked to the Islamic State group. [2] He was released with an injury settlement on November 26, 2008. Roger Cloutier, in the meantime, was promoted to lieutenant general. They attempted to bound away when Johnson fell. 11:40 to 14:58 (local time) Location. ODA 3212 was then ordered to make a U-turn and drive back north through the night to support another team, ODA 3216, which was flying in from a U.S. base in Arlit, Niger, to raid the ISIS campsite where the signal was emanating from. On October 4, 2017, four U.S. soldiers from the Africa Command were ambushed and killed during a mission near Tongo Tongo, Niger. On the anniversary of the Oct. 4, 2017, ambush that killed four American soldiers near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, family members of three of the fallen expressed continued frustration with how U.S. Africa Command handled the investigation. The film also reveals other instances of confusing or false statements by military officials involved in the incident and the investigations, as well as other information that was never shared with the families. While Perozeni eventually got some official vindication of his actions, in the form of an Army Commendation Medal, Meek said Van Sauns once-promising military career was cut short without any vindication. When youre not cutting hair, what are your other camp duties around here? Johnson is asked in the episode that first aired Monday night. Liver-Eating Johnson (18241900), mountain man of the American old west. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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Cheffou's phone had been detected by a U.S. military drone near a village close to Mali, but the CIA operatives with the Special Forces team failed to detect the signal -- so the convoy returned south, almost reaching their base in Oulluam by late afternoon on Oct. 3, 2017. Woodke remains in captivity, sources say. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, Staff Sgt. What happened next to ODA 3212, and why, was hugely significant -- but the information was omitted from AFRICOM's thick report and family briefings, the ABC News investigation found. "It wasn't in any of the mission plans. He is survived by his wife, three children, his father, two grandparents, nine sisters, eight brothers, and numerous extended family members and friends. "And it's like, 'Oh, my gosh.' "It hurt really bad to hear that," Van Saun said.
But yeah, you never know what will come out., Staff Sgt. Army Cpt. as they briefly take cover behind a disabled pickup. La David Johnson, the fourth soldier killed in the ambush. Editor's Note: Below is the full statement provided by Pentagon spokesperson Cindy King following the publication of this story: "The Department of Defense promised an accurate, fair investigation; the sacrifices of our soldiers and their families deserve no less. 21 Engel Injection Molding Machines (28 to 300 Ton Capacity), 9 new Rotary Engel Presses (85 Ton Capacity), Rotary and Horizontal Molding, Precision Insert Molding, Full Part Automation, Electric Testing, Hipot Testing, Welding. The attack resulted in the death of 4 Nigeriens, 4 Americans (including Johnson), and 21 of the 50 assaulters. At Furnel, Inc. our goal is to find new ways to support our customers with innovative design concepts thus reducing costs and increasing product quality and reliability. French soldiers of the aerial detachment of the Operation Barkhane stand guard near a Reaper drone about to take off from the Nigerian military airport Diori Hamani in Niamey on January 2, 2015. Through the course of his investigative efforts, Meek found that the plan for the special forces unit to go on the hunt for Cheffou did not come from the unit leaders on the ground but rather from higher-up military leaders. By Jack Moore On 1/25/18 at 7:00 AM EST. His team was lightly armed. The Americans were on a mission in northern Niger when their convoy was ambushed returning from Tongo Tongo. When U.S. soldiers in Niger became involved in a firefight Oct. 4 with local militants, it took an hour and a half for the first unarmed American aircraft to arrive overhead. On Oct. 4, 2017, a unit of the U.S. Armys 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. Jeremiah W. Johnson, Staff Sgt. Four Americans gunned down in a withering, four-hour firefight in the Sahara -- part of a 10-man Green Beret team said to have gone rogue and been ambushed by ISIS while hunting down a top terrorist to "capture or kill" -- were ill-prepared, poorly trained and "not indicative" of their high-performing peers on the continent, U.S. military officials said. I wont go into details here, but we have increased the firepower, weve increased the ISR capacity and weve increased various response times, said Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, Africa Commands top leader. 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.