Air Force general denies Schmidt appeal

Published Aug. 3, 2004

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- A U.S. Air Force general has denied the appeal of an Illinois Air National Guard F-16 pilot over the punishment he received for his role in a 2002 friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan.

Gen. Hal Hornburg, commander of Air Combat Command headquartered here, denied Maj. Harry Schmidts appeal on Tuesday, Aug. 3. The appeal asked General Hornburg to set aside the punishment imposed last month by Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, Eighth Air Force commander.

Major Schmidt was found guilty of derelictions of duty, received a reprimand and will forfeit $5,672 pay for dropping a 500-pound, laser-guided bomb from his F-16 fighter jet, killing four Canadian soldiers and wounding eight more in the incident.

Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice entitles punished members to one appeal to the next superior authority, so Gen. Hornburgs decision brings nonjudicial punishment proceedings on this issue to a close.