Marine Raider Master Sgt. Jarad Stout was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic actions in rescuing hostages during the 2015 terrorist attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali.
The U.S. mission in Niger is by far the largest in West Africa and the incident that left four U.S. soldiers dead is calling into question whether U.S. officials have been transparent with the public about the full scope.
A joint American and Nigerien patrol came under hostile fire in southwest Niger, according to LCDR Anthony Falvo, a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command.
U.S. forces face a task fraught with complications stemming from Mali’s complex political atmosphere, which features a plethora of extremist groups, terrorist organizations and sophisticated weaponry.