On april 18, 2002, alpha company, third battalion of the princess patricias canadian light infantry, was on a training exercise at tarnak farms, a former taliban artillery range in southern afghanistan. The board found that the canadian troops engaged in the night live fire exercise had conducted their operations as authorized and in accordance with the established range procedures for the types of weapons fire. Tarnak farms refers to a former afghan training camp near kandahar the camp is very near the kandahar airport the alqaeda camp is alleged to have offered training constructing bombs, using poisons, urban warfare, and assassination. Captain cozadd acknowledged that he did not know the canadians were conducting live fire exercises in the area known as tarnak farms. Friendly fire by patrick gale goodreads share book. An american f16 being flown by an air national guard pilot mistook canadians training in a live fire drill for taliban insurgents and dropped a 500pound laser guided bomb lgb directly on target. What do special instructions bring to the rules of. Alpha company, 3 ppcli, operating on the tarnak farms range the night of 17 april 2002 were equipped with a variety of ground weapons for use during their livefire training. Til the first four canadian soldiers who lost their life in afghanistan was due to a american f18 dropping a bomb on a training exercise in the belief that the canadians were enemy soldiers. The tarnak farm incident refers to the killing of four canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the 3rd battalion princess patricias canadian light infantry battle group 3ppclibg on the night of april 17, 2002, near kandahar, afghanistan.
The coalition investigation board found the cause of the friendly fire incident to be the failure of the two pilots to exercise appropriate flight discipline, which. A reasonable fighter pilot could have believed he was. His first major postmortem was the april 2002 friendly fire incident in which an overzealous american pilot dropped a bomb on a nighttime live fire exercise at the tarnak farms training ground southwest of kandahar, killing four canadian soldiers and wounding eight. That overrode his excellent eyes, training and good sense. I would imagine regret by persons who were involved in the friendly fire incident is common, especially when its found out later that they killed fellow service members or allied forces, which was not intended. Many of their relatives are at barksdale watching the hearing on closecircuit tv in a holding room on. Us pilots face trial for canadian friendly fire deaths in afghanistan. Bombing that killed four canadian soldiers in afghanistan 9780470839188. Only once beforein iraq in 1994have us military personnel been prosecuted over a friendly fire incident in a combat zone. Two american pilots facing trial for the friendly fire killings of four canadian soldiers in afghanistan were pressured by the us air force into taking amphetamines that may have impaired their. Air force verdict cbc news online july 6, 2004 on july 6, 2004 lt.
At tarnak farm, a company begins to board the trucks that will take them back to camp. The findings of the fourmember canadian tarnak farm board of inquiry, chaired by general maurice baril, were released on june 28, 2002. The tarnak farm incident refers to the killing of four canadian soldiers and the injury of eight. Tarnak farms refers to a former afghan training camp near kandahar, which served as a base to osama bin laden and his followers from 1998 to 2001 the camp is very close to the kandahar airport after the united states forces took over the airport, they used the ruins for their own training exercises. Illinois governor helps raise money for friendly fire pilots. Further, at no time prior to our mission on 17 april 2002 were we briefed of a live fire exercise at tarnak farms or in the vicinity of kandahar. Uasf major schmidt is one of two pilots involved in the tarnak farms friendly fire incident on april 17, 2002 that killed four canadian soldiers and injured eight near kandahar, afghanistan. In the tarnak farm incident, four canadian soldiers were killed and eight others injured when a u. Tarnak farms is still a concern for insurgent activity and is patrolled constantly by coalition forces. Ron corbett is an author, journalist, and broadcaster living in ottawa. Us pilots blame drug for friendly fire deaths world news. Media in category friendly fire the following 22 files are in this category, out of 22 total.
On 17 april 2002, as the afghanistan conflict was escalating, a friendlyfire incident swept the headlines. So it appears that friendly fire incidents, while not the u. At tarnak farm, a company begins to board the trucks that will take them back. Berger jotted down the presence of seven to 11 families in the tarnak farms facility, which could mean 6065 casualties. The information here is sourced well and enriched with great visual photo and video illustrations. Are fighter pilots in war zones hungry for kills and.
