Mq:
>>But you shouldn't expect other than a wet bus ticket tap on the wrist<<
In this case there will be a precedent-setting court martial of both Schmidt and Umbach, imho.
Turns out I'm on the same side of this issue as Ray Duray. Ray's there because of his stopped-clock dogma (all US soldiers are murderers, blah de blah). I'm there because I've read the original military report on this incident and it's clear that Major Schmidt, who like Umbach is an Air National Guard pilot btw, not an Air Force regular, violated the rules of engagement and also disobeyed a clear instruction from an AWACS operator to wait for a clarification of the situation. From the Air Force perspective he violated ROEs, disregarded a clear instruction properly conveyed through the chain of command and recklessly endangered himself and his aircraft. Umbach, as the flight commander, failed to exercise appropriate (any) control over Schmidt. A common-sense reading of the military report also suggests that Schmidt exaggerated the threat he felt himself to be under both at the time and afterwards and that he did not consider for one moment, as he clearly should have, that the ground fire was from friendlies. The only real breakdown in military procedure was from Schmidt, who was apparently just itching to drop his ordnance on something. The military report, by the way, describes Schmidt's use of his laser-guided 500 lb. bomb as "technically proficient." The impact point was within a few feet of the position of some members of the Canadian squad.
centcom.mil
Schmidt is going to jail, imo. Umbach may escape jail but his bottom will be smarting for the rest of his life.
Post script: ask yourself, would the military of any other country post an investigation report of this kind on a web site with unrestricted access, for the entire world, including Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Raymond Duray, to see? |
