memphiz
06-24-2004, 08:13 PM
CTV.ca News Staff
The U.S. air force has dropped all charges against the American pilot who accidentally killed four Canadian soldiers in a bombing in Afghanistan in 2002.
Maj. Harry Schmidt, 37, was to face four counts of dereliction of duty, but has instead accepted a deal to face administrative punishment.
He had previously declined the same offer.
On April 18, 2002, Schmidt dropped a 225-kilogram bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers engaged in a night-time live-fire training exercise. The bomb killed four soldiers and injured another eight.
Killed were Sgt. Marc Leger, Pte. Richard Green, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer and Pte. Nathan Smith. The dead and wounded were all members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
They were the first Canadian troops to be killed in combat since the Korean War.
Schmidt said he dropped the bomb because he thought Taliban soldiers were firing on him from the ground.
Canadian and American inquiries found that Schmidt acted too hastily in his decision to drop the bomb. The U.S. investigation said he should have left the area.
Schmidt and his wingman, Maj. William Umbach, were originally charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault and faced up to 64 years in prison.
Those charges were later dropped against Schmidt, who was offered administrative punishment rather than a court martial. He refused, saying he wanted to clear his name. Military officials suggested he be tried for dereliction of duty.
All charges were dismissed against Umbach, 44, a United Airlines pilot. He was given a letter of reprimand and allowed to retire, as he had requested.
Schmidt's lawyer, Charles Gittins, said his client took the offer to speed up the process. However, he said Schmidt does not think he is guilty.
"He's always said he was responsible," Gittens told CTV's Newsnet. "What he's adamantly maintained...is that what he did was not a criminal offence.
"It was nothing more or less than a mistake caused by imprecise and inaccurate information provided by the people who were responsible for briefing pilots on their mission that night."
Schmidt would have faced a maximum six months in military prison if he had been convicted in a court martial.
Instead of a court martial, he'll now face a hearing by a general at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., starting July 1. It's unclear if Schmidt will testify.
His punishment will now be less severe. It could range from a letter of reprimand to 30 days of house arrest or loss of pay.
Lt.-Col. Pat Stogran, who was in command of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, said Schmidt should have taken the offer a year ago.
"Had Schmidt done the honourable thing like his wingman, Umbach, this would have all been settled a year ago," Stogran told CTV Newsnet.
He said he is satisfied with investigation by the American military. "The American military was very active in getting to the bottom of the problem."
The U.S. air force has dropped all charges against the American pilot who accidentally killed four Canadian soldiers in a bombing in Afghanistan in 2002.
Maj. Harry Schmidt, 37, was to face four counts of dereliction of duty, but has instead accepted a deal to face administrative punishment.
He had previously declined the same offer.
On April 18, 2002, Schmidt dropped a 225-kilogram bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers engaged in a night-time live-fire training exercise. The bomb killed four soldiers and injured another eight.
Killed were Sgt. Marc Leger, Pte. Richard Green, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer and Pte. Nathan Smith. The dead and wounded were all members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
They were the first Canadian troops to be killed in combat since the Korean War.
Schmidt said he dropped the bomb because he thought Taliban soldiers were firing on him from the ground.
Canadian and American inquiries found that Schmidt acted too hastily in his decision to drop the bomb. The U.S. investigation said he should have left the area.
Schmidt and his wingman, Maj. William Umbach, were originally charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault and faced up to 64 years in prison.
Those charges were later dropped against Schmidt, who was offered administrative punishment rather than a court martial. He refused, saying he wanted to clear his name. Military officials suggested he be tried for dereliction of duty.
All charges were dismissed against Umbach, 44, a United Airlines pilot. He was given a letter of reprimand and allowed to retire, as he had requested.
Schmidt's lawyer, Charles Gittins, said his client took the offer to speed up the process. However, he said Schmidt does not think he is guilty.
"He's always said he was responsible," Gittens told CTV's Newsnet. "What he's adamantly maintained...is that what he did was not a criminal offence.
"It was nothing more or less than a mistake caused by imprecise and inaccurate information provided by the people who were responsible for briefing pilots on their mission that night."
Schmidt would have faced a maximum six months in military prison if he had been convicted in a court martial.
Instead of a court martial, he'll now face a hearing by a general at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., starting July 1. It's unclear if Schmidt will testify.
His punishment will now be less severe. It could range from a letter of reprimand to 30 days of house arrest or loss of pay.
Lt.-Col. Pat Stogran, who was in command of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, said Schmidt should have taken the offer a year ago.
"Had Schmidt done the honourable thing like his wingman, Umbach, this would have all been settled a year ago," Stogran told CTV Newsnet.
He said he is satisfied with investigation by the American military. "The American military was very active in getting to the bottom of the problem."