Says Army Should Have Marked Hole In Iraq Runway

You should've told someone. That's the gist of a USAF report on the total loss of an MC-130H Combat Talon II in Iraq December 29th. In essence, the Air Force blames the Army for not spreading the word on runway damage at a remote airfield in Northern Iraq.

As ANN reported in January, the aircraft, from the 16th Combat Wing based at Hurlburt Field in Florida, was landing at an isolated Army airbase in northern Iraq, when it dove into the hole. The crevice measured 86 feet wide and 73 feet long and was three-feet deep.

None of the Combat Talon's crew was hurt, but four soldiers in the hold were injured -- one suffering a broken leg, another undergoing treatment for a blood clot.

The SNAFU appears to have been the kind that makes military commanders both big-eared and bald ("You did WHAT??? Great googley-moogley!" said while cupping ears, slapping forhead and pulling hair).

Apparently, neither of the two Army units based at the field -- the 116th Rear Area Operations Center and an ANG helicopter unit from South Carolina -- reported the runway crater to the Air Force. Both units denied having any operational responsibility for the field.

An Army aircraft crew did report the problem -- but the report was "misdirected," according to the Northwest Florida Daily News. While Air Force crews that landed there in the daytime did share information on the hazard among themselves, no one apparently bothered to file a formal notice.

The price tag for that little bit of miscommunication? One MC-130H Combat Talon II valued at $85 million. Would someone please call the claims adjuster?

FMI: www.af.mil