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First Australian Iraq war casualty.

I'd tend to doubt suicide. No mention from anyone, including his wife, of reluctance to be there. Quite the opposite - a dedicated professional soldier. I'd say it was simply carelessness with the weapon while cleaning it - two very similar incidents have happened previously in recent years.
 
I also mourn any soldier's death in Iraq, but I found this portion of the article to be slightly suspicious:
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"Private Jake Kovco, 25, died from an accidental shot to the head on Friday while cleaning his pistol.

Private Kovco, a highly trained sniper, was a member of the 110-strong, Baghdad-based security detachment protecting Australian officials."
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Apparently, he wasn't as "highly trained" as they thought. I know that the tedium between battles can take a mental toll on soldiers, but I'm skeptical of ANY highly trained soldier (ESPECIALLY a sniper) "accidently" shooting himself with his own weapon.

Having said that, if I remember correctly, the majority of the American casualties at the onset of the Iraq invasion were the result of vehicle accidents and helicopter crashes than enemy actions.
 
Mephisto said:
I also mourn any soldier's death in Iraq, but I found this portion of the article to be slightly suspicious:
_______

"Private Jake Kovco, 25, died from an accidental shot to the head on Friday while cleaning his pistol.

Private Kovco, a highly trained sniper, was a member of the 110-strong, Baghdad-based security detachment protecting Australian officials."
_______

Apparently, he wasn't as "highly trained" as they thought. I know that the tedium between battles can take a mental toll on soldiers, but I'm skeptical of ANY highly trained soldier (ESPECIALLY a sniper) "accidently" shooting himself with his own weapon.

Having said that, if I remember correctly, the majority of the American casualties at the onset of the Iraq invasion were the result of vehicle accidents and helicopter crashes than enemy actions.
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Even being highly trained, people will still make careless mistakes. There's a video going around the internet (and it is legit, one of the national news networks had the story also) of a DEA instructor accidentally firing a round into his foot during a gun safety class.
 
WildCat said:
Even being highly trained, people will still make careless mistakes. There's a video going around the internet (and it is legit, one of the national news networks had the story also) of a DEA instructor accidentally firing a round into his foot during a gun safety class.
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You're right about the careless mistakes, and certainly one of the reasons is the complacent belief that "it can't happen to me." I've NEVER known a soldier who has accidently shot himself, but I know for a fact that it has happened.

Regarding the DEA instructor - I guess he's going to be retiring to sell Avon products now that his credence as a firearm-safety instructor has been blown out the window! :)

P.S. There was a police officer (a rookie) in my home town who shot himself in the same foot two weeks in a row! Needless to say, he's no longer a policeman (I guess he didn't want to stay to head up the Crossing Guard Division).
 
Mephisto said:
Regarding the DEA instructor - I guess he's going to be retiring to sell Avon products now that his credence as a firearm-safety instructor has been blown out the window! :)
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He is actually suing the police for the tape getting out and "ruining his reputation."

(Darn 'Mericans and their law suits!!!)
 
He'll fail in that lawsuit if the tape is worth anything to the media or advocacy groups. He likely has little legal standing based purly on the stated reasoning.
 
Mephisto said:
P.S. There was a police officer (a rookie) in my home town who shot himself in the same foot two weeks in a row! Needless to say, he's no longer a policeman (I guess he didn't want to stay to head up the Crossing Guard Division).
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I'm skeptical about that story.

It seems to me a gunshot in the foot would take more than a week to heal. How would he be in a position to shoot himself again?
 
The Fool said:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=96953

Sad Day....Sad circumstances. I had a similar thing happen in my old unit, it is (unfortunately) all to common.
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Wow, it's sad that he died like that.

At the same time it is a testament to the low death rate of our forces in Iraq, that after three years Australia only had one casualty, and that was to an accident rather than to enemy action.
 
Breaking news. Heard it on ABC News this morning...The body arrives in Australia to great fanfare, oops its not him.

I kid you not....somebody needs are good arse kicking...can't even wrap up and deliver the correct body....


ETA: I just thought....what about the poor bastard they delivered...who is he and what of his family? Who are they burying? WTF is this...a pea and shell game?

Absoloootly unferkinbelievable.
 
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Exactly my thoughts, mate. Whose body WAS delivered? WAS a body delivered? Exhumation coming up, I guess.

Now the latest reports on the original incident say that it may not have been an accident, just that he was "shot from close range". There's still a full enquiry going on. Seems the cards have been shuffled and re-dealt on this one. Damn...

What must it be doing to his family and community though? :(
 
WildCat said:
Even being highly trained, people will still make careless mistakes. There's a video going around the internet (and it is legit, one of the national news networks had the story also) of a DEA instructor accidentally firing a round into his foot during a gun safety class.
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I think that happened here in Florida. The DEA officer was back in the news last week as well (http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/2006/04/11/dea-agent-shoots-self/). Apparently he's suing the DEA for releasing the video that makes him "look like a fool".

Charlie (nothing good ever comes out of Florida) Monoxide
 
Naturally, rumours like that are springing up now. I would hope that, as skeptics, we would seek the evidence and not the shadows.
 
rjh01 said:
Do I smell a murder here? And a cover up?
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Of course its possible...Personally the smell seems more like a mixture of human beings and deadly implements. Add a dash of bravado, over familiarity and garnish with the laws of probability and possibly alcohol. My own memory was of weapons always loaded...its a warzone. Handguns were not officially issued to us but we all had them.....9mm Brownings, a stolen american 45 even the odd ancient wierdo. One guy in my section had a Japanese WW2 pistol that looked a bit like a German Luger that he got in a Saigon Bar. I had a short Barrel .38 revolver. Nobody handed back M26 Grenades when in base after operations as they were supposed to, they were everywhere. Some Platoons even kept thier Claymore mines because sometimes they ran out. One night when everyone was crazy drunk One of my platoon put a bullet through his locker demonstrating fast draws and missed someone on the other side by inches.....It happens.

But I'll tell you one thing for sure. Our dead where taken care of by us, no civilian contractors. Someone (always an officer) would be required to take responsibility for the body and It was not out of thier sight until the body was placed in the care of the Family....Not a particularly nice job but I think its the least anyone would expect.

I want to know how this pathetic miserable cockup with this body happened and how procedures will be put in place so that it does not happen again... Apparently Australia is paying millions to these contractors in retainers and they stuff up the first delivery....can anyone guess what I think should be the new arrangement with these contractors? well, I hate keeping secrets....Every body they loose should be replaced with one of them, they can draw lots for the honor.
 
Mephisto said:
You're right about the careless mistakes, and certainly one of the reasons is the complacent belief that "it can't happen to me." I've NEVER known a soldier who has accidently shot himself, but I know for a fact that it has happened.
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In my military days, I've seen some of the most safety-conscious NCOs and officers get distracted or complacent and end up doing some really really stupid things. No major injuries, fortunately; but bad enough to serve as examples of how even the best can screw up.

I think one of them blamed it on his allergy medication.
 
Just to keep up-to-date: The body returned to Australia was that of a Bosnian soldier. A private charter has been organised to return the Australian soldier's body home tomorrow. The country is outraged, the family is angered, the government is trying to be contrite. In short, it's a very distressing fiasco.

It appears the problem started in Kuwait, when the casket was put into the care of firm contracted privately to return the dead bodies of killed occupying force soldiers. The Australian soldier having been positively identified on delivery to them, the wrong casket was consigned to Australia the next day. However the firm is saying it has no responsibility to identify bodies given into their care. It's going to get even uglier now...
 
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