US Pilot achieve a whole new level of fail

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The USAF and it's parent service the USAAF have always been feared for their ability to deliver destruction on a massive scale but all their best work is for their friends.

They managed to half-deafen John Simpson, they have destroyed British and even American armoured vehicles but now a new level of achievement...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34435238

They hit a hospital they had the GPS co-ordinates for, not once but multiple times.

That's just a special kind of fail, it really is, and I am genuinely disgusted by the loss of life caused by American stupidity and incompetence.

[Montmorency]

One has to note the style of your post.

Are you making up for Kadagar's departure or something?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

One has to note the style of your post.

Are you making up for Kadagar's departure or something?

I feel it's more that my acidic side is no longer overshadowed by Kadagar's

I mean, come on.

This really is a special kind of stupid, if it weren't so distasteful I've actually put money on this being an American pilot.

[Husar]

Well, I doubt the pilot has all the coordinates for everything. The general involved apparently said the airstrike was called by U.S. service members assisting nearby Afghan forces, I also read somewhere that Afghan security forces insisted there was a fight around the hospital with fighters inside it while doctors said there was no fight in or around the hospital. Apparently the Afghan forces are also not very fond of the hospital as it treats all wounded people equally, including Taliban it seems. There is a severe lack of details, but to blame it all on the pilot alone might be a bit much, he probably just received some coordinates and couldn't make out the details of what was going on himself. There are usually a lot more people involved than just the pilot. And even if the first hit was a pilot error, why was it not corrected after the hospital notified the US military? Or are you saying the base told the pilot that he just hit a hospital and then he intentionally dropped more bombs onto it? Surely there were more issues.

[Strike For The South]

It's sad but not surprising. The tech has outstripped USAF personnel

[Veho Nex]

It's a war and to call out a single pilot as "a whole new level of fail" just... doesn't work. There are scores and possibles hundreds of factors that come into play with what happened and placing the entire level of blame on one man who is doing his job is just wrong.

Do people point a finger at terrorist when they blow people away and say wow look at that big ol' fail right dar. No, they don't. They say it's a tragedy and that something must be done then if a country goes to do something it becomes a big deal. Look at this super power putting . America put its fist into a hornets nest when they went into the middle east. The whole thing is a fuster cluck.

Hating America or it's service men and women gets no where. I wouldn't put it past guerrilla fighters to fight near schools and hospitals in the hopes they can use it as propaganda when something goes wrong. Which always happens in battle and war. This is a lose-lose situation. That's what I would do in a war of popularity. If America pulls out, they are condemned for destabilizing a section of the globe. If they stay in they are an imperialist state bent on destruction.

You come up with a way to get American troops out of the middle east and back home where they belong without throwing a wrench into global politics and I guarantee you a Nobel peace prize. When the middle east falls there is going to be a bigger war. When that war starts there is going to be some serious consequences as our paper and matchstick house falls down.

[Hooahguy]

A tragic mistake. But its war, mistakes happen. I will wait for the details of the investigation to be released before passing judgement. Not the first time either: last year, a bomber accidentally dropped a bomb on a special forces team and killed 5 Americans, and the bomber had their coordinates with marking devices too. I highly doubt it was malicious. The city, Kunduz, is currently being contested by Afghan and Taliban forces. According to the Afghan interior ministry, per your link, there were Taliban who went into the hospital. Most likely the coordinates were given to the pilots who probably didnt think to check if there was a hospital there or not, setting the stage for this tragedy.

[a completely inoffensive name]

US pilot hits hospital while trying to fight Islamic extremists: fail.

UK gives free room and services to Islamic extremists that make the boat trip: Major Fail

[wooly_mammoth]

They probably did it on purpose anyway for some dark & secretive reasons.

[Fragony]

Can't blame the pilot, he probably feels very bad right now, he got the coordinates and did what he does.

[Gilrandir]

The same goes for Russian planes:
http://home.bt.com/news/world-news/r...11364008741005

in which

The Observatory said that Russian warplanes struck a hospital in the mountains of the coastal province of Latakia causing damage but no casualties.

International charity group Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said the hospital was formerly run by the group but has since been handed over to local medical groups.

"What we can confirm is that the hospital has been damaged by strikes, but the staff has been able to evacuate safely and there are no causalities," said Yazan Al-Saadi, MSF's spokeswoman in Beirut.

[Fragony]

Odd job, I wonder how they deal with these mistakes, I would be devestaded if I was the one who pressed the button, knowing that I could also be killing innocent people. I couldn't do that I am much too much a pancy for that. I am a total hypocrate though, I am to soft to do it myself but I am glad some aren't.

[Fisherking]

The USAF and it's parent service the USAAF have always been feared for their ability to deliver destruction on a massive scale but all their best work is for their friends.

They managed to half-deafen John Simpson, they have destroyed British and even American armoured vehicles but now a new level of achievement...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34435238

They hit a hospital they had the GPS co-ordinates for, not once but multiple times.

That's just a special kind of fail, it really is, and I am genuinely disgusted by the loss of life caused by American stupidity and incompetence.

Ask US combat veterans what they think of the Air Force and why they often refer to it as the Air Farce. The only ones who will generally get a positive response are the A-10 jockeys. The ones the Air Force is trying so hard to get rid of. Other than the A-10s they much prefer when Navy or Marine air support is available.

In their long line of mistakes, how does this stack up next to bombing the Chinese Embassy?

This was Afghanistan, the Air Campaign in Iraq has not gone much better. Their supply drops to resistance fighters all seem to land on IS positions and friendly fire incidents are high. As usual their claims of destruction are wildly exaggerated and can not be substantiated.

Not that it would help much but I would just roll them back into the army and try to start anew.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I've seen documentaries about the air force. They practically use Xbox controllers for planes and drones nowadays. The pilot may have just been a PlayStation fan boy all his life.

[rvg]

That's just a special kind of fail, it really is, and I am genuinely disgusted by the loss of life caused by American stupidity and incompetence.

Mea culpa. We screwed up real bad this time. I do expect to see someone demoted over this.

[Hooahguy]

There are still strategic goals though. While our direct combat operations may have ended, we still have a vested interest in helping the Afghan government keep power. Of course everyone realizes that pretty much the minute we leave the government will collapse which says a lot about our failure to nation-build in that hopeless part of the world. Nobody will admit it publicly of course. Our leaders realize this and would like that the Afghan government holds out until at least the current administration leaves office so they don't have to deal with the claims that "they lost Afghanistan" like Obama is dealing now with Iraq and ISIS. Hence the renewed level of support of Afghan government entities.