Battle of Ganjgal
| Battle of Ganjgal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the War in Afghanistan | |||||
U.S. Army's "Battlescape" diagram | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
|
United States Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | Taliban | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Unknown | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| No specific units | ||||
| Strength | |||||
|
16 Embedded Forces 60 soldiers 30 border policemen | Approx. 150 insurgents | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
|
5 killed 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. 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. 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.