Soldier dies from non-hostile gunshot wound (FOB Mosul, Iraq)

[Barrett808]

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – A Soldier assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died from a non-hostile gunshot wound on Oct. 18 at a forward operating base near Mosul, Iraq.

The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Several U.S. Army units are attached to II MEF (Fwd) during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/Casualty_Report.asp?CasualtyReport=20051024.txt

[tk2kewl]

1. WTF is a non-hostile gunshot wound?

:wtf:

[Mithras61]

2. Could be either...

friendly fire or an accidental gunshot. I think in this instance they mean the shot wasn't fired by hostile forces.

[tk2kewl]

4. I know what they mean...

but really, I think that even if my mother lovingly shot me, I'd categorize it as a hostile gunshot wound

[Mithras61]

9. AH, but what if your mother shot you accidentally while...

trying to kill the murderous SOB sneaking up behind you? What if it was because she was trying to set her weapon down and it went off? Is your wound non-hostile for either of these, or are all gunshot wounds hostile to you?

Just asking, not trying to start an argument. I only want to understand your position.

FWIW, I agree that there had to have been at least SOME level of hostility involved for the shot to have been fired, unless it was purely accidental (e.g. - someone dropped their rifle and it went off with the undirected bullet accidentally hitting the soldier in question), but even then the argument can be made that if we didn't have soldiers in a combat situation, the weapon wouldn't have been loaded and couldn';t have gone off.

[tk2kewl]

10. my point is that even if you take the shooter out of the equation

i find the process of bullet ripping flesh and shattering bone to be hostile in and of itself

[Mithras61]

11. Okay. Thanks! (n/t)

[Barrett808]

5. My first thought was suicide... n/t

[ender]

8. err... sadly...

generally, its suicide, the old "died while cleaning his gun" thing.

[izzybeans]

6. man killed by "bullety" your friendly fire munitions friend, he sings

dances, and kills your ass in a completely non-hostile sort of way.

He "bullety" puts to bed the charge "Guns don't kill people I do." that all murderous bastards, or hostile-fire people, tend to say when they want to justify their use of guns for killin'.

The presence of a bullet in any context is the presence of hostility.

It's a misnomer that whitewashes the tragedy.

[lonestarnot]

12. WTF is dis?

[lonestarnot]

13. WTF is dis?

[bluestateguy]

3. All deaths in Iraq are hostile

Absolutely all of them.

[catmandu57]

7. Could have been suicide

Non hostile covers a lot of ground.