Air Force general denies Schmidt appeal Published Aug. 3, 2004 LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- A U.S. Air Force general has denied the appeal of an Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot regarding the punishment he received for his role in a 2002 friendly fire incident in Afghanistan.Gen. Hal Hornburg, commander of Air Combat Command, denied Maj. Harry Schmidt’s appeal Aug. 3. The appeal asked General Hornburg to set aside the punishment imposed last month by Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, 8th Air Force commander.Major Schmidt was found guilty of derelictions of duty, received a reprimand and will forfeit $5,672 pay for dropping a 500-pound, laser-guided bomb from his F-16 fighter jet, killing four Canadian soldiers and wounding eight more in the incident.Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice entitles punished servicemembers to one appeal to “the next superior authority,” so General Hornburg’s decision brings nonjudicial punishment proceedings on this issue to a close.