Nvgs produce a better image at night than the human eye. Michael friscolanti summarized their comments in his book friendly fire. Three tarnak farm survivors remember 2002 friendly fire. Night vision goggles nvgs airmen and soldiers often use nvgs when operating at night. The air force began an article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury proceeding, in january against two illinois guardsmen, majs. First soldiers down by ron corbett overdrive rakuten. By chance, i stumbled across friendly fire, which is set in the same town and focuses on the grand old boarding school, tathams, at its heart. Neither pilot will be referred to trial by courtmartial. Theyd been conducting an authorized livefire exercise near kandahar at an old al qaeda training base, a place called tarnak farm. Tarnak farm friendly fire incident use of these drugs is not without controversy. On 17 april 2002, as the afghanistan conflict was escalating, a friendly fire incident swept the headlines.
On the evening of 17 april 2002, two us f16s were airborne near kandahar, afghanistan providing oncall support for coalition ground forces as part of operation enduring freedom. The tarnak farms friendly fire incident certainly raised interest on the part of the military in alternatives to amphetamines known in military jargon as go pills, and as meadows documents in careful detail, the availability of modafinil filled that gap quite nicely. Friendly fire is an attack by a military force on friendly or neutral troops while attempting to. Hello, we provide concise yet detailed articles on fire choices. For the unclassified version of the canadian report, see the tarnak farm board of inquiry, tarnak farm board of inquiry. Us pilots face trial for canadian friendly fire deaths. And four months before the canadian deaths at tarnak farms, a b52 dropped a bomb directly on u.
Pat stogran on april 18, 2002, alpha company, third battalion of the princess patricias canadian light infantry, was on a training exercise at tarnak farms, a former taliban artillery range in southern. F16s mistakenly believed a canadian night fire exercise to be surfacetoair fire from anticoalition militia. Gale admits in his authors note that the school is a thinlydisguised version of his own alma mater at winchester, and perhaps thats why the story shimmers with a kind of nostalgia. The cib found by clear and convincing evidence that the cause of the friendly fire incident at tarnak farms was the pilots failure to exercise appropriate flight discipline.
Neither pilot was told about the canadian exercise that night before. All were members of alpha company, the third battalion of the princess patricias canadian light infantry, who had been engaged in a livefire exercise at tarnak farms. An american f16 fighter jet piloted by air national guard major harry. Tarnak farm incident on april 17, 2002, four canadian soldiers of the princess patricias canadian light infantry were killed at this site while conducting a night time live fire training exercise. The tarnak farm incident refers to the accidental killing of four canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the third battalion of princess patricias canadian light infantry 3ppcli on the night of april 18, 2002 by an american f16 fighter jet. He was bored with just flying and wanted to hit something. The artillery was fire from canadian ground troops undergoing live fire training at the tarnak farms range near kandahar in southern afghanistan. The 8th air force commander announced decisions regarding the tarnak farms friendly fire cases of majs. On april 18, 2002, friendly fire killed four canadian soldiers in afghanistan, canadas first combat deaths since the korean war.
Air national guard ang f16 dropped a 500 lbs laserguided bomb on a canadian lightinfantry unit erupted a debate after the pilot and his lawyer argued that stimulants provided by the department. Facts on the friendly fire incident ottawa citizen. In 2002, the friendly fire tarnak farms incident, in which a u. F16 fighter pilots, and others in their chain of command, for the april 17 friendly fire incident that killed four canadian soldiers and injured eight. Harry schmidt dropped a laserguided bomb on the canadians, who were conducting a nightfiring exercise at a place called the tarnak farms. Pilots avoid prosecution for bombing canadian troops. Tarnak farm board of inquiry executive summary released. Cib found the cause of this friendly fire incident to be the failure of. Tarnak farm, near kandahar, afghanistan, predawn, april 18, 2002. Us military scapegoats pilots over friendly fire deaths. Friendly fire statements issued by majors william umbach and harry schmidt cbc news online updated october 22, 2003 here are key excerpts from statements issued by. Air national guard major harry schmidt, dropped a laserguided 227kilogram 500 lb bomb on the. Canadian newspapers and the incident at tarnak farm. Nato is investigating a possible friendly fire incident on monday that led to the deaths of five american troops in afghanistan.
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