Friendly fire investigation findings released Published March 30, 2004 MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- U.S. Central Command officials released the findings March 29 of an investigation into a friendly fire incident between U.S. forces. The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding an incident involving an A-10 Thunderbolt II firing on a company of Marines in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23, 2003.Investigators found several factors contributed to the event, including problematic communications links between U.S. forces and a battle plan that, because of unforeseen circumstances, changed as the situation unfolded. They determined that the pilots involved acted appropriately based on the information they possessed at the time of the incident. During an intense firefight there, a total of 18 Marines were killed and 17 were wounded. Eight of the deaths were verified as the result of enemy fire. Of the remaining 10 Marines killed, investigators were unable to determine the cause of death as the Marines were also engaged in heavy fighting with the enemy at the time of the incident. Of the 17 Marines wounded, only one was conclusively determined to have been hit by friendly fire. Three Marines were wounded while inside vehicles that received both friendly and hostile fire, and the exact sequence and source of their injuries could not be determined. A full copy of the report is available at www.centcom.mil.