Op MEDUSA - Board of Inquiry

[RHFC_piper]

Op MEDUSA - Board of Inquiry

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13 July 2007 – Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, Commander Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM), released today the findings from the A-10A Friendly Fire Incident Board of Inquiry (BOI) that investigated the September 4, 2006, events during which a USAF aircraft opened fire on Canadian troops. This incident resulted in the death of Private Mark Anthony Graham and injuries to several other Canadian soldiers serving with Charles Company group, Royal Canadian Regiment, Joint Task Force – Afghanistan (JTF-Afg).

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Executive Summary

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I was present at the briefing in Petawawa yesterday, along with the few others who could make it from C Coy, 1 RCR, and other battle group members who were involved. (Most were on leave)
I won't go into details about my opinions on the summery, other than to say my feeling have not changed;
My heart goes out to Mark Grahams Family and Friends;  I know the information doesn't quite heal the pain, but I hope it brings them some closure in understanding what happened.

And I still feel no animosity for the pilot or his wing;  They did their jobs to the best of their ability, and they were confident that what they were doing was in the best interests of protecting us as we did our job.

With all said and done; I'm still not sure how I feel about it all.

 

[Emenince Grise]

This makes some remarkable reading. Though heavily edited, the devestation unleashed and the professionalism of the response is evident. The co-operation of the Americans is also noteworthy, especially after Tarnak Farms.

My ongoing sympathies to Pte. Graham's family and all those affected.

 

[RHFC_piper]

CBC: Friendly fire death was preventable: government report

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A friendly fire incident that killed one Canadian soldier and wounded 36 others in Afghanistan last fall could have been prevented, Canada's Department of National Defence said in a report released late Friday.

Had the American pilot been using his equipment properly, Trooper Mark Anthony Graham would not have been killed when a garbage fire lit by Charlie Company was mistaken for the smoke and fire of an intended target and strafed by the U.S. air force, the report said.

"The incident pilot was responsible for the death and injuries of the Canadian soldiers in the incident," the report said. "He lost his situational awareness."

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CTV: 2006 'friendly fire' incident avoidable

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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  -- A friendly-fire incident that killed one Canadian soldier and wounded 36 others in Afghanistan last fall could have been prevented, a Department of National Defence report into the incident has found.

Had the American pilot been using his equipment properly, Trooper Mark Anthony Graham would not have been killed when a garbage fire lit by Charlie Company was mistaken for the smoke and fire of an intended target and strafed by the U.S. air force.

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Toronto Star: Report says friendly fire that killed ex-sprinter was preventable

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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–A friendly-fire attack that killed one Canadian soldier and wounded 36 others in Afghanistan last fall could have been prevented, a Department of National Defence report has found.

Had the American pilot been using his equipment properly, Trooper Mark Anthony Graham would not have been killed when a garbage fire lit by his company was mistaken for the smoke and fire of an intended target and strafed by the U.S. air force.

"The incident pilot was responsible for the death and injuries of the Canadian soldiers in the incident," the report released late Friday said.

Graham, a former Olympic runner from Hamilton, was killed and the others wounded on Sept. 4, 2006.

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Ottawa Citizen: U.S. fighter pilot carries sole blame for friendly fire death
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Also;

Edmonton Journal: Friendly fire probe pins total blame on U.S. pilot
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A U.S. fighter pilot is solely responsible for killing one Canadian soldier and injuring more than 30 others in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan last September that was preventable, a recently released Department of National Defence report concludes.

The report, released late Friday, was prepared by a four-member board directed by Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier.

It found that the pilot, believing a trash fire to be a Taliban location, opened fire on Canadian soldiers without verifying his target.

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London Free Press: Friendly fire avoidable

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KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- A friendly fire incident that killed one Canadian soldier and wounded 36 others in Afghanistan last fall could have been prevented, Canada's Department of National Defence said in a report released late Friday.

Had the American pilot been using his equipment properly, Trooper Mark Anthony Graham would not have been killed when a garbage fire lit by Charlie Company was mistaken for the smoke and fire of an intended target and strafed by the U.S. air force, it said.

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[Fusaki]

It was a horrible accident.

US airpower has saved alot of Canadian lives, and I don't hold any grudges towards the pilots. It could have just as easily been a Canadian LAV gunner disoriented in the turret, or an ND from a C9. Its just too bad that while an A-10's weapons systems are considerably more lethal, the pilot's capacity for human error will always be the same. Technology and training can stack the deck in your favour, but there will never be a 100% solution.

 

[retiredgrunt45]

It was a horrible accident.

US airpower has saved alot of Canadian lives, and I don't hold any grudges towards the pilots. It could have just as easily been a Canadian LAV gunner disoriented in the turret, or an ND from a C9. Its just too bad that while an A-10's weapons systems are considerably more lethal, the pilot's capacity for human error will always be the same. Technology and training can stack the deck in your favour, but there will never be a 100% solution.

I concur, well said wonderbread.

 

[3rd Herd]

U.S. friendly fire pilot's fate to be decided by commander

OTTAWA (CP) - The fate of the American pilot who mistakenly shot up Canadian troops last fall, killing one and wounding 30, will be decided by his commanding officer.

An investigation by the U.S. Air Force has concluded that the pilot, who has yet to be identified, was responsible for the incident that killed Pte. Mark Graham, a former Olympic athlete.

A censored version the American investigation was released today and it says the pilot of the A-10A attack jet opened fire on what he thought was residual smoke from a bomb he had just dropped.

He did so even though the rising sun and weather conditions prevented him from seeing the ground at all.

The findings of the U.S. investigation are similar to the results of a Canadian military board of inquiry, which was released late Friday night.

Maj. John Elolf, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force, says now that the investigation is complete the commander of the 81st Fighter Squadron must decide whether there is enough evidence to charge the pilot with negligence.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terror/2007/07/16/4344226-cp.html