On Combat

In 1999, Korean War civilian deaths at No Gun Ri (click for an in-depth summary) captured prominent media attention. After a joint US-ROK investigation, President Clinton formally apologized for the incident.
Although the investigation did not find any USAF or USN tacair involvement, a contemporary memo was found in the National Archives within the 5th AF […]

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There may be no greater emotional shock in combat than the violent death of a comrade. Survivor’s guilt, rage, or thirst for revenge are very strong emotions that naturally spring from the heart of any human being. These emotions are amplified by adrenaline and arousal inherent to highly stressful situations. Some of these emotions may […]

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Exceeding the limits on allowable violence appears to be a continuing element of the human dimension in battle. These excerpts from the NYT this month indicate violations of LOAC by professional soldiers who should have known better.
The role of their chain of command is uncertain from current reporting, but here is some speculation: At worst, […]

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