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ARCHIVES OF FRIENDLY FIRE NEWS RELEASES - 2003. |
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'Friendly-fire' pilot granted court martial Jun 26 2003 (AP) MIDDLETOWN, VA. - The U.S. pilot who mistakenly bombed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan last year has turned down an air force offer of lesser charges and will face a court martial. It's a high-stakes gamble for Maj. Harry Schmidt. He could be exonerated of the charges he faces or end up with a prison term of up to 64 years. A military spokesperson confirmed the air force had accepted Schmidt's request, but had not set a date for the trial. "Maj. Schmidt's trial date has not yet been established. The Air Force Trial Judiciary's Central Circuit will assign a trial judge and a trial date in the near future," said a statement from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Last week, an air force officer who reviewed the case recommended against court martial for Schmidt and Maj. William Umbach, the other pilot involved in the bombing. Schmidt dropped a 225-kilogram bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers in April 2002, killing four of them and injuring eight others. His lawyers said Wednesday Schmidt wants the military trial to address the more serious charges he was facing. "It is clear that I cannot and will not receive a full and fair hearing" in a non-judicial hearing known as an Article 15, Schmidt said in a statement. "Therefore I am compelled to refuse punishment under Article 15 and demand trial by court martial," he said. If found guilty on the most serious possible charges – aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter and dereliction of duty – Schmidt could face up to 64 years in prison. Schmidt's other option was a non-judicial hearing on charges of dereliction of duty. The hearing could have tarnished his record and ended his career. Written by CBC News Online staff
'Friendly fire' pilots won't be court-martialled. Jun 19 2003 (AP) BARKSDALE, LA. - Two U.S. military pilots who bombed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan will not face a court martial or go to prison. Majors Harry Schmidt and William Umbach will instead be disciplined at an "administrative forum," Lt.-Gen. Bruce Carlson of the 8th Air Force in Barksdale, La., said Thursday. The pilots were facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and dereliction of duty for the April 2002 incident that killed four Canadian soldiers and wounded eight others on a training exercise near Kandahar. The charges could have resulted in prison sentences of up to 64 years had a court martial gone ahead. Officials in Washington have said Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, the 8th Air Force commander who reviewed the case, has decided the pilots should not face criminal prosecution. A lawyer for the family of one victim had said that non-judicial punishment might be OK as long as Schmidt and Umbach never fly for the military again. "They don't necessarily want to see these men go and serve time in prison because enough people have been hurt, and they say that thinking of the young families that each of these majors has," said Dick Murtha, who represents the family of Pte. Richard Green. "But they feel very strongly that there should be a forfeiture of their right to fly in the Armed Forces." Murtha said he expects lawsuits by some family members if they feel justice has not been done. The two pilots were flying near Kandahar Airport in the early morning hours of April 18, 2002, when they detected ground fire. They thought it was directed at them and dropped a 225-kilogram laser-guided bomb, even though they had been ordered to hold their fire. A hearing in January concluded there were grounds to charge Schmidt and Umbach, but that it should not happen in the interests of order and good discipline. Lesser sanctions should apply, the hearing concluded.
'Friendly fire' pilots won't face charges: report Jun 18 2003 TORONTO - Two U.S. pilots involved in the bombing of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan last year will not face criminal charges, according to a published report. The Canadian Press said Wednesday American military officials will not go ahead with charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and dereliction of duty against Majors Harry Schmidt and William Umbach. The pilots said they thought they were being fired on and decided to retaliate - despite orders to hold fire. Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith were killed last April during a live-fire training exercise. An American bomber dropped at least one laser-guided bomb on the Canadians near Kandahar airport. Eight more Canadian soldiers were injured. Written by CBC News Online staff
TWO U.S. PILOTS CHARGED IN DEATHS March 19 2003 Two American F-16 pilots, Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach, are waiting to find out if they will face a court martial as a result of the so-called “friendly fire” incident outside Kandahar, Afghanistan on April 18, 2002. Four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight wounded when Schmidt dropped a 250-kilogram laser-guided bomb on a live-fire military exercise. Schmidt is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of assault. Umbach is charged with four counts of aiding and abetting manslaughter, and eight counts of aiding and abetting assault. A U. S. Air Force "Article 32" hearing - the equivalent of a preliminary hearing in Canada – was held at Barksdale Air Force Base near Bossier, La., in January 2003. The officer hearing the case will decide whether or not sufficient evidence exists to hold a court martial for the pilots. If found guilty as the result of a court martial, the pilots could face up to 64 years in prison. The accident sent Canadians into mourning. Nearly two weeks later, the official mourning came to an end with an emotional memorial service in Edmonton. Of the eight Canadian soldiers injured in the bombing, six returned to Canada the following week. The two others were treated for minor injuries and remained with their unit in Afghanistan. Written by CBC News Online staff
