One of the victim’s fathers, who was featured in the 60 Minutes’ episode, said that what the military leaders had done was tantamount to murder.
Many in the A-10 community agree. They argue that not only did the Air Force fail to send the most qualified aircraft that fateful day; it also failed to select the most qualified general to conduct the investigation into its actions.
“So this gentleman hasn’t done Close Air Support since 1990,” said Norris. “He started off his first tour in the Air Force with something called the A-37 Dragonfly, as a forward air controller in Panama. His tour ended in 1990. Since that time his mission has been air to air only. So while I realize that retired General Austin, who was the CENTCOM commander at the time, thought and trusted the Air Force to do a thorough and honest investigation, they picked a gentleman, who does not only not understand ground warfare, but he doesn’t understand Close Air Support. He hasn’t done it since 1990.”
Norris called Harrigian’s report “disheartening in many respects.” He called the general’s investigation “an epic failure,” because “it didn’t investigate what the Air Force’s role was in this, which in his “opinion caused this tragedy.
“There was human error involved both in the air and on the ground I’m not disputing that, and I’m certainly not going to blame the brothers on the ground who were taking fire, but it is Air Combat Command – the commander of ACC – it is his responsibility, and this person was retired General Hostage and the Chief of Staff retired General Welsh. It was their responsibility to train and equip forces to support our sons and daughter on the ground and they failed epically under the auspice is of trying to justify a new bomber, which the USAF is seeking funding for right now.”