MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. ā U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson's mother said she traveled to North Carolina in anticipation of the Wednesday release of a Department of Defense report into the death of her son and three other soldiers.
The 25-year-old Miami Gardens servicemanĀ was part ofĀ a team of U.S. special operations troops when Islamist militants ambushed themĀ Oct. 4Ā 2017 in the village ofĀ Tongo Tongo, Niger,Ā anĀ African country facing a growing Islamic State-linked threat.Ā
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Cowanda JohnsonĀ said she doesn't expect any groundbreaking information to be released, but the completion ofĀ Army Gen. Robert Brown's report will allow her and other families to have access to a redacted copy of the U.S. Africa CommandĀ investigation, which found several institutional failures.
Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan tasked Brown with reviewing theĀ investigations by U.S. Africa Command and Special Operations Command,Ā whichĀ resulted inĀ reprimands for Air Force Maj. Gen. Marcus HicksĀ and seven Green Berets.Ā
Politico reported Brown's report is "a summary without new recommendations of punishments or other changes" and Shanahan is "not going to recommendĀ punishments for higher-level commanders."
The families of Staff Sgt Johnson andĀ Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright areĀ waiting to receive theirĀ Silver Star for valor. The families ofĀ Staff Sgt. Bryan Black and Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson are waiting for their Bronze Star.Ā