[New Details/Extended Version] The Niger Ambush

[@andstriker]

I can't even imagine the pure terror Sgt. LaDavid felt during those last few minutes. Seeing both of your teammates get killed directly behind you as you're trying to escape... Gunfire coming from all sides... And your only bit of cover is a measly tree. The way he decided to fight with all he had left, pretty damn heroic. Rest in peace to all the soldiers who died...

[@ahmedkharsa5742]

Pretty sure being heroic was the last thing on his mind, he wouldn’t want to die for the sake of his family and children depending on him but yeah, Americans like to keep saying the chose to die heroically, well guess what they didn’t choose anything, the US government sent them to die fighting terrorists groups that the MADE! So yeah “heroic”

[@joshwall4263]

@@ahmedkharsa5742 terrorist group that they made?? what a joke bud..

[@YERO01]

yeah fought as if he was the lone survivor...RIP De Oppresso Liber!

[@tacticalsweater5119]

Nothing but the utmost respect but it's a shitty way to go. About 2 or 3 years of hard training and dedication. Only to die for some wasteland on a botched mission.

[@abdizzle79]

He’s a soldier. There is no such thing as fear. Been there done that

[@dw7284]

The video was put together very well.

[@Sondorism]

I wish more videos were made like this. We wouldn't have needed an entire movie to understand Blackhawk Down then.

[@CK-cj1ll]

@@Sondorism the movie was spectacular though

[@16prospero]

Agreed! Excellent reporting. Much appreciated. Many thanks to the creator of this video.

[@p.parker8304]

@@16prospero that would be the Pentagon. They put this together.

[@WorshipinIdols]

If they did that with all significant DOD events/engagements it would be a top notch channel

[@konnorkuznetsov1035]

When watched side-by-side with helmet cam footage of the ambush, this video is eerily accurate.

[@pcgamer0106]

there's helmet cam footage??

[@konnorkuznetsov1035]

@@pcgamer0106 Yeah, I'm sure you can find it if you look it up. It's pretty brutal so be weary about that, but I feel it is an element of the story that should not be left untouched.

[@Mountain413]

@@konnorkuznetsov1035 Yep, it's definitely eye-opening. In war movies, you get the characters having epic last stands, holding out against all odds. The helmet cam is a stark opposite. They're alone and completely surrounded. I've seen videos of ISIS fighters getting surrounded and this video of the US commandos getting surrounded was no different.

[@BlackWolf9988]

@@pcgamer0106 yeah its brutal. Its from the pov of the 2nd guy that died and you can hear them screaming a lot. It ends with him laying on the ground being wounded but still alive before he got finished off by them. There is also footage from the isis side but they mostly just shows the corpses of the 2nd and 3rd guy that died.

[@pcgamer0106]

Lord Broccoli it was very brutal, who knew wiki had one of the most fucked up vids on the net lmao

[@qwert12345623]

No armored vehicles, no gunship (Spectre, Apache's, Cobra's, A-10) support and light weapons. 24 years and one day after the Black Hawk down incident the same mistakes are made on strategical level. Not on tactical level, these men fought like heroes and kept the overview of the situation, even when outnumbered and outgunned in a situation like this.

[@MegaMapper]

maybe they were doing secret mission so they didn't want to give away "we are here" and they were very optimistic about it, idk. as you know from video their target was really important.

[@qwert12345623]

Important for SOF operations is the element of surprise. Insertion provided by helicopters is way more usefull in missions like these. A slow moving convoy can be spotted from miles away. Knowledge about the terrain is also a very important aspect in wars like these.

[@MegaMapper]

i mean they used vehicles that look like civilian SUVs but yeah i know what do you mean and you might be right.

[@redcrown0694]

👏👏 you should work for RAND Corp.👏👏

[@randall172]

this is in the middle of africa, there are no support bases there, and i doubt those nations would allow the US to set up bases there.

[@bingers4]

the nigerien soldiers that died, RIP Bagué Soumana, an adjudant-chef (Chief warrant officer) of the BSR. Abdoul Rachid Yerimah and Yacouba Issoufou were privates of the BSR Goubé Mahamadou Issaka was a NCO-cadet of the Gendarmerie

[@ackoglpho4427]

Heroes of 🇳🇪 may they rest in peace

[@shoobruh3973]

RIP 🙏🙏🕊

[@colintillery2805]

RIP 🇳🇪

[@colintillery2805]

wasn’t there a 5th. a translator for the americans?

[@jimboniusmaximus6018]

This analysis video is incredibly well done.

[@kevinsnyder2026]

Whoever planned this mission was an idiot. Our brave soldiers deserve better than incompetence from above. Thanks to our French allies for their diligence. Without their help this would have been much worse.

[@2000rayc]

this guys that they where going agents far better trained and expernced then guys in the middle east. this guys have been in civil wars. and have been fighting sense they where kids

[@itsmetyler94]

Kevin Snyder these men were very well trained and very proficient at planning. There isn’t enough planning in the world to prepare for a surprise attack with hundreds of fighters like that. They improvised the best they could. I would imagine you also get very complacent so just think about that.

[@LSPD1909]

@@2000rayc yea not like they were outnumbered by atleast a hundred men.

[@AngelPerez-dw8ou]

@@itsmetyler94 armoured vehicles would do way more than those measly trucks they were using

[@brianhosteen4372]

Rest in peace to these brave men. God rest their souls

[@skillful101]

getting that far into enemy territory without air support should never happen in my opinion, especially when you go to kill an isis sub-commander. Nonetheless the heroism and courage shown here is to be admired.

[@jonathanm373]

abdiqani nor you dumb? Are u really rooting for the terrorists?

[@Darthybuddy]

abdiqani nor we spend that much anyways on R&D. At least now it’s going towards shooting the bad guys instead of making an invisible jet or some shit like that.

