Gulf War 1 Apache Friendly Fire Incident

[Wolfala]

Came across this - apparently was part of a documentry.

Official Investigation

Video Link in MPEG Format

Audio extracted from the above video in Real Audio format

Real Alternative Player for the above Real Audio file


I strongly suggest you read the above report. After I read it, I found out A LOT of crucial information that is left out/edited in the recording (they made their own transcript of the tapes). It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I felt sorry for LTC Hayles, and in my mind, no matter how the media has labeled him, he made an honest mistake which anyone would/could have. Sounds like his career went under after this investigation.

History of the Engagement

On February 17, 1991, at approximately 1:00 a.m. (Persian Gulf Time), a U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle (Bradley) and an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (M113) were destroyed by two Hellfire missiles fired from an Apache helicopter commanded by Lieutenant Colnel Ralph Hayles. Two U.S. soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in the incident.

The incident occurred after U.S. ground forces, which were deployed along an east-west line 5 kilometers north of the Saudi-Iraqi border, reported several enemy sightings north of their positions. In response, ground commanders called for Apache reconnaissance of the area. A team of three Apaches subsequently found two vehicles, which appeared to be those described by ground forces. These vehicles were, in fact, a Bradley and an M113.

Transcript:

- "Okay, night mission of, ah, sixteen."
- "Seventeen."
- "Yeah, seventeen February."
(Major peice of the recording missing here, see the government documentation link above for full transcript)
- "Okay, you have a Bradley at ah, niner-four-six, two-four-five, and he's oriented north on the screen line. He's got an APC near him also. Then off to his right, are these two vehicles that I see. And those are the vehicles that nine-one-five, two-seven-zero. You're Bradley is not even lookin' anywhere near 'em. Over."
- "Roger, I ain't worried about that. Can you still engage those two vehicles at the two-seven-zero gridline?"
- "Roger, I could shoot those easy, right."
- "Alright, go ahead. Take 'em out."
(another missing peice)
- "Okay, firing gun."
- "Go."
- (background clutter)
- "(?) got a jam"
- "Roger."
- "Gunfighter Six is on the net, ah, have the two vehicles in sight. Appears one of 'em is in fact killed and ah, I'm gonna go ahead and shoot the other one now."
- "Roger, go ahead and take him out!"
- "Boy I'm gonna tell you it's hard to pull this trigger! Back me up a little here. Tell me, ah, I'm firing heading 070, 3800 meters. So my current grid, has the grid of the target----"
- (audio blackout)
- "Roger, I got ah, niner-two-two-three and I've got it at 3800 meters."
- "Ready in the back."
- "Switch to black hot. There you go, now kill the mother ****er!"
(Hellfire missile launch)
- "Nice and steady."
- "I hope it's enemy, cause-"
- "That's alright, just stay on him."
- "Here it comes!"
- "I guess you could say that hit him!"
- "Alright, now lets take a look at the second one."
- "Gunfighter Six, completely destroyed the first target with the first bullet."
- "Lets pick up the second one. Lets go."
- "Roger, I'm gonna go ahead and shoot the second vehicle. Ah, it's still intact but it's fixin' to go away."
- "Yup, ready in the back. Lets do 'em!"
(Hellfire missle launch)
- "Looking good. This Bud's for you!"
- "Uh oh."
- "That's alright. He's dead too."
- "Ha ha ha ha!"
- "Whoo wee! Did we hit those targets!"
- "Roger. Trust me when I say that anything that's around those two vehicles is dead. There are no hot targets--oh! We've got two personell walkin' away from the targets."
- "Roger, you got guns?"
- "My gun is jammed. They're walking on a heading of east."
- "Roger, we've got 'em here. Ah, they're walking 090 here. Break, Blue Six, ah, can you guys engage with guns?"
- "Roger, engaging with guns."
(interruptions)
- "Iron Deuce, Stalwart reporting that maybe friendly vehicles may have been hit."
- "What?"
- "Roger, I was afraid of that. I was really afraid of that."
- "Gunfighter Five is engaging the target."
- "Cease fire! Cease fire!"
- "Cease fire."
- "Acknowledge cease fire."
- "Roger, cease fire."
- "I hope it's not friendlies I just blew up cause they're all dead."
- "Dragon Six, Gunfighter Six, I destroyed two vehicles at niner-one-seven. Correction, niner-one-five, two-seven-zero. And they were both friendly vehicles. Request permission to break from station and go home."
- "Negative, ah, remain on station. Those things are going to happen. Over."
- "Yeah, how much more left?"
- "I dunno--"
- "Bear with me, it's pretty hard to concentrate right now."
- "I know it."
- "I'm just double checkin', looks like they are."
- "I just killed a bunch of people, ya know?"
- "Yeah, but we don't know which ones they are."
- "They're friendlies, they're U.S. people."
(audio blackout)
- "Are you up there?"
- "I'm just--"
- "I know it, but just listen to me."
- "I killed some people."
- "I know, I know."

