The Pentagon said multiple failures are to blame for the Niger ambush that killed four US service members last October.
The report summary released Thursday cites insufficient training and preparation as well as the team’s deliberate decision to go after a high-level Islamic State group insurgent without proper command approval.
The families of the four men killed by ISIS in the ambush last fall have said they were ‘abandoned’ and ‘left on their own’ by US commanders who made poor decisions.
In a press conference head of US Africa command Gen. Thomas Waldhauser took full responsibility for the events and was instructed to make several improvements to the organization.
The Pentagon has said multiple failures are to blame for the Niger ambush that killed four last October. From left, Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; Sgt. La David Johnson of Miami Gardens, Florida; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia
‘I take ownership of all the events connected to the ambush of 4 October,’ Walhauser told reporters. ‘Again, the responsibility is mine.’
Waldhauser said changes have already been made in the way military activities are carried out in Niger and elsewhere in Africa.
‘We are now far more prudent on our missions,’ the general said.
The summary lays out a confusing chain of events that unfolded on October 3-4, ending in a lengthy, brutal firefight as 46 US and Nigerien forces battled for their lives against more than 100 enemy fighters.
Amid the chaos, it identifies repeated acts of bravery as the outnumbered and outgunned soldiers risked their lives to protect and rescue each other during the more than hour-long assault.
Marine Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command, center, took full responsibility for the events at a press conference Thursday. He is pictured with Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Robert S. Karem, left, and Army Maj. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier, right, chief of staff, U.S. Africa Command
‘This investigation identifies individual, organizational, and institutional failures and deficiencies that contributed to the tragic events of 4 October 2017,’ the summary said.
But it concludes that ‘although the report details the compounding impact of tactical and operational decisions, no single failure or deficiency was the sole reason for the events of 4 October 2017.’
Military officials found that the US forces didn’t have time to train together before they deployed and did not do pre-mission battle drills with their Nigerien partners.
And the report found there was a lack of attention to detail and lax communication about missions that led to a ‘general lack of situational awareness and command oversight at every echelon’.
The summary includes recommendations to improve mission planning and approval procedures, re-evaluate equipment and weapons requirements, and review training that US commandos conduct with partner forces.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis directed Waldhauser to take immediate steps to address shortfalls, and has given senior leaders four months to complete a review and lay out a plan for additional changes.
The soldiers’ next of kin were briefed on details of the investigation by Pentagon officials last week. Myeshia Johnson, the wife of La David Johnson, is pictured kissing his coffin at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida, on October 21
The American and Nigerien commanders in charge of their teams objected to the mission because they did not have enough weaponry or firepower for combat in the event they would encounter ISIS fighters. They were overruled. La David Johnson’s coffin is seen above
According to the report, the Army Special Forces team left Camp Ouallam on October 3 to go after Doundou Chefou, an IS leader who was suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an American aid worker.
But the team leader and his immediate supervisor submitted a different mission to their higher command, saying they were simply going out to meet tribal leaders.
That less-risky mission was approved, but when the Ouallam team got to the location the insurgent wasn’t there.
Senior commanders, unaware of the team’s earlier actions, then ordered the troops to serve as backup for a second team’s raid, also targeting Chefou.
That mission was aborted when weather grounded the second team. The Ouallam team members were then was ordered to another location to collect intelligence also linked to Chefou, which they did without problems.
On their way back to their home base they stopped at the village of Tongo Tongo to get water.
The four US soldiers were ‘abandoned’ and ‘left on their own’ by US commanders who made poor decisions, the families of the slain troops have said. One of the soldiers is seen above from a helmet cam during the ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo on October 4
The image above shows a red smoke grenade deployed to try and help US troops conceal their movements while escaping
Soon after leaving Tongo Tongo, about 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Niamey, Niger’s capital, they were ambushed by Islamic State-linked militants carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
The report concludes that although the enemy can move freely around the village area, ‘there is not enough evidence to conclude that the villagers of Tongo Tongo willingly (without duress) aid and support them.
‘Additionally, there is insufficient evidence to determine if villagers aided the enemy or participated in the attack.’
Killed in the attack were: Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida; Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia.
Four Nigerien troops were killed and two American soldiers and eight Nigerien forces were wounded.
According to military investigators, La David Johnson was unintentionally left behind while fighting alongside Nigerien partner forces on October 4. His body was found days later
The report says that the four soldiers killed in the attack ‘gave their last full measure of devotion to our country and died with honor while actively engaging the enemy.’
It says that none were captured alive by the enemy, and all died immediately or quickly from their wounds.
Sgt. La David Johnson and two Nigerien soldiers got separated from the others during the battle and were gunned down, but his body wasn’t found until two days later.
The investigation was led by U.S. Africa Command’s chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier Jr., whose team conducted dozens of interviews across the U.S., Europe and Africa.
Families of the fallen have expressed frustration with the incident and the briefings they got.
‘The whole thing was a screwed-up mess,’ said Arnold Wright, father of Staff Sgt. Wright.
He said he’s concerned the Army may be pinning blame on lower-ranking soldiers and not accepting responsibility high enough up the chain of command.
The briefing, he said, gave the impression ‘that the captain, the team leader, that he mischaracterized the mission’ as one to reach out to local leaders rather than a mission to target the insurgent.
‘They were left on their own and it was The Alamo. They were abandoned,’ another one of the bereaved parents said last week.
‘The sad thing is, they didn’t realize they’d been left behind, and by the time the other guys attempted to get to them, it was probably too late, and they’d been killed.’