[@kookitee971]

They were Green Beret... I don’t know much bout the military, but the Green Beret don’t get much support because they gotta keep it on the down low. Y’know what I mean? That’s why when the time came they were basically on their own. Also, right, they went on a mission to capture the commander or something... it was supposed to be a low-risk recon mission ( Though I dunno if going into enemy territory to capture one of their bro’s is “low-risk ), but I think the mission changed midway(?)... the part that really messed them up is when they stopped at a village for water. The town leader, understandably, gave the US position away out of fear... no way can you expect such a thing even when you expect it... It was an unpredictable situation that even the best of the best could not have been prepared for. Though it really twists my insides to know that this stuff happens for real... I’m a kid (kinda), and this stuff is horrifying. If I were in their shoes I would’ve had everyone bolt.

[@Arbiter710]

abdiqani nor lol I forgot terrorist need to outnumber people by 200+

[@DaVid-vt8lm]

abdiqani nor what the hell do u expect when they are ambushed and there is few of them. They were ambushed they didnt know if there were 100 of terrorists or 5. Cant believe i have to tell u that.

[@kellerweskier7214]

16:46 was a Broken Arrow call. 'a code phrase that a ground unit is facing imminent destruction from enemy attack and all available air forces within range are to provide air support immediately.'

[@Llamadosalvaje]

Sad news . I see many acts of valor in this tragedy. Rest in Peace

[@cameroncruz7939]

Thank you for supporting our warriors, France. It means a lot to us. 🇺🇲🙏🇫🇷

[@falhouisalhe5346]

It was a shock to me. After you lost the confrontation against ISIS 🤣

[@colintillery2805]

France always the most badass allies 🫡🇫🇷

[@USAownage1]

Can't even imagine the thoughts that must have been going through Sgt LaDavids head in those last few minutes. He knew exactly what the outcome was going to be, held his ground, and fought to his last breath. Rest easy warrior.

[@GarciaDK]

SSG. Wright. RIP SIR. Your decision to stand by your wounded brother and keep up the fight will not be forgotten.

[@thelazycook5103]

The village elder buys time for the enemy to ambush the convoy.

[@jmbig]

Hello, I am a former French soldier, saying that we refused our help to Americans is not only wrong but also unfair. Without us, your losses would have been greater !! The French have a long history in Africa because it was a part of their colonial empire, that's why we have a good experience of the field, and when I see the simulations of the ambush ..... I am totally surprised !! it's incredible !! all that was not to be done was done. 1) ignorance of the terrain, people, customs 2) mixed patrols, local, US, nested 3) no medium weapons, type 50 caliber, 20mm gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, light armored vehicles, air support 4 ) which brings us to the deadliest of errors, underestimate the adversary, and despise his allies (the French) by not coordinating with them and not asking for their help and support BEFORE the mission, because in this case, a specific air support would have been made available as well as helicopters and reinforcements troops, whereas these means were mobilized elsewhere to support other missions to the neighboring mali where our army is implied 5) to call the rescue at the last moment , without the pilots of the mirages can make a distinction between friends and enemies, and ask rescue helicopters in the middle of this mess to evacuate the survivors and then say that the French are good for nothing? to see traitors? while these means were probably taken from French soldiers to rescue YOUR soldiers? 6) it's hard and tiring to be your "allies" especially when you know what you think of us .... and I think of my comrades dead in Afghanistan, while you empty our bottles of wine in your gutters because we did not want to go to Iraq for false reasons, to the lies of YOUR rulers that cost the lives of so many of YOUR soldiers ... 8) but the "Cheese-eating surrender monkeys" still came for your guys, despite everything ....

[@jmbig]

Акакий Акакиевич hello, several comments affirm it, read them, you will see

[@jmbig]

Акакий Акакиевич AFRICOM has messed up, they have formed some units of the Malian army that have turned against their government, which has degenerated into an internal war and the Islamists have taken the opportunity to try to seize the country, and it is the French intervention that stopped them, once again, misunderstanding of customs, clans, and local ethnic groups

[@jmbig]

Акакий Акакиевич One thing surprises me, it's been years since I saw American "advisers" hanging out in Niger and in this area (since the 86's) I was dressed in "local" but they saw them for miles ! ! with their haircuts, their clothes etc, etc, impossible not to notice them. What I mean is that since all this time nobody has learned anything ? every time, you train and equip guys who end up turning against you

[@mnpd3]

Yeah, I understand what you are saying, but the general American view of French as allies is somewhat colored. For starters, French withdrew from NATO, which really pissed the U.S. off. The U.S. was a NATO member for the defense of Western Europe, and the very people at risk seemed to be pushing their own self-defense off on someone else. And, there have been lots of instances where the French stuck it to the Americans, who view themselves as saviors of France in TWO world wars. I'll mention just one --- the early 1980's U.S. air raid onto Qaddafi's Libya. The U.S. asked to use French airspace to save a thousand miles of the journey, and the French told the U.S. to get screwed. U.S. Air Force planes had to fly all the way around Europe and even be refueled several times. That really hurt the mission. You don't forget slights like that. The French are viewed by many Americans as ungrateful, self-serving, cowardly and militarily incompetent. There's a very old joke about the French DEFCON conditions; ever heard it? Something like DEFCON 1 through 4 being Run, Hide, Surrender then Collaborate? Being overrun in 10-days in May 1940 by smaller forces but only after France had declared war on Germany for an issue that didn't concern France?. Then overrun at Dien Bien Phu. I know all the things believed are not true, but that's just the way Americans see it. Even uneducated and un-opinionated Americas will largely say that France is their least-liked European nation. They have far more respect for their former enemy in two wars.... Germany. I'm sorry it's that way.

