# Congratulations to the U.S.A.



## Private Prozac (Jul 7, 2003)

You fucked up once again ~ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6962071.stm

When are they going to change the name of this sort of incident to, "The Yanks have fucked up again. No surprise there then!"?

Bunch of useless cnuts they are. Trained pilots my arse. More like fucking untrained monkeys!!!


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## Sparks001 (Jun 18, 2007)

FFS

Is it just me, or does the second paragraph contradict the first?!

"In February, Defence Secretary Des Browne told MPs that since 1990, 12 UK service personnel had been killed in friendly fire incidents involving American military personnel in Iraq.

"There have been no confirmed reports of British service personnel killed in friendly fire incidents involving American military personnel in Afghanistan or elsewhere," he added. "

So, 12 UK service personnel killed in Iraq.

then no confirmed British service personnel in Afghanistan or elsewhere!?


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## Private Prozac (Jul 7, 2003)

So why is there never any reports of us killing the Yanks in 'Friendly Fire' incidents?

Probably because our Troops are better trained and know how to fire a fucking gun!


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Lack of conjoined communications systems, markings & even GPs all help contribute to these instances. All was spilled during the recent enquirey into the FF incident involving a UK troop convoy and US pilots.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

A mate of a mate (yeah I know, how beleivable does this story sound) works for CNN.

Their most important rule - never get in front of the American troops.


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## jbell (May 15, 2006)

Kell said:


> Never get in front of the American troops.


That is rule No 1 of combat :lol:


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

jbell said:


> Kell said:
> 
> 
> > Never get in front of the American troops.
> ...


Yeah - I think they took their lead from the British Troops.


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

Much as it grieves me to say it, thank fuck I'm finished.


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## ChadW (May 2, 2003)

TT2BMW said:


> So why is there never any reports of us killing the Yanks in 'Friendly Fire' incidents?


Hopefully one day a peeved British general will retaliate with some 'mutual understanding' fire. :twisted:


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

LakesTTer said:


> Much as it grieves me to say it, thank fuck I'm finished.


I don't blame you!

One of my best mates was back in Bristol last week, on a weeks leave from Iraq where he has been since last year as an officer. We went out for a few beers and a catch up, and from all the stories he told me the friendly fire is the least of their worries and is hardly on their mind. It's the locals that are their biggest threat - it is a frightingly hostile place and they genuinly fear for their lives every day. All the stories we see on TV about how the natives are embracing the support from the troops is just utter spin and bollocks, and from what he has experienced over the time he has been there it's years away from being anywhere near peace. A withdrawal of troops with cause havoc, however them being there causes unrest - it's stalemate.

He summed it up as follows "Everything is sand coloured and smells bad. The locals aren't much fun either - they don't seem to like us much."

Being one of my best mates I try not to think of him out there, so god knows how the families of our soldiers cope on a day to day basis, knowing that the end of the war isn't even in sight. 

Some recent pics he took in or around his base;


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## mrs coope (Mar 24, 2007)

I just don't get it - WTF is "Friendly Fire" anyhow? Seems like a total contradiction in terms to me........ :?

"Hey was that gunfire I just heard?" "Yep, but don't worry they're just being friendly!" :?: :?: :?:


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

mrs coope said:


> I just don't get it - WTF is "Friendly Fire" anyhow? Seems like a total contradiction in terms to me........ :?
> 
> "Hey was that gunfire I just heard?" "Yep, but don't worry they're just being friendly!" :?: :?: :?:


It's a way to describe what the military refers to as "blue on blue", the assumption being that civilians wouldn't understand that term. Being mistaken for someone else and being engaged by troops on the same side, I can understand the contradiction, but it's not the act of firing that's being referred to as friendly, it's the people doing the firing.

Kev, I hope your mate makes it home safe and sound. Ever since I came home, I prey to God that it's not someone I know, being reported on the news as being injured or killed. It's bad enough another brave soul loses their life, it's harder to take if it's a friend


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

Didn't we give the yanks the grid refs to where to drop the bombs?

Just a question!


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## Private Prozac (Jul 7, 2003)

From reading kmp's post it sounds like a no win situation! :?

Can it be any worse if we pull out and bring our boys home? Are we that greedy for oil that we give a shit what they do between themselves when we've gone?

FFS, we're thousands of miles away. Just leave 'em to it I say and hopefully they'll just kick the shit out of each other! :?


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

jonah said:


> Didn't we give the yanks the grid refs to where to drop the bombs?
> 
> Just a question!


No. The sorties for set missions will have been worked out days in advance. The instances of friendly fire have been, when American aircraft have been on patrol and taken on a target of opportunity, unfortunately the ground troops have been British.
There is no direct communication between Yank planes and British ground units, it's a convoluted affair to get real time conversation with an allied jet. The only time you get communication is between allied FAC's(Forward Air Controllers) and planes and then they have to have compatible comms equipment.
I'd just like to point out that friends of mine and myself in the distant past have succesfully called in American air support, a colleague won the MC for calling in an airstrike on his own position. Whilst these friendly fire incidents rankle, proportionately they happen alot less than you would imagine and as I said before, it's the selection of targets of opportunity which are causing the Americans problems.


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

Sorry, misread your question. Yes and no, is the correct answer. The rest still applies.


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## StuarTT (May 7, 2002)

They are still too scared to attend inquests in the UK though:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6967982.stm

Probably too afraid to learn that their super-trained troops are no good to anyone and especially not those on their own side.


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