Ah the issue that never seems to go away - or in this case the ego of Mj. Schmidt that never seems to accept fault... Now he's suing the US Air Force for ruining his reputation and defaming his character
Quote:
'Friendly fire' pilot sues U.S. air force
The U.S. pilot who dropped a bomb on Canadian soldiers in 2002, killing four of them, is suing his country's air force, saying it ruined his reputation.
National Guard Maj. Harry Schmidt says air force officials erred when they released the letter of reprimand that he was given for the bombing.
The military violated privacy laws when it released confidential personal information. It also violated a settlement agreement that he signed at the time.
"The government flat out failed to comply with their agreement," Schmidt's lawyer, Charles Gittins, told the Associated Press.
He is seeking unspecified damages.
Lt.-Col. Catherine Reardon, a spokesperson for the air force, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Schmidt and another pilot were flying F-16s in April 2002 when they spotted muzzle flashes near Kandahar airport. Schmidt mistook them for Taliban forces and dropped a laser-guided bomb onto a group of Canadian soldiers who were on a training exercise.
He has said his superiors never told him that Canadian soldiers would be conducting live-fire exercises that night.
Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith - both from Nova Scotia - and Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer and Sgt. Marc Leger were the first Canadians killed in combat since the Korean War. Eight others were wounded.
The second pilot received a letter of reprimand and was allowed to retire from the National Guard. He is not a party to the lawsuit.
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Got news for ya buddy, I don't think it was the Air Force that ruined your reputation - I think you did that all by your lonesome...