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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis Niger mess
will lead to a very serious and frightening question - did the life of the African-American military man matter? How and why was he left out there alone - dead or dying?
This is a most troubling situation and we must ignore the diversion and get to the bottom of this.
underpants
(182,791 posts)I'm sorry to say this but I've got conspiracy theories on my mind
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9729941
First he was black AND attacking him his wife or Rep. Wilson serves a double purpose of diversion to retribution for Trump but.....
Expect some conspiracies that he was "in on it".
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)think his army buddies would have left him there. I have been watching all the Vietnam programs on PBS, Ken Burns about ten 1.5 hour episodes. There was very little Black and White i problems in battle.
malaise
(268,976 posts)Who were the Contractors?
Baconator
(1,459 posts)bathroommonkey76
(3,827 posts)A US private aviation contractor conducted evacuations of US and Nigerien troops after they were ambushed on October 4 in Niger, according to US Africa Command spokesperson Robyn Mack. Mack said that US private contractor Berry Aviation was "on alert during the incident and conducted casualty evacuation and transport for US and partner forces."
What is unclear at this time is whether the private contractor airlifted the wounded and/or the deceased. CNN previously reported that US officials said French military Super Puma helicopters evacuated the wounded Americans along with those killed.
Contractor aircraft are typically not armed, though their crews may carry side-arms for personal protection.
This is raising questions about whether the French and contractor crews were in communication.
"In August 2017, US Transportation Command approved a sole source contract to hire Berry Aviation to provide one fixed wing aircraft and one rotary wing aircraft in Niamey for, among other duties, casualty evacuation. This sole source bridge contract runs through the end of this month, October 2017," Mack told CNN.
bathroommonkey76
(3,827 posts)malaise
(268,976 posts)Oh My!
bathroommonkey76
(3,827 posts)Who are Sonny Berry, President; Stanley Finch, VP Operations; Gary McCracken, VP Maintenance?
What is their relationship with the Trump family?
malaise
(268,976 posts)around him
Corgigal
(9,291 posts)That pilot certainly fled and left our active duty person.
I so hope he wasn't captured. God forbid a video shows up, I'll cry for days. I bet that is what they are fearing too.
DashOneBravo
(2,679 posts)They can tell if they had the body or was captured because they often mutilate the body if it's ISIS or AQ.
Polly Hennessey
(6,794 posts)she could not have an open casket as she requested. My fear is that he was still alive and captured. Makes me sick to think this might be the case. Hope Im wrong.
bathroommonkey76
(3,827 posts)Berry Aviation is an American charter airline based in San Marcos, Texas, United States. It was established and started operations in 1983 and operates charter passenger and cargo flights as well as work for the US Postal Service. Its main base is San Marcos Municipal Airport.[1]
Founded 1983
Hubs San Marcos Municipal Airport
Fleet size 23
Headquarters San Marcos, Texas, United States
Key people Sonny Berry, President; Stanley Finch, VP Operations; Gary McCracken, VP Maintenance
Website http://www.berryaviation.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Aviation
canetoad
(17,154 posts)http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/15121/us-military-reveals-contractors-flew-to-the-rescue-in-niger-but-little-else
Additional details that have emerged regarding an ambush in southwest Niger that left four U.S. Army soldiers dead continue to prompt more questions than they answer about the incident. The top American headquarters for military operations on the continent, U.S. Africa Command, has now confirmed that private contractors helped casualties evacuate the area afterwards, but has again declined to elaborate on the U.S.-Nigerien patrol's overall objectives or who is responsible for the attack.
The facts as they are known at present are that, on Oct. 4, 2017, two U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers and two other members of the service attached to elements of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Niger died after their convoy came under attack from militants near the village of Tongo Tongo, near the border with Mali. A multi-national force of American, Nigerien, and French forces responded to the incident to help drive off the hostile force and rescue the remaining friendly personnel. One of the American soldiers killed in the incident was missing for two days before U.S. forces recovered his body and it remains unclear when and how he died.
According to Berrys website, however, the companys fleet only includes a variety of fixed wing aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada Dash-8 and Twin Otter, both twin engine turbo-prop planes. It is unclear whether the firm also has helicopters or subcontracts to provide that service. Contracting documents for previous iterations of this arrangement do not specify the need for any particular aircraft by name or prohibit the use of third parties to meet its requirements.
That the aircraft were on call and participated in the response efforts is an important detail. The ability of the U.S. military and contractors working on its behalf, or lack thereof, to rush to the rescue during the attack has been a point of significant scrutiny.
On edit: I've just posted this as an OP. Think it deserves exposure.
riversedge
(70,205 posts)tortured by IS. Remember, the military said there should not be an open coffin. The widow is left to wonder now.
malaise
(268,976 posts)decomposition would rule out an open casket
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)Baconator
(1,459 posts)Don't make me play the angry internet veteran card...
This is bullshit of the highest order.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Apparently, he wasn't dead, just wounded. Why didn't US Army retrieve the bodies?
This should not go away---- not after that lengthy Benghazi probe against HRC.
Baconator
(1,459 posts)... but not at the cost of making a new one.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Baconator
(1,459 posts)Last edited Fri Oct 20, 2017, 12:14 AM - Edit history (1)
Big birds come and go but to get from Niamey to Agadez, for example, you take a contract flight.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Baconator
(1,459 posts)malaise
(268,976 posts)Truth will out
newblewtoo
(667 posts)a snip on the news during dinner (we almost never do this). We both blurted out: "What the fuck are we doing in Niger?"
Anyone know? Sounded like CIA shit all over again. I bet the 'private contractor' is just a front.
malaise
(268,976 posts)We will find out
B2G
(9,766 posts)newblewtoo
(667 posts)posting this. I have no idea how I have been so ignorant of this situation. I recommend people go to the link and take a good long look at what is going on. Drones? Bases?? Fucking secret wars.
Where was the oversight on this shit.
Baconator
(1,459 posts)Last edited Fri Oct 20, 2017, 12:16 AM - Edit history (1)
... Doesn't mean there's anything shady about it.
Some serious tin foil nuttery is brewing for this topic.
DashOneBravo
(2,679 posts)Contactors in Africa for years. That way they can say we only have "100" trainers down there and not mention the butt load of contractors.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)It took 30 minutes for the first help to arrive. The analysis said the firefight spread out over a large area in terrain. It could be possible that he got hit fatally or near fatally in a position that the others could not defend. The analysis said that it was 8-12 against around 50.
roamer65
(36,745 posts)The hell with the military.
peggysue2
(10,828 posts)Spent her first segment talking about the screw-up in Niger, how Chad (which shares a long border with Niger) was placed on the banned entrance list despite the fact they have been a US ally and one of the most effective fighting forces against the Boka Haram lunatics in Niger. Homeland Security required all countries to submit new passports with certain security features included in the design. Chad missed the deadline because (wait for it) . . . they ran out of passport paper. They submitted a facsimile to Homeland Security. Not good enough. The country was therefore placed on the ban list because of the passport snafu and the fact that they've had a history of terrorist groups they've been fighting. Effectively.
Due to the Administration's passport rejection which lead to the country being banned, Chad packed up its men and arms, left Niger and went back to Chad. Within a very short window of time, our men were surrounded and killed.
Boom!
No wonder Trump wasn't eager to bring up the Niger incident, caused by gross incompetence and bureaucratic nonsense.
This is what happens when you have people making critical decisions without knowledge or background or s sense of regional history. The story was (according to Maddow) reported by the Associated Press. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other details yet to be revealed.