The two Illinois Air National Guard pilots who are currently in Article 32 hearings for their part in the friendly-fire incident that killed four and wounded over half a dozen other Canadian soldiers are getting taken down by the Air Force to cover up for some major screw-ups by the senior officers/theatre commanders in Southwest Asia.
While the friendly-fire incident was both sad and regrettable, there is sufficient evidence released in the preliminary investigative report to suggest that there was a pretty big breakdown in communications, command and control between airborne and ground controllers, and the pilots. Under questioning at the Article 32 hearing, Air Force intelligence officers who worked in the area, and were/are responsible for knowing things like where friendly forces are, admitted that they knew nothing about Tarnak Farms (the firing range).
I am the last person who would want this white-washed, but it has the stink of "cover-up" and CYA for those of Flag Rank all over it. There was either too much command and control (no one knew who was actually in charge or had the right information), or not enough. Flag Officers and even Senior DoD officials are responsible for the rules-of-engagement and C3I (Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence) at the Theatre level, not Majors in the cockpit.
Even if they are not charged, Majors Schmidt and Umbach have to live with this event for the rest of their lives, especially Major Schmidt who dropped the ordnance. All the Flag Officers involved will eventually retire, get jobs at defense contractors and continue to be cockroaches forever.
