{"id":69843,"date":"2018-04-26T13:40:46","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T13:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smg.go-vip.net\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/26\/in-niger-attack-risk-taking-culture-and-complacency-led-to-deadly-ambush\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:47:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:47:18","slug":"in-niger-attack-risk-taking-culture-and-complacency-led-to-deadly-ambush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/26\/in-niger-attack-risk-taking-culture-and-complacency-led-to-deadly-ambush\/","title":{"rendered":"In Niger attack, risk-taking culture and complacency led to deadly ambush"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Poor training and a culture of risk-taking led to the deadly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Oct. 4 ambush near Tongo Tongo, Niger<\/a>, according to officials familiar with a Pentagon report compiled in the wake of the ambush that left <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/10\/04\/us-troops-ambushed-in-niger-fatalities-feared\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">four U.S. and four Nigerien soldiers dead<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military officials familiar with the 6,000-page report described its findings to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/classified-report-slams-military-over-october-deaths-in-niger-1524698730\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>. The report included recommendations from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to improve training and the chain of command for future operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to the mission, military commanders displayed failures at multiple levels, according to the Journal. The report reveals that low-level commanders \u201ctook liberties to get operations approved through the chain of command.\u201d <span class=\"js-paste-start-UQPMDYMWHFBC5P3OPFDUVP4RBM\">In one instance, an officer copied and pasted orders for a different mission into the concept of operations to gain approval for the Oct. 4 mission. <span class=\"js-paste-end-UQPMDYMWHFBC5P3OPFDUVP4RBM\"> <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/05\/leaked-isis-propaganda-video-allegedly-shows-deaths-of-us-troops-in-niger-ambush\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"143\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-05-at-08.23.29.png.png?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Leaked ISIS propaganda video allegedly shows deaths of US troops in Niger ambush<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">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.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis gave Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, and Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, 10 \u201cprimary directives\u201d with a timeline of four months to address problems found in the report, one of which is to \u201creinforce normal protocols within the chain of command,\u201d according to the Journal\u2019s sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report does not advise punishments for anyone, according to the Journal. However, the Army or SOCOM could seek to impose punitive measures if found warranted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four Americans killed in the ambush were Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson and Sgt. La David T. Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"337\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17279847282098.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17279847282098.jpg.jpg 512w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17279847282098.jpg.jpg?resize=300,197 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A U.S. Army carry team transfers the remains of Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright of Lyons, Ga., late Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del.  Wright  was one of four U.S. troops and four Niger forces killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month. (Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The soldiers were overrun by roughly 50 fighters claiming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/2018\/01\/13\/islamic-state-group-offshoot-claims-attack-on-us-soldiers-in-niger\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">affiliation with the Islamic State<\/a>. Originally, the unit was conducting a joint security patrol with Nigerien partner forces. But the patrol was abruptly re-routed to search for a high-value individual thought to be in the region, reportedly named Doundou Chefou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the ambushed troops did not capture Chefou, Nigerien forces detained a suspect believed to be the man last week, according to the American ambassador to Niger.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/17\/niger-may-have-arrested-militant-with-ties-to-ambush-on-us-forces\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-934206874.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Niger may have arrested militant with ties to ambush that killed 4 US soldiers<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Niger\u2019s military has detained a suspect who it believes could be the militant leader who was being pursued when an ambush left four American soldiers dead in October, the American ambassador said Tuesday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are roughly 800 U.S. troops in Niger, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/unmanned\/2018\/04\/23\/us-builds-drone-base-in-niger-crossroads-of-extremism-fight\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">$110 million drone base<\/a> is now being built there. It will cost $15 million annually to operate and will be marked by both the American and Nigerien flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/10\/25\/mission-in-niger-is-one-special-forces-have-engaged-in-since-jfk\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. forces have been in Niger for years<\/a>, but the mission there has steadily grown. In the wake of the ambush, it was revealed to the American public that troops in Niger have come under fire multiple times both before and after the ambush incident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the family members of the soldiers who died in the ambush have been briefed on the investigation\u2019s findings. After Congress has been briefed, a version of the report will be released publicly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Low-level commanders \u201ctook liberties to get operations approved through the chain of command.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":68703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":10,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[10,29,116,15,88],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3406],"class_list":["post-69843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-your-military"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"4TZ544UEA5G6NFO3TIVW4GC3MU","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/26\/in-niger-attack-risk-taking-culture-and-complacency-led-to-deadly-ambush\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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