A Long-Awaited Recognition

On April 8, 2025, the U.S. Army will posthumously award the Silver Star to Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black for his extraordinary heroism during a 2017 ambush in Niger. This ceremony, set to take place in his hometown of Puyallup, Washington, acknowledges Black’s selfless actions that ultimately cost him his life. ​

The Fateful Mission in Niger

The fateful mission in Niger on October 4, 2017, which came to be known as the Tongo Tongo ambush, resulted in the deaths of four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops. It was one of the deadliest incidents involving American forces in Africa since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. The ambush occurred as a joint U.S.-Nigerien team was returning to base after an unsuccessful operation to locate and capture Doundou Chefou, a commander in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

Helmet Cam footage
A still image from a US Army Special Forces soldier’s helmet cam during the firefight. Image Credit: SOFREP

Events Leading to the Ambush

The mission began on October 3, 2017, with a convoy of 11 U.S. Special Forces operators, two support personnel, and an intelligence contractor accompanying 35 Nigerien soldiers. Initially planned as a civil/military reconnaissance mission, its actual goal was to target Chefou. After failing to locate him near Tiloa, the team received new intelligence suggesting Chefou was near the Mali border. Despite bad weather preventing helicopter support, the team proceeded alone overnight to “Objective North,” where they found signs of enemy activity.

On October 4, the team stopped at the village of Tongo Tongo for supplies, and SF often do, held a meeting with local leaders. The meeting dragged on longer than expected, raising suspicions among team members when motorcycles raced out of the village—likely signaling militants about their location. Once the meeting concluded, the joint team departed in an eight-vehicle convoy on their planned route back to base. 

Shortly after leaving the village, they were ambushed by over 100 ISGS militants armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars.

Details of the Ambush

The militants attacked from concealed positions along the convoy’s route. The rear vehicles became isolated and bore the brunt of the assault. The U.S. soldiers fought back with vehicle-mounted machine guns and small arms fire while attempting to regroup with Nigerien forces. However, one vehicle carrying Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, and Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson became bogged down and surrounded by enemy fighters.

Staff Sgt. Black showed remarkable bravery during the attack. Despite being surrounded and significantly outnumbered, Black fearlessly stepped into the line of fire to protect his teammates. He maintained a steady stream of suppressive fire, pushing back the enemy’s advance and giving his fellow soldiers a fighting chance. In doing so, he burned through his ammunition quickly yet refused to retreat or seek cover.

Even after running out of ammo, Black didn’t abandon the fight. He repositioned himself multiple times to support his team from better angles, staying close to the heart of the firefight. His determination kept pressure on the enemy and helped his unit hold the line. When he realized that fellow Green Berets Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright had been wounded, Black made the selfless decision to leave his position of relative safety and move toward them. He knew the danger but acted anyway, exposing himself to withering enemy fire in an attempt to render aid. It was during this courageous effort that he was mortally wounded.