[@jmbig]

mnpd3 Hello, yes I know all that Americans think of the French, but the problem for Americans is that they do not have "friends", they have either "vassals" or "enemies", and The mistake of the French is to have wanted to be "friends" and to have wanted to speak as equals with them. Yes, the French are ungrateful, selfish and cowardly, like just about all the peoples of the earth !! militarily incompetent? no. History proved it, lacking appropriate means and politically divided? Absolutely !! which explains the defeat of 1940, but this defeat was global, no country was ready for this war, all Europe was cowardly with the Munich agreements including the English, let's remember the sentence of churchill,“You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war.” and the Americans have locked themselves into "isolationism" in the face of this situation which is a cowardice, and from 1941 to 1942 the Americans, who were not militarily ready have bent in the pacific in front of the japanese and it is pearl harbor which has saved you !! if you were not going to war, hitler would have had time to develop the nuclear bomb and it's his "dirty mouth" that would be on Mount Rushmore !! The French defeat of 40 is due to several factors, the most important being the absolute division between the French !! and this division still exists and will have the same consequences but this time, in the face of Islam. Part of the French was for the Germans, another for the USSR, and a handful of minorities, neither for the one nor the other, but, as at the beginning of the war, the Germans and Stalin were "friends" those who supported these two opposing camps in France, sabotaged any resistance against the Nazis. To understand this misunderstanding, imagine a trump supporter facing a supporter of Bernie Sanders who both love donuts but for different reasons !! where your war of secession. The defeat of dien bien phu? we owe it to the Americans! lack of means (still !!) France asks the application of the plan "vulture" to break the encirclement, America refuses, believing that it would do better than the French after their defeat and could thus assert its leader ship on the "free world", we know the sequence of events with the Vietnam war, yes we too, it's hard to forget some things, but America and France are the only two countries in the world that believe in universal values ​​and these are the same .... it is there, the link that unites us

[@MelAcme]

I am not from USA, but i had the privilege of living there for some time, i learned to admire and respect that country as my own. I can not stop thinking of the pain of those brave soldiers family members and friends, may God guard their souls.

[@TwoBun]

Well done narrative!

[@DanielThomasArgueta]

This video provides a very clear understanding of the situation. Thank you for the upload. Respect to the fallen friendlies.

[@Wisdomisgood448]

The commander of this operation should never command another unit again. Horrendous planning and execution.

[@jezdzicnaczerwonodostacgow7756]

Easy for you to sit on your ass and judge..

[@EXILEvenom]

Phyiscal Cypress wtf are you saying. A bunch of men died for no reason after being told to return to base on a successful mission.

[@robertmcneil1295]

Don't worry he's not

[@jakehansen3418]

@@jezdzicnaczerwonodostacgow7756 no he ignored protocol waited too long to call in support and failed organising a tactical withdrawal.

[@robertbowden8573]

But why did they stop the convoy in the middle of an ambush?

[@manuelveiga7917]

The elder that set them up and NGV5 will burn for this.

[@carlosdanger4648]

Thanks a lot frenchies

[@ryanmanuel1934]

This is not a hollywood movie, terrorist are also fukn well trained and sharp shooters. It was a bad scenario for these soldiers getn ambushed. RIP brothers you are the real heroes!

[@adrnaline]

"sharp-shooters" no

[@nosamsemaj9150]

Not so much well trained, but they'll definitely have a bunch of combat experience of shooting at live targets, possibly equal to or more than the SF guys there.

[@luiseduardo199]

@@adrnaline dude you have no clue how good some of these guys are at shooting. They have been fighting there whole lives and to them an AK is as common as a soccer ball. These soldiers needed more equipment to fight off these guys, not to mention they are outnumbered.

[@LSPD1909]

@@luiseduardo199 you act like them being outnumbered is just a side factor but in reality it is the main factor to their loss, the experience and training and skill acquired by the Americans is not topped by Isis terrorists shooting at innocents they can't see and letting Allah guide their bullets.

[@luiseduardo199]

@@LSPD1909 Yeah these American are special forces elite so I know they are way better. You have to understand that we underestimate our enemy and stuff like this happens. You have no clue if they have sharp shooters or not so you have to not only beat them with skill but strategy. This shows that even with better skills it's not enough with modern day weapons. They had no cover no Armour no nothing. At that point its just a shootout and yeah 3 guns beat 1.

[@coolstuff7772]

This video is made very well. Amazing presentation and graphics.

[@boltboltt]

Just a couple days ago near same willage Nigerian army patrol was ambushed. 28 Nigerian soldiers killed. RIP

[@Rfighter7]

Sounds like a set up from the villagers.

[@GodsDumbLamb]

Wow...it's almost like the locals of that area dislike/despise a forgien power treating their country like their personal playground.

[@NapoleonGelignite]

Which was the reasoning behind many village liquidations in Vietnam by American soldiers. My Lai was far from a one-off atrocity.

[@USMCLP]

@Andy P Villagers were also being tortured and killed by the VC and NVA, so they would be forced to aid them against the Americans. It was a fucked up dichotomy.

[@NapoleonGelignite]

USMCLP - so the US is on the same level as the VC and Khmer Rouge. Which is exactly my point - the supposed US morality is imaginary. US troops killed women and children, and the government covered it up. Anyway if you saw the US military killing babies or napalming villages you might not need torture to aid the VC. You know that’s why America lost yeah?

[@USMCLP]

@Andy P Oh trust me I’m well aware, I’m just saying each situation warranted a reason to aid the VC. Because it’s your life in someone’s hands either way. The war was literally a complete circle in its fundamentals and happenings. That’s what happens when you measure victory at the cost of human life on both sides, aka “bodycount”

[@drifter4203]

May peace be upon the lost. Never forgotten, for ever u rest with the angels

[@ricardorennerviveros9352]

Rest with the Angels???? There Rest in Hell sure there are burning. In Hell...

