2001 Sayyd Alma Kalay airstrike
Encyclopedia
The Sayyd Alma Kalayy airstrike was a major friendly fire
incident via airstrike
during the Invasion of Afghanistan. It happened on December 5, 2001 when a U.S. soldier responsible for calling in airstrikes accidentally misguided the Boeing B-52 bomber to strike a hill with several Afghans and Americans on it.
and Afghan tribal leader Hamid Karzai
fought for the vital Arghandab town of Sayyd Alma Kalay
. The Taliban withdrew from the town, and Amerine and Karzai entered the town. After both talked in the headquarters, Amerine left to discuss further airstrikes with another officer. While studying a map, a huge explosion hit the hill near them, apparently from one of their own bombs. Amerine was wounded, while many on the hill were killed or also wounded. A military investigation revealed that one of the men from the headquarters in Sayyd Alma Kalay who arrived earlier in the day made a horrible mistake: he was on the ground calling in airstrikes when he accidentally gave the wrong coordinates for a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that dropped the 2,000 lb bomb on the hill on which several Americans and Afghans were proposed.
10 Afghans died as well. Forty Afghans and Americans, including Amerine, were wounded. The wounded were taken to Rammstein Air Base in Germany
for treatment.
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incident via airstrike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
during the Invasion of Afghanistan. It happened on December 5, 2001 when a U.S. soldier responsible for calling in airstrikes accidentally misguided the Boeing B-52 bomber to strike a hill with several Afghans and Americans on it.
Events
Two days earlier, Captain (now Lieutenant Colonel) Jason AmerineJason Amerine
Jason Amerine is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Special Forces. He served in the Invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in which he aided tribal leader Hamid Karzai in fighting a guerilla war against the Taliban. For bravery in the invasion, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the...
and Afghan tribal leader Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
fought for the vital Arghandab town of Sayyd Alma Kalay
Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay
The Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay was a battle set near the Arghandab River in Afghanistan in the War on Terror. The US and Afghans won against the Taliban insurgents and invaded Kandahar, a vital Taliban spiritual center.- Battle :...
. The Taliban withdrew from the town, and Amerine and Karzai entered the town. After both talked in the headquarters, Amerine left to discuss further airstrikes with another officer. While studying a map, a huge explosion hit the hill near them, apparently from one of their own bombs. Amerine was wounded, while many on the hill were killed or also wounded. A military investigation revealed that one of the men from the headquarters in Sayyd Alma Kalay who arrived earlier in the day made a horrible mistake: he was on the ground calling in airstrikes when he accidentally gave the wrong coordinates for a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that dropped the 2,000 lb bomb on the hill on which several Americans and Afghans were proposed.
Deaths and Wounds
Three of Amerine's friends died:- Master Sergeant Jefferson Davis, 39 years old, of Watuga, Tennessee
- Sergeant First Class Dan Petithory, 32 years old, of Cheshire, Massachusetts
- Staff Sergeant Brian Prosser, 28 years old, of Bakersfield, California
10 Afghans died as well. Forty Afghans and Americans, including Amerine, were wounded. The wounded were taken to Rammstein Air Base in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for treatment.