Harry Schmidt (Air National Guard)

Tarnak Farm incident
Part of War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Maj. Harry Schmidt and wife Lisa enter the Tarnak Farms Article 32 hearing room.
Date April 17, 2002 Location Kandahar, Afghanistan Result American friendly-fire airstrike
Belligerents
Canada	United States
Units involved
3rd Battalion, PPCLI Battle Group	332d Aerospace Expeditionary Group
Strength
Unknown number of troops	1 F-16
Casualties and losses
4 killed 8 injured 1 anti-tank weapon 1 artillery piece	None

The Tarnak Farm incident refers to the killing of four Canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group (3PPCLIBG) on the night of April 17, 2002, near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

An American F-16 fighter jet piloted by Air National Guard Major Harry Schmidt dropped a laser-guided 500-pound (230 kg) bomb on the Canadians, who were conducting a night firing exercise at Tarnak Farms.

The deaths were the first of Canada's war in Afghanistan, and the first in a combat zone since the Korean War.

F-16 pilots Major William Umbach and his wingman Major Harry Schmidt were returning to their base after a 10-hour night patrol. While flying at 23,000 feet (7,000 m), they reported surface-to-air fire. The fire was actually from a Canadian Forces anti-tank and machine-gun exercise, which was taking place on a former Taliban firing range.

Maj Schmidt descended a few thousand feet to take a closer look, and asked for permission to "lay down some 20 mike-mike", or spray the area with 20-millimeter cannon fire, but was told to stand by. Major Umbach cautioned his wing man to wait, as well. "Let's just make sure that it's, that it's not friendlies, is all", he said.

At 9:25, the pilots' AWACS controller ordered them to "hold fire" and asked Major Schmidt for more information on the surface-to-air fire. But a minute later, after seeing another firing plume from an antitank weapon, Major Schmidt reported seeing "some men on a road, and it looks like a piece of artillery firing at us."

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Wikipedia