“…”This Doesn’t Feel Right,” One of Them Said.”

“We did not feel comfortable with firing upon the personnel and were still unsure if these were friendlies or not,” another told investigators.

…Six minutes before the Predator pilot fired the missile, the analysts sent a private message to the drone’s mission intelligence coordinator at March Air Reserve Base in California, reasserting their assessment that the direction of fire was away from friendly forces: “pers are shooting W and the convoy is to the E”

The coordinator, a trainee who was not qualified for combat missions, never passed that information to the pilot in Nevada or the Marines on the ground in Afghanistan.

The Hellfire, coincidentally, was headed into Marines on the ground.

It killed two men in Skyler’s battalion.

He’s allowed only to say what fine young men SSgt Jeremy Smith and Corpsman Benjamin Rast were.

And mourn them.

5 Responses to ““…”This Doesn’t Feel Right,” One of Them Said.””

1. Skyler says:

   October 24, 2011 at 11:19 pm

   Thanks, THS.

2. JeffS says:

   October 25, 2011 at 12:33 am

   My condolences, Skyler, to you, your battalion, and to the families of SSgt Jeremy Smith and Corpsman Benjamin Rast.

3. major dad says:

   October 25, 2011 at 10:24 am

   That pisses me off…

4. Skyler says:

   October 25, 2011 at 10:38 am

   I’m only allowed to say what good men they were, Major Dad. But thanks for being pissed off.

5. Ebola says:

   October 25, 2011 at 4:40 pm

   Sorry sir.