Re: Bull-Turtle's-Head.

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_Ck11_5wdttmEzzr_akpyDuYG4WKhSmO6Yw3LkP2lwn1HzgeWctOWXZAreke677hZAsC5>
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:50:32 -0000

> > You mean like in WWII when the British submarine HMS
> > Triton sank
> > another British submarine, HMS Oxley, mistaking it
> > for a German U-boat
> > and received no responses to challenges?
>
> Yeah. That kind of stuff. Only these days there's a
> theory that we have enough tech to be able to see what
> we're doing.

And that is an idiotic belief that comes from watching too much television - or listening to commentators that watch too much tv. The increase in communication technology has made it much easier for units to react faster, move faster and attack faster. It actually makes situations where friendly fire might occur more common, not less.

> I think what brought it home to me was being told that
> in the Gulf War, we lost more troops to American
> accidents than we did to the enemy. I have an idea the
> Americans did, too.

That has much more to do with the incompetence and military insignificance of the enemy. The fact is that the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein - and the various insurgent bands, militias, and wannabe martyrs are militarily incompetent in a firefight. I was recently talking to friend of mine who returned from Iraq after two tours of duty. He said the first clue that his unit would have that they might have a friendly fire incident is if the foe reacted competently - that's the best sign he said that you weren't dealing with the insurgents or a militia.

Jeff