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Military


November 8, 2002
RELEASE NUMBER:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH OF U.S. SERVICE MEMBER

MACDILL AFB, FL - During a 29 March press conference, General Tommy Franks, Commander United States Central Command, announced that he had directed an investigation into a friendly fire incident involving a convoy of U.S. and Afghan Military forces that may have come under fire from an AC-130. The results of that investigation and its findings are listed below.
On March 2, 2002, as Operation ANACONDA began, an AC-130H (SPECTRE), was assigned the primary mission of providing armed escort and reconnaissance for a ground convoy. The AC-130 broke contact with convoy to respond to calls for fire support from other ground units. While away, an element of the convoy, led by Army Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman, separated from the main convoy to proceed to a pre-planned position. When the AC-130 returned to its primary mission of convoy escort, they miscalculated their position relative to the ground and identified CW2 Harriman's element as enemy vehicles and personnel; believing them to be located in front of the main convoy's line of travel and positioned to attack the convoy. The AC-130 requested permission to engage and, upon receipt of permission, fired multiple rounds. As a result, CW2 Harriman was killed, as were two Afghan military personnel. Three U.S. and 14 Afghan military personnel were injured.

The AC-130 aircraft experienced equipment problems during their entire mission, including continuous problems with their navigation systems. Aware of their navigation systems' errors, the AC-130 determined its location based upon visual observation of ground reference points. Based upon this fix of their position, they scanned the corresponding grid point requested by the convoy. Within that grid point vicinity, they spotted what they believed to be enemy forces. In actuality, the crew had misidentified the ground reference points with another area that had very similar features. As a result, the area they were observing was north of the actual grid point they were tasked to observe. The "enemy forces" were actually the convoy element led by CW2 Harriman. After ensuring that there were no friendly forces at the grid point they believed they were observing, the AC-130 received permission to engage the "enemy".
Almost immediately following the initial fires from the AC-130, the element reported receiving mortar fire. The AC-130 then discontinued fires and, to support the element, began to move to the North; to the location they believed the element was located based upon the AC-130's inaccurate fix of their own position. They broke off, however, and returned to base.

Initial reports all attributed the attack on the element as coming from enemy fire. However, the coincidence of timing and the similarity of the composition of the "enemy" forces with the convoy element, prompted the local commander initiate an inquiry. Because of the possibility of friendly fire, Commander, USCENTCOM, directed a formal investigation.

 

 

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