U.S. Approves Bronze Star medals for Canadians killed in Afghanistan Feb. 24 2003 OTTAWA - CBC News has learned that the United States army has approved the awarding of the Bronze Star to the four Canadian soldiers who were killed by a U.S. bomb in Afghanistan. The Bronze Star can be awarded for heroism or meritorious service. Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith were killed in a 'friendly fire' accident in April of last year. Eight other soldiers were injured in the incident. Military officials at the Pentagon say the medals and certificates were sent to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa in January, but the Department of Foreign Affairs says it has not been formally contacted by American officials. The protocol for awarding the medals would see a committee of the chancellery, under the Governor General, have the final say whether the soldiers would receive the U.S. Military honor posthumously. Written by CBC News Online staff
Family of 'friendly fire' victim files lawsuit against U.S. Government Feb. 13 2003 PROSPECT, NOVA SCOTIA - The family of one of the four Canadian soldiers killed in an accidental bombing in Afghanistan last April has filed a wrongful death claim against the U.S. government. It is believed to be the first case of its kind in both countries. Lawyers for relatives of Pte. Richard Green filed notice on Thursday. It cites the "inexplicable, unjustified and reckless" actions of the two U.S. pilots who dropped a bomb on Canadian troops training near Kandahar. A hearing into the conduct of the two F-16 pilots involved in the 'friendly-fire' accident wrapped up last month in Louisiana. Four Canadians were killed in the accident, eight others were wounded. The soldiers were involved in a nighttime, live-fire exercise at the time of the bombing. The two pilots, Majors William Umbach and Harry Schmidt, have defended their actions on the night of April 17, 2002. "I was called upon to make a perfect decision in a rapidly unfolding combat environment," Schmidt testified at the hearing. "I had to make that decision with what I now know, with the acuity of 20-20 hindsight, was imperfect information." Military authorities in the U.S. are now considering whether the two pilots will face a court martial. Written by CBC News Online staff
Drugs, communications emerge as themes at 'friendly fire' hearing Jan 14 2003 BARKSDALE, LA. - Lawyers for the U.S. fighter pilots who bombed a group of Canadian soldiers last year in Afghanistan accused the U.S. Air Force of buying Canadians' testimony. The Air Force paid for the Canadians to travel to Louisiana so they could testify at a hearing beginning Tuesday that will determine what sort of trial, if any, the F-16 pilots will face. Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach, both of the Illinois Air National Guard, are charged with involuntary manslaughter for dropping a 225-kilogram laser-guided bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers near Kandahar last April. Umbach's lawyer, David Beck, told the Article 32 hearing the pilots had taken amphetamines prior to their mission so they could stay awake on the long flight, and were given antidepressants when they landed. Canadian members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were conducting live-fire exercises on the night of April 17, when Umbach and Schmidt saw muzzle flashes from the air. Schmidt dropped the bomb on the Canadians, believing he and Umbach were under attack from Taliban or al-Qaeda forces on the ground. Four Canadians died in the attack. Eight others were wounded. Investigations by both Canadian and U.S. authorities concluded the pilots had acted recklessly in not following procedure and disobeying orders to hold their fire. But defense lawyers Beck and Charles Gittins, representing Schmidt, say the pilots weren't told in advance there could be friendly forces in the area. That information arrived 30 seconds after the bomb was released. One witness expected to be called at the hearing is Col. David Nichols, the pilots' commander. Beck says Nichols sent e-mails in the months before the attack warning his superiors that communications problems were likely to lead to "friendly fire" deaths. Beck told the hearing on Tuesday he promised to raise the drugs issue later, and would argue the so-called "go-pills" might have impaired the men's judgment. After hearing all the evidence, investigating officer Col. Patrick Rosenow will recommend a course of action for the military, which could include court-martialing the pilots. The men could face as much as 64 years in prison. He could also recommend they be set free. Written by CBC News Online staff
Two US pilots under fire after live-fire mistake Jan 13 2003 LOUISIANA - The preliminary hearing at Barksdale Air Force Base in the state of Louisiana is the next stage in a process that has found two United States F-16 pilots at fault in a fatal live-fire mistake in Afghanistan. The pilots dropped a bomb, which killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight, on the Canadian position in the belief that they were encountering enemy fire. The US pilots are the first service members to face criminal charges in a friendly fire incident during the war in Afghanistan. They could each face 64 years in prison if convicted. |
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