U.S. General Was Aboard Downed Helicopter

Associated Press via Yahoo News ^ | 11/09/03 | JIM GOMEZ

[TexKat]

TIKRIT, Iraq - An American major general was aboard a military helicopter that flew with the Black Hawk that crashed here last week, a U.S. officer said Sunday. The Black Hawk was apparently shot down by insurgents here in Saddam Hussein's hometown.

The helicopter carrying the general, whom the military refused to identify, landed safely, according to Maj. Josslyn Aberle, spokeswoman of the 4th Infantry Division.

The Black Hawk helicopter, however, burst into flames Friday and plummeted into a grassy field on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, military officials said, citing witnesses. Six soldiers, including two from the Department of the Army headquarters at the Pentagon, were killed.

An investigation was underway Sunday to determine whether mechanical failure or hostile fire caused the crash, but several officers believed the Black Hawk was shot down.

The Black Hawk's crash underscores the danger American troops face in Iraq, especially in areas north and west of Baghdad dominated by Sunni Muslim Arabs. Anti-American sentiments are strong in the "Sunni Triangle," and attacks against coalition forces have recently intensified.

The crash was the second involving a Black Hawk helicopter in the Tikrit area in the last two weeks. On Oct. 25, a Black Hawk was shot down and one crewmember was injured.

Following the Friday crash, U.S. forces reimposed an 11 p.m.-to 4 a.m. curfew in Tikrit and launched a crackdown, intensifying patrols and searches and blasting at least two houses and a warehouse believed to have been used by anti-U.S. insurgents.

Investigators have ruled out the possibility that the Black Hawk was downed by a heat-seeking missile because the chopper's engine, which such missiles hone in on, was relatively intact, Aberle said.

Meanwhile, two Iraqis were killed and two others were wounded when a taxi cab rigged with explosives blew up Saturday in the northeast outskirts of Tikrit, Aberle said. The explosion occurred about 500 yards away from a U.S. military forward base but there was no indication that it was the target, she said.

[binreadin]

Earlier report stated this was the senior army JAG officer

[Sloth]

Headline doesn't match the facts.

[LibWhacker]

If the title is true, the story is false. What's the AP thinking?

[ChadGore]

U.S. General != major general

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Maybe edit title to include "AP gets facts wrong"?

[ChadGore]

This isn't news, because it isn't true.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

What's the AP thinking?

They aren't, they don't.

[LibWhacker]

I think it's a case of wishful thinking.

[Lijahsbubbe]

What? How could they allow this to go to press?

[ChadGore]

ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER:

major general

\Ma"jor gen"er*al\ An officer of the army holding a rank next above that of brigadier general and next below that of lieutenant general, and who usually commands a division or a corps.

---

gen·er·al    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (jnr-l)
n.

1. 1. Abbr. GEN or Gen or Gen. A commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant general.

[ChadGore]

U.S. General != major general Can someone here with military experience explain this ?

[billorites]

I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse

[ChadGore]

"JIM GOMEZ" must be Jason Blairs new pen name.

lol

The proper headline should be:

---

U.S. General Was Aboard Downed Helicopter (I pulled this fiction from my ass)
Associated Press via Yahoo News ^ | 11/09/03 | JIM GOMEZ

[ChadGore]

Now that you explained the categorical mathematic, quadratical, square of the hypotenuse . . it *all* makes sence.

[ChadGore]

I guess it's better to be a major general than to be a minor general, unless you minored in major things ;)

[DeuceTraveler]

Ranks in the Marines, Army, and Air Force go like this:

Lieutenant Colonel (silver oak leaf)
Colonel (eagle)
Brigadier General (1 star)
Major General (2 star)
Lieutenant General (3 star)
General (4 star)

[SauronOfMordor]

one star = Brigadere General
two stars = Major General
three stars = Lieutenant General
four stars = General

[Bob]

U.S. General != major general Can someone here with military experience explain this ?

I don't know about the Army. In the Navy, the big guys of the various flag ranks are generically referred to as "admirals".

Whether he's got two, three, or four stars, he is addressed as "Admiral so-and-so". I would expect that would probably be the case with the Army's General ranks as well.