Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, a U.S. Army Green Beret killed in a 2017 ambush in Niger, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star last week.
Black was a Special Forces medical sergeant with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was one of four American soldiers killed in the ambush by over 100 Islamic State fighters near the village of Tongo Tongo, along with Staff Sgts. Jeremiah W. Johnson, Dustin M. Wright, and Sgt. La David T. Johnson. Four Nigerian troops were also killed.
Following the firefight, an Army report criticized the unit for poor mission planning and a lack of necessary precautions along their route. Black was initially awarded the Bronze Star for his actions.
The upgraded award comes after the Army reviewed the new body camera footage from the firefight which showed that Black repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to protect others. He provided covering fire until he ran out of ammunition and was killed while moving to assist teammates.
“His selfless sacrifice bought precious time for the detachment to break free of the ambush,” the Army said in the citation.
The Silver Star is the U.S. military’s third-highest award for valor. The medal was presented to Black’s wife Michelle, his sons Ezekiel and Isaac, and his parents Hank and Karen during a ceremony in Pioneer Park, Puyallup, Washington on April 8. Brig. Gen. Kirk Brinker of U.S. Army Special Operations Command led the presentation.
Brinker described Black, who grew up in Puyallup, as “humble, thoughtful, and intelligent,” and praised his actions that day. “Bryan Black sacrificed himself for somebody else,” he said.
Jeremiah Johnson’s Bronze Star was upgraded to a Silver Star in 2022. Wright and La David Johnson were awarded Silver Stars earlier. Black and Johnson were also named honorary Green Berets in 2021.
