USAF Chief of Staff Defends NATO Airstrike Crew
Original Post: USAF Chief of Staff Defends NATO Airstrike Crew
Type: News Article
September 22, 2009 — The U.S. airmen who conducted a NATO-ordered airstrike that killed Afghan civilians informed the ground commander that their F-15E fighter was carrying both 500-pound and 2,000-pound bombs - but didn't recommend the heavier weapon, according to their top commander.
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz defended the aircrew during the question-and-answer segment of a Monday night forum sponsored by the Center for a New American Security.
Schwartz told the invitation-only audience of defense experts, industry leaders and reporters that the airmen had laid out the weapons options for their colleagues on the battlefield, in Kunduz province.
"A discussion occurred - single or multiple weapons, what end do you want to achieve?" Schwartz said of the communication between the joint terminal attack controller at the commander's side and the plane above. "The aircrew was largely agnostic; they wanted the JTAC to know the options on the aircraft."
Schwartz said "we all learned from the Kunduz circumstance" but did not specify who he meant by "all" or the lessons learned.
More than 80 Taliban militants and civilians died in the Sept. 4 airstrike, ordered by a German colonel and now under investigation by a NATO team. Two 500-pound bombs destroyed two hijacked fuel trucks, which exploded and caused the deaths.
U.S. airstrikes have dropped 30 percent to 50 percent since this summer, Schwartz said, when Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal took over as the top American leader in Afghanistan. McChrystal ordered air and ground forces not to attack buildings where insurgents may be hiding among civilians unless coalition troops are at risk and friendly forces cannot safely disengage.
"Our inclination - generally speaking - is not to grade a ground commander's homework," Schwartz said. "When you do that, you do it with care."
Related:Topic(s): National Security Leaders Forum, U.S. Military Forces & Operations
Project(s): Afghanistan and Pakistan, National Security Leaders Forum Event Series
