Deadly Mistake

As a former Navy helicopter pilot who had a long, safe career, I am incensed at the tragedy in which U.S. military planes shot down two friendly helicopters over Iraq's no-fly zone ((IRAQ, April 25)). I have many questions, but chief among them are, How can an interceptor justify shooting someone down without prior verbal warning? What was the visual-I.D. training that the pilots received? Have the tremendous budget cuts caused a reduction in the readiness and capability of our military? This is one of the more serious military accidents we have experienced in recent years. There are so many ways the deaths of 21 fine people could have been avoided.

Paul D. Frye

Lieut. Commander, U.S.N.R. (ret.)

Escondido, California

AOL: PDarius