[Bodhi]

tough one there....

[Suave]

I remember watching that about 10 years ago. It seems like the pilot was the unit commander.

[Staga]

This thread won't be open for long...

[Staga]

15- Threads started or, posts made, with the intent to inflame, incite will be considered trolling and not allowed.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Staga
This thread won't be open for long...

Why?

[Maverick]

This is a great example that even though you can have the best equipment in the world to allow you the most lethailty ever seen, it still comes down to the human element about pulling the trigger.

The guy was out of place and didn't know it. His subconscious must have recognized the vehicles as friendly or he was worried he wasn't where he thought he was.

Friendly fire is not a new situation and this wasn't the last example and certainly won't be for as long as people are in combat IMO. If you've never been under fire or in a directly life threatening situation you really do not have a clue about what those folk were going through. I'm not being sarcastic about this, it's just that these circumstances are not easily explained any more than explaining the color orange to a color blind person is.

There is a very real term called the "fog of war" that tends to really skew your perceptions of your surroundings. Tachypsychia or tunneling of your vision as well as the sharpening of your focus to a single area tends to blind you to the rest of the world and your own instrumentation as well, kind of like information overload. You can't process it all and ignore some of it to maintain at least some function. That is reason for his being relieved of command and most of the "professional" criticism for his actions. His job was to control the battle, not get caught up in the actual combat. Once he allowed himself to become an engaged participant he stopped being a leader of the overall situation. It's hard to send people out and not take part for a leader who has trained all their adult lives for this type of situation. The concept of lead from the front also has a bit to do with it. You are expected to be able to do all that you expect of your subordinates and maintain enough composure to lead them and control the battle instead of letting the battle control you. Very tough act to pull off in the heat of combat.

Those of you wanting to press judgement on that guy really ought to chill out. There is nothing you can do to bring those troops back and there is nothing you can do to make that LTC feel worse than he does already. I'd be surprised if he doesn't commit suicide over the guilt he feels for this act. I hope he does make it through.

[detch01]

Originally posted by Wolfala
I felt sorry for LTC Hayles, and in my mind, no matter how the media has labeled him, he made an honest mistake which anyone would/could have. Sounds like his career went under after this investigation.
 

Fratricide happens in war when you can take out the bad guy without having to get in his face to do it. It is unfortunate, but it will likely never go away completely. Most times when it happens it's an honest mistake.  
But this wasn't. He intentionally blew his SO's by putting himself in a position where he could not direct the battle as a commander should and then blew his ROE by shooting when he wasn't sure of the identity of his targets.
You can forgive a mistake due to exhaustion made by a fighter on the pointy end or a communication error. This guy wanted to get himself a little extracurricular, and illegal, bang-bang time and then screwed the pooch - definitely not what I call command material. Allowing a commander who does this sort of thing to finish up his/her career as OIC Toilet Paper is merciful.


asw

[Staga]

See Rule #5

[Gunslinger]

See Rule #4

[detch01]

See Rule #4

[Wolfala]

See Rule #4

[Furball]

Staga sure is mrs.popularity.

[outbreak]

[Staga]

5- Flamebaiting, trolling, or posting to incite or annoy is not allowed.