NINEVAH PROVINCE, Iraq — U.S. soldiers accidentally fired warning shots at some of their fellow troops in Ninevah province late Thursday night.
A three-Humvee convoy from Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery was on its way back from a nighttime mission in its area of operations when the incident occurred. The 25th Infantry Division soldiers usually travel with a minimum of four Humvees, but one had broken down earlier in the mission and was towed away.
After a nearly 12-hour mission, the soldiers were halfway home to Qayyarh-West when their convoy came to a grinding halt along a narrow but major roadway. A group of vehicles was barreling toward them when the warn shots rang out.
“Stop! They’re shooting at us!” Sgt. Erik Griffin shouted to his driver, Pfc. Tony Gastone, who slammed on the brakes.
When it was clear that no one had been hit by the .50-caliber warning shot from the oncoming convoy, tempers flared and obscenities spewed, but all were grateful.
The incident is under investigation, Army officials said. It was not immediately known to which unit the visiting convoy belonged.
Thursday night’s incident, though a “huge aberration,” underscores the dangers that soldiers face, said Capt. Ryan Gist, commander of Battery B.
“The most important thing to preventing friendly-fire incidents is the increased use of positive identification of targets,” Gist said. “That seems easy enough, but that has to be ingrained in every soldier’s head.”
Because of the threat of roadside bombs, U.S. convoys travel at a high rate of speed down the center of highways — much like the enemy, said Capt. Frank Worley, the battle captain who runs the tactical operations center during the daytime.
Suicidal insurgents in the area have been known to wedge their way into the middle of convoys before setting off their bombs. Vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed make soldiers antsy.
But there are clear differences between coalition vehicles and those of the enemy, Gist said.
Humvees have wide-set, distinctive headlights. Additionally, gunners riding in vehicle turrets should be equipped with night-vision goggles, and U.S. vehicles are equipped with special markings that help in preventing blue-on-blue casualties, Gist said.
Lastly, before firing warning shots, soldiers are supposed to use a spotlight to warn oncoming traffic to stop, or to positively identify that vehicles are not friendly, he said. No spotlight was used in Thursday’s incident.
The highways through Ninevah province link southern parts of Iraq to major cities in the north and west. The roadways are used often by transiting U.S. and coalition convoys who, unfortunately, don’t always communicate that they are traveling through a particular area of operation, Worley said.
“It’s no secret to see large convoys coming through our area,” Worley said. “And it’s hard for these folks to recognize our elements.”
