Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jan 2003
Source: Daily Camera (CO)
Copyright: 2003 The Daily Camera.
Contact:  http://www.thedailycamera.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/103
Author: Doug Simpson, Associated Press

DEFENSE: PILOTS WERE ISSUED DRUG BEFORE BOMBING

Men Face Courts-Martial In 'Friendly Fire' Accident That Killed 4 Canadians

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - Two U.S. pilots who mistakenly dropped a 
bomb that killed four Canadians in Afghanistan had been issued amphetamines 
before the mission to stay awake, a defense attorney argued Tuesday at the 
opening of a military hearing to determine whether they should be 
court-martialed.

The Air Force-issued "go pills" may have impaired the pilots' judgment, 
said David Beck, lawyer for Maj. William Umbach. He also said the pilots 
were given antidepressants upon returning from their mission. Umbach and 
Maj. Harry Schmidt are charged with involuntary manslaughter for dropping 
the guided bomb near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 17. The Air Force has 
said they failed to make sure there were no allied troops in the area.

Beck and Charles Gittins, Schmidt's attorney, have said the fighter pilots 
were not told Canadian troops were conducting live-fire exercises and 
thought their F-16s were under attack.

Beck said Tuesday that the Air Force issues amphetamines to help pilots 
stay awake during long missions. He promised to raise the issue later in 
the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.

"The Air Force has a problem. They have administered 'go pills' to soldiers 
that the manufacturers have stated affect performance and judgment," Beck said.

The Air Force has said that use of the pills is voluntary and that their 
effects have been thoroughly tested.

Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander of the 8th Air Force based at Barksdale, 
will decide whether the pilots will be court-martialed for the 
friendly-fire accident.

The two Illinois National Guard pilots also face charges of aggravated 
assault and dereliction of duty and could get up to 64 years in military 
prison if convicted.

The first witness called Tuesday was Canadian infantry Capt. Joseph Jasper, 
who said he heard a fighter jet as he prepared to direct a tank-stalking 
exercise. Then the bomb hit nearby.

Jasper said he did not recall any of the soldiers firing in the air. He 
said the exercise included "quite a bit of anti-tank fire" and heavy 
machine gun fire. However, he said the Canadians had not fired their 
weapons for several minutes when he heard the bomb blast.

"Basically we looked at each other and said, 'What the hell was that?'" 
Jasper said.

The bodies of the four soldiers were soon found, and medics treated eight 
wounded soldiers, he said.

Access to the hearing was blocked for a period because the material was 
classified, Air Force officials said.

Among the expected witnesses is Col. David Nichols, the pilots' commander, 
who warned his superiors months before the accident that communications 
problems would eventually cause "friendly fire" deaths of allied troops, 
Beck said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom