'Friendly fire' from US helicopters kills 10 Afghan soldiers

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

Always like how everyone who hasn't been in combat is an expert in combat

Please enlighten the rest of us with your experience of combat and how this gives you a particular insight to this event.

there are dozens of reasons why this could have happened

Please list the dozens of reasons so those of us who have not been in combat can be suitably informed.

I await your detailed and informed response.

originally posted by: rockpaperhammock
Always like how everyone who hasn't been in combat is an expert in combat...there are dozens of reasons why this could have happened....and it is always sad when ff does happen....ok the arm chair warriors can continue with their expert analysis.

Air to ground combat in Afghanistan is something I have extensive experience with.

Folks are just asking questions. People want to know what can go wrong in these situations.

originally posted by: Cloudbuster
Seriously? I was just stating whether you are friends or not, that is a stupid name to call it friendly fire. I know what it means it's just a stupid name given to an act violence. Peace .
a reply to: MarioOnTheFly

The firing is not friendly...you were fired upon by a friend or an ally (loosely speaking)...hence the "Friendly". What would you call it ?

originally posted by: MarioOnTheFly

originally posted by: Cloudbuster
Seriously? I was just stating whether you are friends or not, that is a stupid name to call it friendly fire. I know what it means it's just a stupid name given to an act violence. Peace .
a reply to: MarioOnTheFly

The firing is not friendly...you were fired upon by a friend or an ally (loosely speaking)...hence the "Friendly". What would you call it ?

A term simply means a word or phrase used to describe a thing or to express a concept, especially in a particular kind of language or branch of study. It doesn't have to be a literal representation of the words involved.

Friendly fire certainly isn't friendly to life and limb, but neither are other terms which border on verbal irony

These terms are just constructs, they may not be the best constructs but that's because of euphemistic language and damage control to make things seems more palatable to PC types.