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Did friendly fire really kill a Marine Raider in Iraq?

Critical Skills Operators in the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, conduct training at Eglin Range aboard a 1st Special Operations Support Squadron watercraft. (Photo courtesy of DVIDS).

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Last Sunday, the Pentagon announced the death of Marine Gunnery Sergeant Scott A. Koppenhafer, 35, of Mancos, Colorado. According to the initial release, Koppenhafer died of critical wounds he received under small arms fire while supporting and advising a contingent of Iraqi Security Forces during a planned operation in Ninewah province, Iraq. Now, however, the Pentagon has walked back claims that the decorated Marine was killed by enemy small arms fire, stoking fears that his death may have been caused by friendly fire instead.

While previous DoD released cited small arms fire as the cause of Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer’s death, all releases have since been amended to read that he died “after suffering fatal wounds while supporting Iraqi Security Forces.”

Pentagon officials have now been quoted as saying “all possibilities are being considered” in Koppenhafer’s death, with rumours of a friendly fire incident taking hold, but thus far no evidence has surfaced to substantiate that possibility.

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  • Avatar
    Mic-Mac

    Alex, my daughters, neighbors lost their son to fratricide on December 5, 2001, in Afghanistan. A bomb. Among the dead were three US soldiers, Green Berets. The son was a local boy who went to school with my kids. A town of only 3,200. I don’t know the family personally, but I have heard that coming to terms with it all has been very difficult for the family. Death of a loved one is never easy, but some circumstances are more challenging to cope with than others. I am also sure that the individuals directly involved with the fratricide likely live in pain every day.

  • Avatar
    tim e

    Just awful – they do need to ensure the “friendly fire” wasn’t intentional