... A series of failures and deficiencies, including a lack of adequate training, contributed to the October 4, 2017, ambush that resulted in a Green Beret-led team being outgunned and overrun in a remote part of Niger by more than 100 ISIS fighters in a battle that left four US soldiers dead. The Americans killed were Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright and Sgt. La David T. Johnson. "The investigation identifies individual, organizational, and institutional failures and deficiencies that contributed to the tragic events of 4 October 2017," a summary of a months' long military investigation into the incident, which was released by the Pentagon on Thursday, said. However, the document claims that "no single failure or deficiency was the sole reason for the events of 4 October." "The investigation team examined documentary, photographic, audio, video and testimonial evidence," the summary said, adding that the investigation team, which was led by a two-star general, "interviewed 143 witnesses, including survivors of the attack, one of whom accompanied the team back to the battlefield to explain what happened." Additionally, the investigation found that prior to starting out on the ill-fated patrol, two junior officers, including an Army captain who remained at the base in Niger and the team leader, falsified a document to get approval for a mission to kill or capture a local ISIS leader. That mission was never approved by the proper chain of command, according to the summary. A much lower risk mission was instead submitted and approved. However, the team was unable to locate the ISIS leader during their unauthorized mission. "The initial concept of operations submitted for this mission was not approved at the proper level of command," the summary said, referring to the military term for the proposed mission. The summary adds that the two Army captains "inaccurately characterized the nature of the mission," saying that if they had submitted the mission proposal accurately, it would have required the approval of more senior officers based at the battalion-level command in N'Djamena, Chad. Team did not complete key pre-deployment training or rehearsals Despite going on this unapproved high-risk mission, the US soldiers "did not conduct pre-mission rehearsals or battle drills with their partner force" of Nigerien soldiers, according to the summary. The summary also said that due to "personnel turnover during the year," the team was prevented "from conducting key pre-deployment collective training as a complete team." While the team was unsuccessful in finding any enemy forces, after receiving new intelligence, the more senior officer overseeing operations based in Chad, despite not knowing the team's true mission, assigned the ill-fated team to provide backup to another group of US Special Operations Forces based in Arlit, Niger. Unlike the team that was ambushed, the US troops in Arlit were equipped with helicopters that could enable them to carry out the type of air assault operation that is typical in high-value target missions. Bad weather prevented that team from moving on the suspected terrorist camp. US drones observed the camp for hours and discovered that the site was now abandoned, multiple officials told CNN. Eventually the ambushed team was tasked with gathering intelligence on the ISIS suspect at the known to be abandoned encampment, the head of US Africa Command, Gen Thomas Waldhauser, told reporters Thursday. As expected, they did not encounter any enemy forces at the site, which had been under surveillance for five to six hours and left the location. Waldhauser said that enemy contact was not anticipated when the team was sent to investigate the camp because it had been abandoned. While returning to their base, the team's Nigerien partner forces needed water so the convoy stopped near the village of Tongo Tongo to resupply. The team leader also met for several hours with local village leaders. Immediately after departing the village at 1140 local time, the 12-member team and their partner Nigerien force were ambushed "by a large enemy force." One of the Nigerien vehicles appeared to depart the area immediately and the team radioed their headquarters saying they were under attack but not requesting support. However, the summary says that the team leader assessed that his combined force could defeat the threat and he and the commander of the Nigerien contingent led a flanking counter attack, killing four ISIS fighters. However, the team leader soon ECT realized that the enemy force was much larger than anticipated and he ordered his troops to withdraw to the south. It took a while to get everyone back in the vehicles as some of the forces had dismounted to engage the enemy, using M240 machine guns on the back of the US vehicles to fire back. Team became separated The convoy departed but it was at this critical moment that one of the vehicles carrying three of the US soldiers killed in the ambush became separated from the group. While the summary says that the rest of the US team saw one of the killed US soldiers, SSG J. Johnson, signal his understanding of the order to withdraw by giving a thumbs up, the vehicle with Wright, Johnson and Black became separated from the rest of the convoy. Black was killed by enemy fire while Wright and Johnson attempted to evade on foot until they too were killed by the enemy after a long firefight. "SSG Black, SSG Wright and SSG Johnson were never captured alive by the enemy," the summary said. Realizing that they were missing members of their team and after repeated attempts to reach them via radio, two volunteer soldiers from the rest of the US force attempted to return to the original ambush site on foot to find their teammates. But they soon encountered the enemy and entered a gun battle. Two more US soldiers were sent to find the original two volunteers and the four of them became separated from the group.
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