[@ricardorennerviveros9352]

Branden Lee Research what??

[@ricardorennerviveros9352]

Branden Lee That they are burning in hell??!!!i Hope soo

[@865TN]

We call that a Soup Sandwich, many lessons learned. RIP to the men who fought valiantly.

[@Budget_operator]

This just doesn't sit right with me. So it took them over an hour to radio in for TIC??? I could see if these were brand new fresh privates right outta basic but these were experienced special forces soldiers. That would have been 1 of the 1st things they would have done is call for QRF. For an HVT there should have been at least 2 teams on standby. Where was CAS??? This story seems to keep changing...bottom line the higher ups fucked this up and these soldiers paid the ultimate price for their foul up. May God be with these brave warriors and their families.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

They were likely using the local assets, not big ole' MRAPs or something like it. My guess is they wanted to keep a low profile, cultivate a good relationship with the local community and win them over. It would be less wise to do that by rolling up in one of those big monsters. Everything about this screams 'subtlety' but they were already compromised. Hard to tell if this was an intelligence failure for the US or an intelligence coup for Daesh, they were obviously tipped off.

[@Budget_operator]

More reason to say that this shit doesn't add up...take a look at the initial reports and videos to this 1 and another later 1 posted...the story keeps changing. They act like these soldiers drew up the BP with crayon without sending it through the proper channels. Our government failed these boys flat out. They did the best that they could given the fucked up situation they were in.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

It's actually incredibly common for news stories to morph as they mature. When a story first breaks there's an initial rush to cover the event - to get the 'scoop' before the other schmucks and since news presents a narrative along with the information this leads to news agencies and media outlets jumping to conclusions or presenting incomplete or inaccurate information. As the story ages it morphs as the facts of the event emerge - you know a story is legit when it actually changes as time progresses. That is totally natural and is partly due to the pure chaos of not only the event itself but of the initial rush to cover it as a news story. My point is - it's totally normal for a story to change in between the first reports and now. That's actually one way you can tell the story itself is legitimate - that the events actually occurred even if the details keep changing. Think of it as premature history - how we understand history has morphed considerably since the mid 20th century and we're much better for it. I don't think we'll truly understand this event until a decade or two from now when we can put it in the proper context. Military fiascos are always like this, especially. Did you know that before the DDay invasions there were practice maneuvers undertaken in Great Britain that accidentally caused the deaths of 700+ American allied servicemen? Most don't because it didn't come out in detail until decades later. It was covered up. Like so many other military disasters.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

+Yi Gotti - Those are the vehicles they use for high value persons, I don't think they would've been available to use in such hush-hush activities, nor do I think they would've been granted them. You'd be surprised what governments and companies do to cut costs. Bean counters are what killed the M16 the first time it went into active service. They thought they could use sub-par powder and could skimp on cleaning kits and it got a lot of people killed and completely tarnished the firearm's reputation. Lives are cheap - why would they spend so much money and effort to protect soldiers already deemed expendable?

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I see your point, but I don't see why you're acting like we disagree. From reading your comment, I can't think of a single thing we really disagree on. I notice a bit of miscommunication regarding the low-profile, but reinforced vehicles (I meant that those vehicles WEREN'T that type, but I worded it in a way that could easily be interpreted as me saying they were reinforced, when I was really referring to the type of vehicle itself - not its use in this particular situation, if that makes any sense. I wasn't stating that the vehicles used during the ambush were of the 'HVT' variety, but that those types of vehicles were my response to you mentioning a more apt - still protected - alternative to an MRAP.) On your main points about the ambush itself - I think we agree 100%. It was failure stemming from complacency at multiple levels of organization. I think we've both said as much and I don't take it as you being rude at all. I welcome your input because you have a view of the situation which enriches the overall discourse and helps to make both of our understandings - and that of anyone who happens to read this exchange - more informed in the grand scheme of things. Even better, you present your views in a mature and intelligent way that doesn't come off as stand-offish or patronizing. It's very easy to be a dick on the internet, so I tend to respect those who approach these interactions in a more friendly way. Perhaps the one thing we really differ on is the topic of SOC operators being expendable. I know a lot of time, effort, and money goes into training and outfitting those units - I'm a layman, I'll tell you that up-front - I don't want to seem like some of those 'internet operatives' that talk about things as if they've been in the shit and know about it firsthand when they really don't. My experience comes from conflict journalism, it's much different than being a combatant, but I do get passive experience just by being there. When I see US troops being used to escort Kurdish convoys through the border regions after those convoys have just previously been shelled by Turkish troops across the border, I get the distinct feeling they're used as human shields. When it comes to how 'expendable' an asset is, I don't think of it as a set, static circumstance but dependent on the respective mission or situation in which the asset is expected to work. From my personal experience, it was hard to not think of those US escorts as being viewed as 'expendable' - or as a mere repellent for Turkish artillery - by the people who sent them into that situation. That is where my mindset is coming from when I use the word 'expendable' - not saying this to back up my argument or anything, because I don't really have one here, I just want you to understand where I'm coming from when I say that. Perhaps you can provide some more context for me regarding that, since like I said I'm only relying on limited personal experience.

[@realMaverickBuckley]

Heart breaking. 'The problem with the military sir, is it's run by people.' I guess last minute missions are more risky and difficult but damn.

[@lordtemplar9274]

RIP. Very well made video. Very insightful.

[@MrRescue100]

The meeting in the village took 30 minutes longer than expected; NV5 Departure almost in the begining of the ambush; The advance of the flanking team was stopped by a body of water; On that moment the flanking team was being outflanked by the enemy that already have an considerable ammount of firepower and vehicles on stand by; The main Nigerian soldiers badly react to the ambush and leave the site; Did i miss something? Or this ambush looks perfectly orchestratred by the villagers, rebels and some members of Niger military themselvs to set up the American forces??

