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American Morning

Mother of Pilot Charged in Friendly-Fire Incident Says Son Is Scapegoat

Aired January 03, 2003 - 07:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Two U.S. pilots accused in a deadly friendly-fire incident say that the Air Force pressured them to take amphetamines that may have led to the tragedy. Four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded when the pilots dropped a bomb last April near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Now, in September, an Air Force investigation found that the pilots, the two pilots, were at fault for this, and the probe said that Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach showed poor airmanship and ignored standard procedure. However, attorneys for these two pilots say that the so-called "go pills" that they were taking may have impaired their judgment during the mission.

Now, a hearing is scheduled for January 13 to determine whether Umbach and Schmidt should be court-martialed for all of this.

Major Schmidt's mother has already raised $150,000 for their defense, and she claims that the military is making her son a scapegoat, and this to appease the Canadians and ensure their support if there's a war against Iraq.

Joan Schmidt joins us this morning from St. Louis to explain that.

Good morning, ma'am. How are you?

JOAN SCHMIDT, MOTHER OF MAJOR HARRY SCHMIDT: Good morning, Leon.

HARRIS: Would you explain what you mean by that? You believe that the U.S. and the Air Force is basically making a scapegoat out of your son and out of Major Umbach basically to appease the Canadians?

SCHMIDT: I think that they are doing that. I think they had information from the Canadians that they were doing a live-fire exercise in a war zone, but yet that information did not pass down the chain of command to the pilots. And so, my son and Major Umbach never knew that there were Canadians on the ground. Even the AWAC planes didn't know that the Canadians were on the ground.

HARRIS: So, you don't believe that they did not follow standard procedure then?

SCHMIDT: I think that somewhere along the chain of command, this information that should have been passed down to the pilots never made it, and that's why I think they're a scapegoat. HARRIS: But you can't believe that the administration would be basically sacrificing your son and his partner here just basically to smooth the way for a war in Iraq.

SCHMIDT: As I've talked to a lot of Americans and Canadians, that is their opinion. Yes, sir.

HARRIS: And that is your opinion?

SCHMIDT: I think it's one part of it. I don't think it's the total package. There are a lot of things that are involved in this case, and that is just part of the package.

HARRIS: Let me ask you about the amphetamine use. Did you talk to your son about that at all, and what did he say about it?

SCHMIDT: I haven't talked to my son about it. I've talked to his wife, Lisa (ph), who is a nurse. And I didn't know that they were being made to take these pills -- they are narcotics -- to keep them awake.

HARRIS: Who is making them take these pills?

SCHMIDT: The U.S. Air Force, sir.

HARRIS: Their superior officers are telling them that they have to take these pills?

SCHMIDT: The flight surgeon, sir. You go into the flight surgeon, and you sign a release for these pills. And if you don't sign the release, the flight surgeon does then ground you, and, you know, your career is down the tubes.

HARRIS: So, basically you're saying there are a bunch of junkies that are flying these fighter planes in Kandahar or in Afghanistan?

SCHMIDT: Well, basically what I'm saying right now is when we're talking, right now as we talk, we have pilots in the air that are on amphetamines, yes.

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you -- let me read you a statement that the Air Force did come out and basically that they say is the -- is what they're establishing here is the case against your son. They are saying that: "There has never been a reported safety incident with crews who were properly prescribed Dexedrine under Air Force guidelines. Additionally, use of Dexedrine by aircrew members is completely voluntary. Commanders may not order their use. There is no penalty, punishment or loss of benefits or adverse action of any kind for those who decline the use of stimulants."

What do you say to that? They're saying quite clearly that superior officers are not forcing people like your son to take these drugs.

SCHMIDT: If you talk to any Air Force pilot who is over there in Kuwait or Afghanistan, you will find out that my answer is correct and the Air Force is not.

HARRIS: All right, so how has this affected your family to go through this?

SCHMIDT: The effect on our family is just unbelievable. My son is an honorable man. He's served his country since 1983. He's been in combat zones before. He's been a top gun instructor. He's been also an exchange pilot with the Air Force to be an instructor at their weapons school. And he finds that he has served his country honorably. He's dedicated. He has a passion for flying. And to be charged as a criminal for doing what he's been trained to do for 20 years...

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you this. When you consider what you're saying right now, what do you think the mothers of those Canadian soldiers who died, what do you think they must be feeling? What do you think they must be going through?

SCHMIDT: Oh, well, they must be going through hell, because...

HARRIS: What would you say to them?

SCHMIDT: What would I say to those mothers? I would like to go up and hug each one of them, and say that I am truly sorry for the loss of your sons. They were very brave men. They were fighting the war against terrorism. And they should have never been in harm's way. And I just pray that this situation of the lack of information from ground troops to the air troops is fixed, so no one else that's going out right now -- we have thousands of troops being deployed right now. And my heart just breaks for these young men and women...

HARRIS: OK.

SCHMIDT: ... for making out their wills, and they're going. And the problem I feel hasn't been fixed.

HARRIS: Well, we know the next chapter unfolds on January 13. We'll follow the case from there. Joan Schmidt, thank you very much.

