Fourth soldier killed in Niger ambush identified
The fourth soldier killed in an ambush last week near the Niger/Mali frontier was identified by the Department of Defense as Sergeant La David Johnson, a 25-year-old from of Miami Gardens, Florida, assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group. From Stars & Stripes;
Defense officials had disclosed the deaths of three other soldiers killed in the same attack. They were identified Friday as Staff Sgts. Bryan C. Black, Jeremiah W. Johnson and Dustin M. Wright. All were assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.-based 3rd Special Forces Group. Black and Wright were Green Berets.
News of the fourth soldier’s death had been withheld until Friday, in hopes he would be found alive. Nigerian soldiers discovered Johnson’s body on Friday, following a search of the area. U.S. personnel recovered his remains the same day, the Pentagon said.
Category: We Remember
May they all rest in peace knowing they died for their country and us civilians respect and admire their sacrifice. Thank you to all that have and continue to keep us safe.
RIP,
SPCSGT Johnson. May God comfort your surviving friends, family, and colleagues.(Edited above to correct regrettable error regarding rank of deceased soldier. My apologies, SGT Johnson.)
Rest in peace SGT Johnson. God be with your family.
Far too young, all of them. Rest in peace, soldiers.
Rest in Peace.
RIP to the soldiers. Anyone else find it a bit odd that a CBRN specialist and a wheeled vehicle mechanic were out on a patrol in Indian country with SF guys? I don’t know what all was going on here, but just seems a bit… strange.
Not at all strange.
If you are qualified to provide Combat Services and Support and the team and or unit trusts you to go because there is a need … you go.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard all have qualified high speed non-operators who routinely go on missions.
Well it’s not like SF guys are the only ones allowed to leave the wire. Support personnel sometimes have to do their jobs outside of bases too.
Yep, not unusual at all. MI guys (SOT-A and counterintel) also go outside the wire pretty frequently.
Forgot to add but that’s the reason all personnel assigned to an SF group – support personnel included – are required to be airborne qualified.
At least they were willing to go. I was a 63 later 91 series my who 25 and say a little action, PH in Desert Storm.
I hope the host nation troops do what is right … find, ravage and kill all who took their most needed partners from the team.
Rest well all 4!