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I've never served in the military. Well, not the British military at least. Though I have been known to shoot at Covenant ground forces, shoot up Kilrathi space fighters, and save the Earth from the odd Sheavan Dreadnought and perpetual domination by the Brotherhood of Nod.
This is an essay written in response to something Shastacat wrote (and to having read pretty much the same thing,only not so subtle, in a lot of military scifi) not because I disagree with him, but because I believe he's oversimplifying things. Once again the view is American, or at least something close to UCLA's brand as I can get.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/397830/
And just to add a point of context. Though there was nothing wrong with the timing of shastacat's writing or publication, it is unfortunate that I first read it on the day The Sun released video of US A10s attacking British tanks, when the Pentagon once again denied that there was any cause for further investigation of the incident, and when CNN couldn't bring itself to admit the possibility that brave and noble American service men might have done such a thing.
The accusation was also levied by BBC News 24, that the cause of the Pentagon's behavior was a desperate desire to avoid having American servicemen standing in public courts to explain themselves and stand accountable for the crimes they commit. I'm afraid to say to the Americans reading this, that as a theory, it stands up to the evidence.
This is an essay written in response to something Shastacat wrote (and to having read pretty much the same thing,only not so subtle, in a lot of military scifi) not because I disagree with him, but because I believe he's oversimplifying things. Once again the view is American, or at least something close to UCLA's brand as I can get.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/397830/
And just to add a point of context. Though there was nothing wrong with the timing of shastacat's writing or publication, it is unfortunate that I first read it on the day The Sun released video of US A10s attacking British tanks, when the Pentagon once again denied that there was any cause for further investigation of the incident, and when CNN couldn't bring itself to admit the possibility that brave and noble American service men might have done such a thing.
The accusation was also levied by BBC News 24, that the cause of the Pentagon's behavior was a desperate desire to avoid having American servicemen standing in public courts to explain themselves and stand accountable for the crimes they commit. I'm afraid to say to the Americans reading this, that as a theory, it stands up to the evidence.
Category Story / All
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First of all Friendly Fire happens. It's an aspect of warfare that's been going on since World War I and most probably before.
As for the A-10 incident, from the height's they operate at, things look pretty similar to them. They rely quite abit on input from the ground on where to deliver their ordnance.
Seems like both our government's aren't doing enough to solve the problem though......
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2070029,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1263517,00.html?f=rss
As for the A-10 incident, from the height's they operate at, things look pretty similar to them. They rely quite abit on input from the ground on where to deliver their ordnance.
Seems like both our government's aren't doing enough to solve the problem though......
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2070029,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1263517,00.html?f=rss
True friendly fire happens in war. But America has a particularly poor reputation for it. And for saying, "But we could never do such a thing. Besides we conducted a through investigation and are happy it did not in fact take place." Then some embarrassing evidence leaks and they admit, "Okay, then maybe it did happen. And maybe they didn't follow rules of engagement. And maybe we did cover up evidence. And yes the guilty suspect has since been promoted. But can you honestly say we did something wrong?"
IFF works great in the air, but there are fundamental laws of physics that mean id don't work so great on the ground. If the air crew can't see the vehicles clearly, what kind of moron thinks that any kind of symbol on the top or sides will make any difference? Oh that's right. A politician. If air crews shot first before going through procedure, what moron thinks any new technology will stop it in the future? Oh that's right. A sky reporter.
Besides that essay was not about friendly fire but the, "We are the military! Bow down and lick our feet worthless civilian scum!" attitude so common in US Right Wing politics.
IFF works great in the air, but there are fundamental laws of physics that mean id don't work so great on the ground. If the air crew can't see the vehicles clearly, what kind of moron thinks that any kind of symbol on the top or sides will make any difference? Oh that's right. A politician. If air crews shot first before going through procedure, what moron thinks any new technology will stop it in the future? Oh that's right. A sky reporter.
Besides that essay was not about friendly fire but the, "We are the military! Bow down and lick our feet worthless civilian scum!" attitude so common in US Right Wing politics.
I wasn't responding so much to the essay as I was your comment box underneath it. (Should have been clearer.)
Let's mention some of the British Army's little foibles in the realm of Friendly Fire shall we?
1944 *British flotilla attacked by RAF Hawker Typhoons, off Cap d'Antifer, Le Havre. HMS Britomart and HMS Hussar sunk. HMS Salamander damaged beyond repair and scrapped. HMS Jason escaped major damage.
1956 - Suez: Attacks from British Royal Navy carrier-borne aircraft caused heavy casualties to UK 45 Commando and HQ.
HMS Cardiff shoots down AAC Gazelle (UK) in the Falklands Islands.
3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, British Army (UK) Companies A and C engage each other in an hour-long firefight in the Falkland Islands involving heavy weapons and artillery strikes. At least 8 UK casualties.
United Kingdom UK Special Boat Service Commando killed in firefight with UK Special Air Service Commandos. Falkland Islands.
British Royal Marine Christopher Maddison killed when his river patrol boat was hit by missiles after being wrongly identified as an enemy vessel approaching a Royal Engineers checkpoint on the Al-Faw Peninsula, Iraq.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/.....re/6187414.stm
British Challenger 2 tank came under fire from another British tank in a nighttime firefight, blowing off the turret and killing two crew members, Corporal Stephen John Allbutt and Trooper David Jeffrey Clarke
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2886715.stm
Look's like the UK's reputation isn't unsoiled either.
As for the whole Iraq thing and the WMD's, The war wasn't just, and is a complete clusterfuck, and if there were any wmd's, their probably now in Iran or some other "friendly" country.
Let's mention some of the British Army's little foibles in the realm of Friendly Fire shall we?
1944 *British flotilla attacked by RAF Hawker Typhoons, off Cap d'Antifer, Le Havre. HMS Britomart and HMS Hussar sunk. HMS Salamander damaged beyond repair and scrapped. HMS Jason escaped major damage.
1956 - Suez: Attacks from British Royal Navy carrier-borne aircraft caused heavy casualties to UK 45 Commando and HQ.
HMS Cardiff shoots down AAC Gazelle (UK) in the Falklands Islands.
3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, British Army (UK) Companies A and C engage each other in an hour-long firefight in the Falkland Islands involving heavy weapons and artillery strikes. At least 8 UK casualties.
United Kingdom UK Special Boat Service Commando killed in firefight with UK Special Air Service Commandos. Falkland Islands.
British Royal Marine Christopher Maddison killed when his river patrol boat was hit by missiles after being wrongly identified as an enemy vessel approaching a Royal Engineers checkpoint on the Al-Faw Peninsula, Iraq.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/.....re/6187414.stm
British Challenger 2 tank came under fire from another British tank in a nighttime firefight, blowing off the turret and killing two crew members, Corporal Stephen John Allbutt and Trooper David Jeffrey Clarke
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2886715.stm
Look's like the UK's reputation isn't unsoiled either.
As for the whole Iraq thing and the WMD's, The war wasn't just, and is a complete clusterfuck, and if there were any wmd's, their probably now in Iran or some other "friendly" country.
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