quote:

ORIGINAL: SirKenin

Well, the way I see it I have never fought in a war.  I am now too old to do so.  I will never know what life is like through their eyes, so I will not judge, nor am I qualified to make comment.

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

US troops in general rarely train with other countries, that is especially true of guard troops.  However, since the british and other troops wear uniforms and carry weapons with VERY distinct profiles (those stupid bullpups) one would think they would stand out from Afghans with AKs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

Ken,

I always love those who use "you don't have any direct experience so you can't comment" to shut others down.  Hearing that argument by someone who is religious is especially ironic.

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

dicky,

So you are saying you are representative of "most" army troops?  Do "most" troops serve 20 years?  I doubt any of it was in the national guard?  Were you in a standard infantry unit?  Sounds more to me like you were airborne or special forces of some type and were sent overseas to train others.  Again, that is not the experience of average troops.

We bring a great deal of foreign troops here to train but their contact with the wider army is limited which is why my post was written the way it was.

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

British fury at 'cowboy' US pilot's deadly error
March 31 2003, 10:21 AM

British soldiers injured when an American "tankbuster" aircraft attacked their convoy, killing one of their comrades, hit out angrily at the "cowboy" pilot today.
Troops wounded in Friday's attack accused the A-10 Thunderbolt pilot of "incompetence and negligence" while others privately called for a manslaughter prosecution.

Lance Corporal of Horse Steven Gerrard, speaking from his bed on the RFA Argus in the Gulf, said: "I can command my vehicle. I can keep it from being attacked. What I have not been trained to do is look over my shoulder to see whether an American is shooting at me."


There was a Union Jack on the back of one of the engineers' vehicles.
"It's about 18 inches wide by about 12 inches. For him to fire his weapons, I believe he had to look through his magnified optics. How he could not see that Union Jack I don't know."

Trooper Chris Finney, 18, added: "All the wagons have markings to say they are Coalition. I don't know why he shot a second time, he was that close.
"To be honest, I think they are just ignorant. I don't know if they haven't been trained or are just trigger happy."


Trooper Joe Woodgate, 19, the driver of the Scimitar in which gunner LCoH Hull was killed, walked away with holes in his bullet-proof vest and torn clothes.
He told The Guardian: "I don't suppose they have learned much from the first war. I can tell what an American tank looks like from every direction.
"How come somebody who is a top-notch Thunderbolt pilot can't tell what a British tank looks like?"

To be fair...

Another two British soldiers were killed when their Challenger 2 Main Battle tank was engaged by another British tank west of Basra.

quote:

  In April 1993, the last REFORGER, a mere shadow of the original, included only a part of one unit from the United States. It was a logistical exercise, largely computer-driven.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KenDckey

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

British fury at 'cowboy' US pilot's deadly error
March 31 2003, 10:21 AM

British soldiers injured when an American "tankbuster" aircraft attacked their convoy, killing one of their comrades, hit out angrily at the "cowboy" pilot today.
Troops wounded in Friday's attack accused the A-10 Thunderbolt pilot of "incompetence and negligence" while others privately called for a manslaughter prosecution.

Lance Corporal of Horse Steven Gerrard, speaking from his bed on the RFA Argus in the Gulf, said: "I can command my vehicle. I can keep it from being attacked. What I have not been trained to do is look over my shoulder to see whether an American is shooting at me."


There was a Union Jack on the back of one of the engineers' vehicles.
"It's about 18 inches wide by about 12 inches. For him to fire his weapons, I believe he had to look through his magnified optics. How he could not see that Union Jack I don't know."

Trooper Chris Finney, 18, added: "All the wagons have markings to say they are Coalition. I don't know why he shot a second time, he was that close.
"To be honest, I think they are just ignorant. I don't know if they haven't been trained or are just trigger happy."


Trooper Joe Woodgate, 19, the driver of the Scimitar in which gunner LCoH Hull was killed, walked away with holes in his bullet-proof vest and torn clothes.
He told The Guardian: "I don't suppose they have learned much from the first war. I can tell what an American tank looks like from every direction.
"How come somebody who is a top-notch Thunderbolt pilot can't tell what a British tank looks like?"

To be fair...

Another two British soldiers were killed when their Challenger 2 Main Battle tank was engaged by another British tank west of Basra.

Hmmmmmmm as I understand it a guy moving at high speed must spot a flag the size of a small safety poster from how far away?   OK   again   what happened to the laser recongnition devices on the british vehicles and soldiers?

and it seems the british are doing it to themselves in the same or similar same country tanks?  hmmmmmm  

It is bad no matter who or why it was done.  but unfortunately it does happen.  btw a couriosity question.   are they going to prosecute the british soldier for shooting at his buds?

quote:

ORIGINAL: MyMasterStephen

quote:

ORIGINAL: KenDckey

quote:

ORIGINAL: CrappyDom

British fury at 'cowboy' US pilot's deadly error
March 31 2003, 10:21 AM

British soldiers injured when an American "tankbuster" aircraft attacked their convoy, killing one of their comrades, hit out angrily at the "cowboy" pilot today.
Troops wounded in Friday's attack accused the A-10 Thunderbolt pilot of "incompetence and negligence" while others privately called for a manslaughter prosecution.

Lance Corporal of Horse Steven Gerrard, speaking from his bed on the RFA Argus in the Gulf, said: "I can command my vehicle. I can keep it from being attacked. What I have not been trained to do is look over my shoulder to see whether an American is shooting at me."


There was a Union Jack on the back of one of the engineers' vehicles.
"It's about 18 inches wide by about 12 inches. For him to fire his weapons, I believe he had to look through his magnified optics. How he could not see that Union Jack I don't know."

Trooper Chris Finney, 18, added: "All the wagons have markings to say they are Coalition. I don't know why he shot a second time, he was that close.
"To be honest, I think they are just ignorant. I don't know if they haven't been trained or are just trigger happy."


Trooper Joe Woodgate, 19, the driver of the Scimitar in which gunner LCoH Hull was killed, walked away with holes in his bullet-proof vest and torn clothes.
He told The Guardian: "I don't suppose they have learned much from the first war. I can tell what an American tank looks like from every direction.
"How come somebody who is a top-notch Thunderbolt pilot can't tell what a British tank looks like?"

To be fair...

Another two British soldiers were killed when their Challenger 2 Main Battle tank was engaged by another British tank west of Basra.

Hmmmmmmm as I understand it a guy moving at high speed must spot a flag the size of a small safety poster from how far away?   OK   again   what happened to the laser recongnition devices on the british vehicles and soldiers?

and it seems the british are doing it to themselves in the same or similar same country tanks?  hmmmmmm  

It is bad no matter who or why it was done.  but unfortunately it does happen.  btw a couriosity question.   are they going to prosecute the british soldier for shooting at his buds?

If he cannot see a red-white-and-blue Union Flag against a sand-coloured background, then how can he see enough to positively identify the target as hostile?

If he cannot positively identify the target as hostile, then why is he engaging it?

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ORIGINAL: KenDckey

now why would they attack?   Well again I can only go based upon assumptions.   What appeared to be a military convoy of non-friendlies with orders to shoot up the enemy, I would shoot too. 

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ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

quote:

ORIGINAL: KenDckey

now why would they attack?   Well again I can only go based upon assumptions.   What appeared to be a military convoy of non-friendlies with orders to shoot up the enemy, I would shoot too. 

Maybe this is why there are so many incidents of American troops firing on friendly troops and civilians. It is one of the British complaints that being so trigger happy is alienating the host population  from the occupation.