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Battle of Ganjgal

Battle of Ganjgal
Part of the War in Afghanistan

U.S. Army's "Battlescape" diagram
DateSeptember 8, 2009
Location
Ganjgal village, Kunar Province, Afghanistan
34°47′24″N 71°09′29″E / 34.79°N 71.158°E / 34.79; 71.158
Belligerents
 United States
 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan		 Afghanistan Taliban
Commanders and leaders
 Unknown
Units involved

Joint United States/Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

No specific units
Strength
United States 16 Embedded Forces[3]
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 60 soldiers
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 30 border policemen[4]		 Approx. 150 insurgents[3]
Casualties and losses
5 killed[5]
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 8 killed		 2 killed

The Battle of Ganjgal took place during the War in Afghanistan between American and Afghan forces and the Taliban in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2009.[3][5] Complaints that the coalition casualties were avoidable and caused by a failure of the chain of command to provide fire support for the team triggered an official investigation and a series of reprimands to several US military officers.[6] Army Captain William D. Swenson and Marine Corporal Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the battle. Meyer is the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, and Swenson is the fifth living soldier and second officer to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Two other Marines at the battle, Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez and Capt. Ademola Fabayo, received the Navy Cross.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Official Citation". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Ademola D. Fabayo". militarytimes.com. Gannett. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Dan Lamothe. "Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  4. ^ "Battlescape". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 29 August 2014. The overall column consisted of 106 personnel, which included 60 Afghan National Army, or ANA, soldiers, 14 ANA mentors, 30 Afghan Border Police, or ABP, members, and U.S. Army Soldiers Capt. William Swenson and Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook, both advisors to the ABP.
  5. ^ a b Dan Lamothe. "Rep. wants answers on Ganjgal ambush probe". Military Times.
  6. ^ Dan Lamothe. "Report: Army denied aid to team under fire". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  7. ^ Dan Lamothe. "Ambush survivor up for Medal of Honor". Navy Times.
  8. ^ Army News Service. "Army Ranger to be awarded Medal of Honor". Stars and Stripes.

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