[@sesisesi2027]

Possible...the americans try to pose friend and use only smal numbers to train locals to fight each others...some times it pays some time it dosen t...

[@fabianrichburgh6517]

Not to mention the vehicles initially stopping in front of the US vehicles and potentially cutting them off

[@Jebu911]

Actually, the Nigerian troops reacted correctly. If they had no intel what the hell was going on they should have backed out together and regrouped.

[@Caliell]

The huge problem in this all is under estimation of ISIS in Greater Sahara. They are not simply ragtag murderers and rapists in the name of Islam, but they are also cunning predators, well supplied not with just technicals, but also armored vehicles and relatively modern weaponry. This wasn't like your average Jihadi Abu from Taliban with old AK47, but financed with modern body armor, armored APC, mortars and heavy machine guns mobile force.

[@notoriousriot250]

Yeah that’s why they usually use special forces to do these tasks sadly experience and training isn’t enough to fight a larger fighting force especially when equipped with light gear and when friendly locals are probably not reliable

[@royhsieh4307]

thats a lot more people involved in the ambush, and dang the offensive is tough and fast. those 4 people heading back to the woods alone made some brave moves.

[@NK72JQ84TG2]

Wooow Man Thanks for the Video Great Work

[@phobiazzzero4935]

They should of never stopped when they exited the village, keep driving and request air support

[@r0bee643]

its not that easy bro.

[@reredongy]

US military does not run away, we fight until we win

[@icyboy771z]

yeah, should have just full speed on to their base, their underestimated the enemy and thought it was a small force.

[@reredongy]

IcyboyG The Air support was turned away because of weather but even though it’s a bad weather never turn the air support, very vital in supporting ground troops but i hope the US army learn from their mistakes

[@joshhearn1600]

@@reredongy Vietnam be like

[@caseyedu]

Thank god for the French in this situation!

[@845SiM]

Not sure this was a pre set ambush, seems more as though there was just a larger force there than they knew about and they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time with not enough support. All heroes, US and Nigerian soldiers.

[@jacobdiaz7001]

I honestly think that it turned into a good time gone wrong for our boys never underestimate the enemy

[@Dr.MantisTobogganMD]

When you score more points, have the better team, but you still lose because of management..

[@raminmb]

R.I.P....Please someone tell me how special forces without air support, even without an armored car, are sent to such a mission ?! It is clear that the villagers have been agents of the enemy and have delayed them to get ready for the ambush ... After seeing the video of the special forces helmet's camera who cowardly and brutal killed by those bastard now for a few days I can't sleep or eat well...I hope that the killers have reached the point of their work and will come to no longer see any violence around the world.

[@jrhitemmup4350]

Ramin Bakhtiar i read your comment and I feel the same way I watched the helmet cam footage and it keeps replaying in my head Rest In Peace all of the brave soldiers who lost their lives that day

[@renorailfanning5465]

The enemy weren't cowards for killing the special forces people. Are they evil POS's ? yeah. I hate them all but, to say it was cowardly to kill them misses the objective of war.

[@Rippinkitten18]

11:57 , 12:36, 16:18 true hero's. leave no one behind. those guys put their lives on their line go after their comrads who might not even be alive. true hero's rest in peace.

[@OSTemli]

Seriously

[@simz04]

When the convoy got hit from behind, they dismounted, didnt radio for backup and tried to flank the enemy. Thats probably the turning point as they could have escaped. It shows they probably underestimated the enemy force and that the commander was eager to get into a fight.

[@boofingdragon]

What a tragedy of events. RIP American Hero's.

[@mnpd3]

You are perfectly right.... they were heroes. But, please never attach that label to someone just because they wear or wore a uniform. Doing that detracts from the real heroes, and when I wore the uniform there were some who were anything but heroes. Two things of late really grate me ... thanking me for my service when the person doesn't know shit about me or what I did or didn't do, and presuming that I'm a hero just because I wore a uniform.

[@sol3cito33]

24paljim - true!

[@MegaMapper]

3 guys who sacrificied their lives for 1 injured friend are heroes for sure and this guy who run 900 meters and hid behind tree to continue fight is a hero too aswell but the rest of them? nope. Just because you fight in a war it doesn't make you a hero, it makes you veteran but not a hero.

[@myles5701]

Man this is so sad, they should’ve just kept driving while returning fire

[@lazarevskimartinkumanovo2669]

They died as an Heroes,and fight until the last breath .R.I.P

[@MAX3D2]

Bad intel of the area! Going in too gung-ho because of the small window of opportunity to capture the ISIS commander is like running in blind. These soldiers did not have any idea what they were going to face. From the intel they had, it seems to me like it was a setup for the ambush. These guys were baited in! They were outgunned and undermanned! The initial attack from the start was a redirect tactic while the main forces did a sweeping flank. Bad communication and coordination with the French was a major f*ckup. From what I had read the French in the area had better intel on what was in the area. Close air support was badly needed! Why no air support and proper friend vs foe identification? And why the HELL are we sending troops in vehicles WITHOUT ARMOR? What does the damned brass think they're going into a Disneyland Theme Park?

[@BlackWolf9988]

Funny how everyone in the comments thinks they are some commander. Armored vehicles cant be deployed everywhere you dipshit. Terrain plays a big role in when to use it.

[@chaosXP3RT]

Wow how many successful military operations have you commanded?

[@chaosXP3RT]

@Diamond Dancing Those weapons came from Turkey and Iraq

[@bryantherocker]

WHY DID THEY STOP ? AND NO COORDINATED EXIT ?

