Posts Tagged ‘Friendly Fire’

Budget cuts, errant B1 bomber blamed in deadly ‘friendly fire’ accident…

Posted: 30 Oct 2014 in Afghanistan, Military, US Air Force, US Army, WTF Files
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Save the A-10.

A-10 Warthog

The B-1 is not suited for this type of mission. I don’t care what these Air Force morons say, it isn’t a close air support aircraft. That’s complete bullshit. 5 men are dead because of some asshole general’s B-1 bomber fiefdom.

The A-10 is the best close air support aircraft on the planet and these assholes are playing budget games with the lives of our Soldiers.

Unacceptable.

Budget cuts, errant B1 bomber blamed in deadly ‘friendly fire’ accident in Afghan war

The “friendly fire” airstrike that killed five American soldiers in Afghanistan on June 9 is the first known case of a battlefield catastrophe that can be linked to automatic defense spending cuts that greatly curtailed prewar training.

A review of the worst American fratricide in the long Afghanistan war also shows that the military’s official investigation faults a Green Beret commander, an Air Force air controller and the four-man crew on the B-1B bomber that conducted the errant strike.

But the investigation, headed by an Air Force general, does not question the use of a strategic bomber for close air support, even though experts say the tragedy illustrates why the big plane is misplaced in that role.

via EXCLUSIVE: Budget cuts, errant B1 bomber blamed in deadly ‘friendly fire’ accident in Afghan war – Washington Times.

Friendly Fire, Isn’t Friendly…

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 in Afghanistan, Military, US Marines, US Navy
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This really breaks my heart when a friendly fire incident happens. It is a thing of war. I feel sorry for the families of these fine young men.

My thoughts and prayers are with their families. God rest their souls.

Predator drone may have killed US troops

WASHINGTON – The military is investigating what appears to be the first case of American troops killed by a missile fired from a U.S. drone.

The investigation is looking into the deaths of a Marine and a Navy medic killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a Predator after they apparently were mistaken for insurgents in southern Afghanistan last week, two senior U.S. defense officials said Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Unmanned aircraft have proven to be powerful weapons in Afghanistan and Iraq and their use have expanded to new areas and operations each year of those conflicts. Some drones are used for surveillance and some, such as the drone in this case, are armed and have been used to hunt and kill militants.

Officials said this is the first case they know of in which a drone may have been involved in a friendly fire incident in which U.S. troops were killed, and they are trying to determine how it happened.

Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith of Arlington, Tex., and Seaman Benjamin D. Rast of Niles, Mich., were hit while moving toward other Marines who were under fire in Helmand province.

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Other sources:

Visitation Friday for sailor killed in friendly-fire

News Wrap: U.S. Probes Deadly Friendly Fire Drone Attack in Afghanistan

Huge procession brings Arlington Marine home after death by friendly fire in Afghanistan