Air National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt

from http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm
Air National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt steadfastly has remained silent
ever since the Air Force began investigating him in the "friendly
fire" deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Now, Maj. Schmidt is
speaking for the first time via a declaration to a military appeals
court. Maj. Schmidt was flying his F-16 over Afghanistan when he
mistook flashes of Canadian gunfire for enemy antiaircraft rounds. He
dropped a bomb on what he later learned was a training range. As the
Air Force's prosecution slowly moves toward a court-martial, the
military judge so far has refused to give Maj. Schmidt's attorney,
Charles Gittins, the security clearance he needs to review all the
evidence. This means the prosecution team has tremendous control over
what Mr. Gittins can and cannot learn. And, if the pilot wishes to
discuss something of a classified nature with his attorney, the
prosecutors get to monitor the information. "In fact, lack of security
clearance has rendered my civilian defense counsel, obtained at my own
expense, ineffective by allowing the government to limit and control
his access to pertinent classified information," Maj. Schmidt wrote in
a statement to the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.
"Importantly, much of what I need to discuss with my civilian counsel
in order to prepare him to represent me on the issues relevant to my
trial are classified." Maj. Schmidt wants the court to delay the trial
start in April so it can rule on Mr. Gittins' petition to win a
security clearance. "The Air Force," the pilot states, "has ignored
both the request and the regulations on the issue in order to create
an atmosphere of control with regards to trial preparation, strategy
and discovery of classified materials utilized by the defense and
thereby violating the established attorney-client privilege of
confidential communications." The Air Force is making the major's life
difficult on still another front. His military counsel, Maj. James
Key, is committed in March with a Guantanamo spy case hearing and
cannot participate in preparing for Maj. Schmidt's April trial. And
then, there's this: Maj. Schmidt was playing night soccer in January
when he suffered painful injuries: He broke his leg, and ruptured his
Achilles and plantaris tendons. "The soccer was meant as a stress
reliever," Mr. Gittins told us. Maj. Schmidt played varsity soccer at
the U.S. Naval Academy. He is the only person the military has moved
to court-martial in any of the war on terror's "friendly fire" deaths.

"Mike" wrote in message
om...
from http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm
Air National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt steadfastly has remained silent
ever since the Air Force began investigating him in the "friendly
fire" deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
snipped

Not a naval reference anywhere. Are you sure this is the correct newsgroup?
Sees more appropriate to rec.aviation.military.

Regards,

Tex Houston

"Tex Houston" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote in message
om...
from http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm
Air National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt steadfastly has remained silent
ever since the Air Force began investigating him in the "friendly
fire" deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
snipped

Not a naval reference anywhere.

The post contained __Mr. Gittins told us. Maj. Schmidt played varsity soccer
at the U.S. Naval Academy__.

Are you sure this is the correct newsgroup?
Sees more appropriate to rec.aviation.military.

Not a naval reference anywhere. Are you sure this is the correct
newsgroup?
Sees more appropriate to rec.aviation.military.

OK, I'll put Naval slant on this...

Is anyone familiar with a similar situation involving Navy/Marine Corps
aviators? By similar, I am talking about being court-martialed for
fratricide, not the lawyer security clearance problems. Wasn't there an
incident in the past few years where an F/A-18 or F-14 dropped some bombs to
close to personnel on a training range and ended up killing someone? What
happened in that situation?


JD

On 2/13/04 6:18 PM, in article
et, "Joe Delphi"
wrote:


Not a naval reference anywhere. Are you sure this is the correct
newsgroup?
Sees more appropriate to rec.aviation.military.

OK, I'll put Naval slant on this...

Is anyone familiar with a similar situation involving Navy/Marine Corps
aviators? By similar, I am talking about being court-martialed for
fratricide, not the lawyer security clearance problems. Wasn't there an
incident in the past few years where an F/A-18 or F-14 dropped some bombs to
close to personnel on a training range and ended up killing someone? What
happened in that situation?


JD



Hornet on the Udari range about 4-6 years ago.

IIRC, the F/A-18 pilot in question was either CO or XO of the squadron at
the time. He lost his command and was pulled from the cockpit, but was not
court marshaled.

--Woody

On 2/13/04 10:10 AM, in article , "Tex
Houston" wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
om...
from http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm
Air National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt steadfastly has remained silent
ever since the Air Force began investigating him in the "friendly
fire" deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
snipped

Not a naval reference anywhere. Are you sure this is the correct newsgroup?
Sees more appropriate to rec.aviation.military.

Regards,

Tex Houston



"Psycho" the pilot on question was a Navy F/A-18 pilot and a TOP GUN
instructor before getting picked up by the Illinois ANG. I've never met him
though.

--Woody

Psycho" the pilot on question was a Navy F/A-18 pilot and a TOP GUN
instructor before getting picked up by the Illinois ANG. I've never met him
though.


I flew with a guy who is from that ANG. He has nothing to say but GREAT THINGS
about Harry. He relayed that he was set up by a failed chain of command in that
the Canucks were firing weapons that were bigger than authorised (bigger muzzel
flash) on the range. And the Awacs didn't know anything about them on the
ground as well.
Running this guy through the wringer is nothing more than a political CYA.
Tough break for a guy who was trying to do the right thing and the system let
him down and now he is the one having to pay at a personal level. My thoughts
are with the families left behind.
Sparky