[@zachwulf-americanpatriot5015]

i just watched the real footage...all i can do is cry

[@rymichaeldudeguy65]

Makes me want to join, asap

[@MM-qt8gz]

RyMichael DudeGuy uh... you don’t just join... you need to make it through selection

[@rymichaeldudeguy65]

Max makes me want to join the military in general not SF... I’m aware of how it works.

[@WorshipinIdols]

Did the DOD make this video?

[@Pomegranate44]

We help are french friends and they help us I love the french

[@falhouisalhe5346]

It was a very cruel shock to you, dirty crusaders, the jihadists always liberating their lands from your oppression 🤣🤣

[@Sergeant_Camacho]

@@falhouisalhe5346 Jihadists can eat my pork meat any day

[@objectsofunknownorigin19]

JR Rida I agree with u, 100%. Intel gives them info that a tier target leader is near and they send these brave heroes to fight a army of probably 50-100 militants who have overwhelmingly superior fire power (one report said two guys had .50’s, vehicles probably mounted with anti aircraft guns, snipers, dozens of RPG’s etc and I’m probably over exaggerating with the anti aircraft guns but possible). Would it be stretching it to say senior leadership involved with the planning and intel collecting may have shown incompetence? This story is huge. The amount of comments and the passion with which they were written in this video proves Americans have seen enough mistakes in planning and too many dead soldiers. Have we caught or killed any of the SOB’s that ambushed us? I’d like to find the village leader and ask him why he set up our guys or he atleast had a villager who tipped off the enemy!

[@DJDeak1]

Our partner French forces recaptured a suv mounted with 240. They also killed/bombed one of there leaders

[@ayiedennis9848]

11:10 Imagine a person of Dustin Wright's calibre, going back for Johnson.

[@harvestcrops3983]

I have so many questions about this video and if any Military member could give some insight I would appreciate it a lot. I see a lot of comments talking about the vehicles they use is to keep a low profile but I feel like that's naive. Especially since there doesn't seem to be a lot of activity going on in that area. (Of course we'll never know the all of the details of what is being done and how long we've been their.) I do believe if a Sub Commander is within the area, they must have control over the villages and scouts throughout the area. If a scout see's seven convoys (especially two trucks with mounted machine guns) they would radio in to their commander to see if it belongs to them. This right here gives them a heads up that someone is in their territory. Another comment I see is the Air Support situation. Is it common for SF guys to go deep into enemy territory with nothing? Nothing that can arrive within the area in a certain time? Also, why couldn't they be identified by French forces and US Drones? If they have intel that he is near the border, why not drop a Tomahawk? (I don't mind the taxes if it keeps men safe). Do SF guys not have reinforcements ready to deploy if things get out of control? Are they actually expected to fight an entire company? Also, the Village Tongo Tongo. I think it's safe to say that a majority of us find it very very suspicious that US SF & Nigerian Troops were held there 30 minutes longer and they were being shot at from the village? Was there prior knowledge of this village? Did they have surveillance on them before US got involved with the Nigerian troops? Lastly, why when they were returning to base and received that intel. Did they not have time to make another plan? I'd assume being out for 18+ hours has to be exhausting and then to drive to the border to deal with a Sub Commander is a lot. Did the intel give them a some what accurate number of individuals? The area they arrived indicate to them that a larger force was out there? Also, is it normal to radio in an hour later of initial contact with enemy forces? I ask for this insight from a military member because it seems to me and I'm assuming base off the information I see in front of me. That they were ill equipped to do such a thing. It appears to me that someone or multiple individuals thought these guys were Supermen and could take on the world. So they gave them as little as possible and continued to pile as much work as possible. These guys should've have everything available to them, air support, armored vehicles, more soldiers with them, constant communication with the command center, individuals on stand by if shit hits the fan, constant imaging of the location they are at and information being feed to them about a massive movement of military age males moving towards the direction of the base and other stuff. I feel awful that these men had to go through that and I feel for the family. It's emotional unbearable to be put in a situation like that and I pray that if I'm ever in it God gives me the strength to get out of it. I thank every man and woman and their families who are a part of the US Military. Thank you for your service. ps I hope these men were/are avenged. Sorry for any grammar mistakes.

[@dy6mix]

Where can I find this video or where was this video taken from

[@KINGRODP]

They should have had a Support Unit attached to them. A Spectre or a pair of A-10's.

[@CocoTaveras8975]

KINGRODP True, but as far as I've heard they didn't because they didn't expect to engage enemy forces--if they had expected them they probably would of but this mission was just a simple reconnaissance mission which I've heard are quite common in the military so there was no reason for them to expect what was going to happen and as a result no need for air support unit(s).

[@WhatAreYouBuyen]

So Nigerian forces got scared and drove away, and then later Nigerian forces returned and fired on friendlies???

[@tewbears]

WhatAreYouBuyen The point of them being there is to train and help the Nigerien military. They are not very well trained at all. That’s why they ran and to be honest blue on blue happens more often than we like to admit. Thank god nobody was injured.

[@bryanperez9020]

Your such a fucking idiot mate. 4 nigerians died and in the heat of battle there is confusion. Some of those men werent used to intense firefights like that and did there best when forced into a bad situation. A retreat was excuted under alot of small arms fire. Leave it at that

[@tewbears]

OG your right my bad I’ll change it

[@andrewrutherford78]

Question was the withdrawal under coordination with the Americans or was it simply the last element of the call sign took casualties and it went pear shaped from there? The video didn't describe what the Nigerians where doing ie fighting somewhere else or just running?

[@theeGAME360]

they first asked for help 16:52 what? why so late? i guess they didnt expect such a large force? but wouldnt you want air support asap just in case.

[@reduser3731]

7:19 I don't like to jump to any conclusions but that might've be done on purpose to give the insurgents necessary time to ambush the convoy.

