All 5 Injured Troops Evacuated to Uzbekistan, then Germany
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2001 – All five service members
injured in a friendly-fire incident near Mazar-e Sharif in
Afghanistan were evacuated to Uzbekistan, the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs said this afternoon. A DoD spokeswoman had
earlier said only three were injured seriously enough to be
evacuated.
At an afternoon briefing, Air Force Gen. Richard Myers told
Pentagon reporters the five service members are being cared
for by American military medical personnel in Uzbekistan
and will soon be sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
in Germany. All five service members are listed in serious
condition.
"The medical facilities in Uzbekistan are a first line of
treatment," Myers said. "They can stabilize (injured
service members) there and move them to Landstuhl."
The troops were working with opposition forces in the
northern Afghan town to quell an uprising among Taliban
forces imprisoned there, Myers said. He wouldn't speculate
on the cause of the accident, but said it is being
investigated as "a fratricide issue." The incident occurred
at about 1:30 a.m. this morning Eastern Time, Myers said.
Earlier reports said a Joint Direct Attack Munition dropped
close to the service members' position.
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