Maj. Schmidt suing USAF

[pvtbones]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/07/08/schmidt040708.html

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/an/story/CTVNews/20040708/schmidt_lawsuit_040708

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060409.wbombing.jpg/BNStory/International

Pilot involved in the death of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002 is suing USAF for "ruining his reputation".

From the Globe and Mail:

Springfield, Ill. — A decorated pilot involved in a friendly fire bombing in Afghanistan that killed four Canadian soldiers is suing the Air Force, accusing it of ruining his reputation.

National Guard Major Harry Schmidt says military officials should not have released to the public the scathing letter of reprimand he was given for the bombing.

His lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, alleges the military violated privacy laws. It seeks unspecified damages.

The disclosure in July 2004 also violated a settlement agreement that spared Major Schmidt from being court-martialed for the 2002 bombing that killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight others, said his lawyer, Charles Gittins.

“The government flat-out failed to comply with their agreement,” Mr. Gittins said.

Lt.-Col. Catherine Reardon, an Air Force spokeswoman, had not seen the lawsuit. “At this point, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the case,” she said Sunday.

On April 17, 2002, Major Schmidt and another pilot were flying F-16s when they spotted muzzle flashes near Kandahar airport. The Canadians were firing weapons on a training range but Major Schmidt mistook them for Taliban forces and dropped a 500-pound, laser-guided bomb.

He has said his superiors never told him the Canadians would be conducting live-fire exercises that night.

The second pilot received a letter of reprimand and was allowed to retire from the Guard. He is not a party to the lawsuit.

Everytime I hear about this man the more I want do a great many cruel things to him (to say the least). The fact he can't own up to his own stupidity and stop trying to be the victim is an insult to the families of the 4 dead canadians and to the entire USAF.

A copy of his Reprimand can be found here (I think it summed it up quite well.)

http://foi.missouri.edu/privacyact/reprimand1.html

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Wow the reprimand letter showed a lot more about the incident than I had ever heard before. From what I was shown before it looked like a tragic accident but now it's PURE negligence on Schmidt's part. He disobeyed an order and if I was a commanding officer I would've put in for a courtmartial.

 

[CptStern]

of course that's what you heard, you're american ..the story played completely different here.

he deserved what he got and probably a whole lot more ...that said, if the USAF did indeed break privacy rules then they should be held accountable for it

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

of course that's what you heard, you're american

No, for Christ's sake stop it with that :/.

I look at the exact same media as you. I didn't follow up on that story because I didn't expect negligence- there is no "brainwashing" or something that tried to hide stories from me or big media conglomorate that specifically omitted information.

 

[CptStern]

No, for Christ's sake stop it with that :/.

I look at the exact same media as you. I didn't follow up on that story because I didn't expect negligence- there is no "brainwashing" or something that tried to hide stories from me or big media conglomorate that specifically omitted information.

man calm down, I wasnt implying your brainwashed (at least not in this case ) ...but I did watch american news around the time, and I do remember picket lines asking for Schmidt to be let go because he was a hero" ...on dateline or 60 minutes (cant remember which) they aired a heavy handed one sided take on all that schmidt is going through ..it was so heavy handed that it made me sick (cuts of crying wife, slowly waving flags etc not ONCE did they interview the dead soldier's families) they made him look like a victem and it was disgusting ..he's exactly what he is ..a cocky prick who took matters into his own hands, disobeyed orders and is trying to milk the military by appealing to people's patriotism ..it's just ****ing sickening

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

man calm down, I wasnt implying your brainwashed (at least not in this case ) ...but I did watch american news around the time, and I do remember picket lines asking for Schmidt to be let go because he was a hero" ...on dateline or 60 minutes (cant remember which) they aired a heavy handed one sided take on all that schmidt is going through ..it was so heavy handed that it made me sick (cuts of crying wife, slowly waving flags etc not ONCE did they interview the dead soldier's families) they made him look like a victem and it was disgusting ..he's exactly what he is ..a cocky prick who took matters into his own hands, disobeyed orders and is trying to milk the military by appealing to people's patriotism ..it's just ****ing sickening

Never seen any of that either. All I saw (way back when it first happened) was "Friendly fire: 4 Canadians killed when F-16 bombs their position"

I didn't even know his name until just now.

 

[CptStern]

it was pretty big here ..as is understandable. I think it was our first casualties in afghanistan

 

[gick]

Jeez, people will sue for anything these days. What an arrogant prat.

 

[bliink]

I think that if you bomb your own team, you are supposed to have a ruined reputation... I mean... seriously..

 

[kaf11]

I think that if you bomb your own team, you are supposed to have a ruined reputation... I mean... seriously..

You would think that wouldnt you?

 

[Rupertvdb]

He killed 4 guys...on his own side...through arrogance. There aren't many things that are much worse than that. He deserves to be sent to prison, it isn't just a tragic accident, it's military incompetence at a lethal level. They shouldn't have allowed his letter of reprimand to be published, but they shouldn't have allowed him to spend much time as a free man after he landed from that flight.

 

[pvtbones]

it probably shouldn't have been published I agree but with his attitude I don't have any sympathy for the man. He should have gotten a far worse sentance than he did.