SCHMIDT: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Appreciate it. Happy New Year to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





Is Scapegoat>


Aired January 3, 2003 - 07:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Two U.S. pilots accused in a deadly friendly-fire incident say that the Air Force pressured them to take amphetamines that may have led to the tragedy. Four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded when the pilots dropped a bomb last April near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Now, in September, an Air Force investigation found that the pilots, the two pilots, were at fault for this, and the probe said that Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach showed poor airmanship and ignored standard procedure. However, attorneys for these two pilots say that the so-called "go pills" that they were taking may have impaired their judgment during the mission.

Now, a hearing is scheduled for January 13 to determine whether Umbach and Schmidt should be court-martialed for all of this.

Major Schmidt's mother has already raised $150,000 for their defense, and she claims that the military is making her son a scapegoat, and this to appease the Canadians and ensure their support if there's a war against Iraq.

Joan Schmidt joins us this morning from St. Louis to explain that.

Good morning, ma'am. How are you?

JOAN SCHMIDT, MOTHER OF MAJOR HARRY SCHMIDT: Good morning, Leon.

HARRIS: Would you explain what you mean by that? You believe that the U.S. and the Air Force is basically making a scapegoat out of your son and out of Major Umbach basically to appease the Canadians?

SCHMIDT: I think that they are doing that. I think they had information from the Canadians that they were doing a live-fire exercise in a war zone, but yet that information did not pass down the chain of command to the pilots. And so, my son and Major Umbach never knew that there were Canadians on the ground. Even the AWAC planes didn't know that the Canadians were on the ground.

HARRIS: So, you don't believe that they did not follow standard procedure then?

SCHMIDT: I think that somewhere along the chain of command, this information that should have been passed down to the pilots never made it, and that's why I think they're a scapegoat. HARRIS: But you can't believe that the administration would be basically sacrificing your son and his partner here just basically to smooth the way for a war in Iraq.

SCHMIDT: As I've talked to a lot of Americans and Canadians, that is their opinion. Yes, sir.

HARRIS: And that is your opinion?

SCHMIDT: I think it's one part of it. I don't think it's the total package. There are a lot of things that are involved in this case, and that is just part of the package.

HARRIS: Let me ask you about the amphetamine use. Did you talk to your son about that at all, and what did he say about it?

SCHMIDT: I haven't talked to my son about it. I've talked to his wife, Lisa (ph), who is a nurse. And I didn't know that they were being made to take these pills -- they are narcotics -- to keep them awake.

HARRIS: Who is making them take these pills?

SCHMIDT: The U.S. Air Force, sir.

HARRIS: Their superior officers are telling them that they have to take these pills?

SCHMIDT: The flight surgeon, sir. You go into the flight surgeon, and you sign a release for these pills. And if you don't sign the release, the flight surgeon does then ground you, and, you know, your career is down the tubes.

HARRIS: So, basically you're saying there are a bunch of junkies that are flying these fighter planes in Kandahar or in Afghanistan?

SCHMIDT: Well, basically what I'm saying right now is when we're talking, right now as we talk, we have pilots in the air that are on amphetamines, yes.

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you -- let me read you a statement that the Air Force did come out and basically that they say is the -- is what they're establishing here is the case against your son. They are saying that: "There has never been a reported safety incident with crews who were properly prescribed Dexedrine under Air Force guidelines. Additionally, use of Dexedrine by aircrew members is completely voluntary. Commanders may not order their use. There is no penalty, punishment or loss of benefits or adverse action of any kind for those who decline the use of stimulants."

What do you say to that? They're saying quite clearly that superior officers are not forcing people like your son to take these drugs.

SCHMIDT: If you talk to any Air Force pilot who is over there in Kuwait or Afghanistan, you will find out that my answer is correct and the Air Force is not.

HARRIS: All right, so how has this affected your family to go through this?

SCHMIDT: The effect on our family is just unbelievable. My son is an honorable man. He's served his country since 1983. He's been in combat zones before. He's been a top gun instructor. He's been also an exchange pilot with the Air Force to be an instructor at their weapons school. And he finds that he has served his country honorably. He's dedicated. He has a passion for flying. And to be charged as a criminal for doing what he's been trained to do for 20 years...

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you this. When you consider what you're saying right now, what do you think the mothers of those Canadian soldiers who died, what do you think they must be feeling? What do you think they must be going through?

SCHMIDT: Oh, well, they must be going through hell, because...

HARRIS: What would you say to them?

SCHMIDT: What would I say to those mothers? I would like to go up and hug each one of them, and say that I am truly sorry for the loss of your sons. They were very brave men. They were fighting the war against terrorism. And they should have never been in harm's way. And I just pray that this situation of the lack of information from ground troops to the air troops is fixed, so no one else that's going out right now -- we have thousands of troops being deployed right now. And my heart just breaks for these young men and women...

HARRIS: OK.

SCHMIDT: ... for making out their wills, and they're going. And the problem I feel hasn't been fixed.

HARRIS: Well, we know the next chapter unfolds on January 13. We'll follow the case from there. Joan Schmidt, thank you very much.

SCHMIDT: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Appreciate it. Happy New Year to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





Is Scapegoat>