[@ltzCrash]

It was, since the meeting went 30 minutes longer than expected. That was enough time to finish setting up the ambush. Before they were given this mission they told their higher ups that they did not have the resources for the mission that was given to them (which is this one) but the higher ups pushed the mission forward and this was the result.There was no air support on station, no additional reinforcements (until much later) also they had no strobe lights or IFF tags for the fighters jets to know who was the enemy and who was friendly. This mission was a failure from the beginning and the special forces soldiers that lost their lives are not to blame. But the higher ups definitely are. Our brothers lost their lives due to high commands stupidity.

[@Oissst2012]

This happens when SOF soldiers don't have air cover. Always have air cover in any unknown and well established EF area.

[@sherweezy408]

10:38 "Moved slightly ahead of US vehicle 2". From watching the actual video, Black was actually inside the vehicle laying down on his stomach and fell down to the ground as the vehicle moved back.

[@DJDeak1]

Garand Tangina not true. Black was the guy in front engaging and from the actual video you can see him moved slightly Ahead of vehicle. He was the 1st to get killed,

[@sherweezy408]

Dj Deak Dj Deak Were you talking about the part where he was at the front moving along side the vehicle toward the smoke? The video was cut the youll see somebody laying down in the passenger seat for a quick second then Johnson fell down, then the vehicle moved back. Hard to tell what happend in details but for damn sure someone was laying face down passenger seat for a brief second.

[@sherweezy408]

Dj Deak If you look at the SOFREP video here on youtube, 2:09 youll see his body laying down. Im assuming he was shot prior to being inside the car

[@arcamemnon9193]

"you can see him moved slightly Ahead of vehicle" This is evidence to me of the second fatal mistake the commander made (first one was stopping instead of pulling ahead and turning back on the enemy in a place of his choosing and not fighting on ground chosen by the enemy commander). When he returned to the column he failed to relay to the troops they were being outflanked. No way Black would have moved ahead of his cover had he known enemy were on his front left moving to cut him off. He walked right into their sights. Commander bugged out too fast, should have relayed the flank move to his troops.

[@Capsarge72]

I think the guy laying down was actually driving while lying down to try and avoid being shot.

[@atespeach5672]

Tongo members '''found''' David's body without '''help''' from '''others'''

[@rallyecars7449]

damn it why did they have the convoy halt instead of booking it?

[@raffygatal7639]

Wow..nice details they fought together..only thing left behind the 3 cars and fought maybe they are trapped or they don't noticed they were surrounded by the enemies.

[@Gcal1956]

So sad to see this. Imagine being surviving family to these soldiers and seeing these. I’d be happy to know what exactly happened. But at the same time I think it’s better somethings not be told to family. My condolences to their families. Rip.

[@justadudeintheworldman.120]

Anyone know what software or program was used to make this? Extremely well done...

[@tYsOn19056]

Right well done supposedly the video is made by the DOD themselves

[@fabrifibraidiol]

Excellent video, very sad thought.

[@patrickdriscoll1632]

Why haven’t they made a movie about this yet. Like seriously this is a horrible situation and a tragedy, but I think that they need to make a movie about it to bring awareness to it.

[@tacticalsweater5119]

Shitty way to go. 2 or 3 years of hard training and dedication, only to die for some stinking wasteland on a botched mission. Oh well, I guess that's what they're out there for. Someone has to do it. Respect and rest easy brave men.

[@yaadmanlevi]

Ikr Smh

[@traphead5149]

How do u know if they were skinny or not...? Just curious🤷🏾‍♂️

[@954made3]

The d6 of fate No, No one had to do it.

[@amateruss]

The keyboard commanders in here would not do it so they have to.

[@sxxnnxx]

they were ambushed after rtb'ing from a successful mission. did you even watch the video?

[@aurelienclair4465]

Thanks to the french.

[@pizzafrenzyman]

Stopping to eat, and meeting with the community leaders was the critical juncture in the mission. Had they just keep driving everyone would still be alive. The mission isn't done until you return to base, then you eat. Meet the community leaders next time when you have proper mission planning.

[@ZombieCleaner]

Since when is a DSHKA a small arm? I've seen the video, some of the rounds that hit the 2nd man who was KIA were much heavier than a 7.62

[@1MoonL1ght1]

Jay S. Yo is that link still work

[@joegonzales7350]

Salute to our US Special Forces!

[@ayiedennis9848]

Has Stars and Stripes done any other videos like this? I could not find any, and this is excellent.

[@robert48044]

There was an earlier release of material that had the actual bodycam footage but I believe it was removed or buried, does anyone know of a link to it?

[@davist2000]

I have a lot of questions I watched this video from the beginning to the end. I'm confused because they had just met with those Nigerian leaders in the village and then as soon as they left the village all of a sudden gun fire is like exploding on them so was that a set up? because how in the heck they did they know that those soldiers was coming to meet with that leader in that Village and they were already situated out in the wooded area waiting for them to leave that village. THAT was a whole setup! As far as La David Johnson yes he did fight to the end I'm confused about his body because they said they got the rest of his remains but initially they said that the only thing was missing from him when they found him was his boots and his artillery and stuff that he had so I'm confused did they Decapitate him or is it just being over exaggerated because he had a closed-casket and they wouldnt let his wife look in it stating it was a severe wrap (what does that mean) ???🤔🤔🤔I know that they said he was hit in the head the back of the head with something that they presumed to be like a hammer or something because the how big the gash was but I'm confused did they Decapitate him in the midst of firing on him once they did kill him or what? but yeah this was a total setup and that. Village leader yep he's part of it too! This is one of the reasons why I never wanted to be a part of the military because I understand we have to have people to fight for this country but once you're are killed it's like the government don't give two fuxs about you. Seeing as though the president or whoever he supposed to be making that insensitive comment to this Man's family. I would never put my life on the line for this country it's already going down to the dogs and r i p to all the u.s. soldiers that were killed not only to just mr. Johnson but all of them because at the end of the day this was a whole setup and I believe some of them Niger soldiers knew that too it's just sad and whoever made the comment that said that the people in the village was feeding these Isis leaders and Isis people that's true I agree because how did they know that the u.s. soldiers and the Niger soldiers was coming to meet with the village leader. I just don't understand how they were already set up and in place to kill these people like they just came out of nowhere where with that ambush that's crazy man.

[@korwl540]

in a large enough village, there is almost guaranteed to be at least one guy who's at the very least a sympathizer to the bad guys. don't forget that they were likely observed on their way to round up the HVT north of the village, and that the observation could have been continuous from that point. stopping in the village to talk to the elders and get some food gave the enemy time to plan and execute their ambush. also, enemy movement was 100% confirmed by eyes in the sky. it was a pretty bad decision to stop in the village then charlie mike on the most predictable route afterwards.

[@MarkGarciay7431a666]

Also the locals said they found LaDavid with a bullet in the head and his hands were tied. But assuming by the time Nigerian forces came they untied him.

[@Calebe428]

damn that seems like it was all down to mismanagement

[@ejomatic]

This needs to be a movie

[@reredongy]

No, people will profit off it

[@Nightrunnergunner]

Friendly fire at the end....geeze what else..

[@JRAT777]

would of loved to at least see the enemy be destroyed by aircraft. This was a legit well-executed ambush hard to watch.

[@deplacmentpourmeilleurposi1537]

with out air support u are 0

[@NotGonnaTel]

Nothing but the greatest amount of respect ✊ and RIP but i have to ask, why did they not push through and keep driving? From the first time I saw this I asked this question. I just don’t understand this tactically. Personally I’d have punched it and gotten the hell out of their. Am I missing something? What is the benefit if your mobile and taking fire to stop? When you can drive out of the kill zone?

[@gladiator_games]

Damn. Incredible story. Real sad

[@cravenmoorehead5657]

Why didn’t the air assets pick the enemy up ??????

[@bigtasty42069]

If say we need to return to that village with a couple Thunderbolts and level it.

[@KingKsEDC]

Why didnt they drive away ? May be dumb question sorry in advance.

[@curiouser-and-curiouser]

I was scrolling thru here, wondering if anybody had the same questions. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff but it's almost like kids playing & telling each other, ok you go here & then I'm gonna go over there. We spend the most on military & this is what it is. Somethings way off here.

[@robertcowan8211]

MEN OF GREAT HONOUR..................ALL OF THEM.

[@wrongfulwinner8485]

May these hero’s rest in peace

[@Dog.soldier1950]

Bravo Zulu to the French for their help but an example of SF being too few too light and outside the indirect fire fan

[@euheroico]

Why did they exit their vehicles when under fire? No military background here, so I'm just curious. Should they not have kept going?

[@loganjG35]

That’s what they are trained to do in a ambush. Many factors played out here including that they did not know how many enemies there where and there ended up being a lot more than expected and they realized that after it was too late. If they get ambushed they are suppose to fire back, that is a rule of engagement.

[@loganjG35]

Not to mention there whole convoy of vehicles where completely unarmored civilian trucks. They are basically sitting ducks if they keep driving.

[@euheroico]

@@loganjG35 thanks a lot for your response. It's just such a shame things turned down the way they did. Maybe whoever "set the rules" in the military can learn something from this and make this type of actions a little safer in the future.

[@BurglarBars]

May they all Rest in peace, God bless them and their families.

[@Synystr7]

What the heck happened to Egypt on the map at the beginning?

[@gemini-mg6sc]

Why didn't they used Humvees and MRAPs?

[@rehmatmalik5420]

"TONGO TONGO" is coming to theaters soon......

[@CocoTaveras8975]

Rehmat Malik Lets not please turn this into a movie special, inappropriate to the victims and families and extremely insensitive and frankly disrespectful.

[@ClaesN1973]

Does anyone know the number of enemies they were facing?

[@adinero50]

hindsight is 20/20 but it seems to me whoever was in command of this unit screwed up...not accounting for vehicles - not calling TIC for over an hour. Sad.

[@andrewrutherford78]

I can understand in a jungle, forest or hilly terrain might conceal large forces movements but in open desert how could they be hit with such a large force without them seeing them?

[@supamario1030]

It wasnt a desert it was a savannah thats why.

[@reredongy]

I’m not a military member but Air support should never been turned down, very important in supporting ground troops

[@satchking6861]

why did they stop, with an unkown force hidden in cover, when they coulda just kept driving?

[@davidhong4941]

Satchking because they don’t know what’s ahead of them as well, you might be driving right into the enemy’s trap due to lack of information and aerial support.

[@satchking6861]

@@davidhong4941 everything youre saying is just more reasons to not stop and exit the vehicles with an unkown force firing at you

[@lostsaxon7478]

Poor discipline, complacency, panic. Take your pick, I was always taught to push out of the killzone and the only time you wouldn't is when they're extremely close. In the case of the latter, you throw everything explosive related at them and close the distance.

[@satchking6861]

@@lostsaxon7478 sounds about right. Such a god damned shame.

[@May-gr8bp]

Anyone else notice that the Suez canal is REALLY wide in the video?

[@wokebutbroke6990]

Like a resident evil opening, r.I.p to those fallen mean no disrespect

[@ugglass7277]

don’t understand why they say brian black was killed infront of the car, he was shot in the car and fell out as it rolled back

[@chucknorris4thewin257]

I’m not judging or anything but why did they wait so late to call for help

[@HighDiver5555]

It takes a solid minute or two to properly call for aid support. Especially from another country. I served with these guys and that would have been there first thing to do if they had any time to do so