CALL CONTACT ON FIRE - Close Calls in Close Air with CCT Peaches Jared Pietras | Mike Drop #202

About this video

Jared Pietras recounts a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan where a Canadian JTAC’s procedural error led to an A-10 strafing run that hit friendly forces, causing approximately 34 casualties. Pietras had turned off his radio after 18-20 hours of calling close air support and was descending the mountain when the incident occurred. He reflects on how repeated exposure to trauma can create emotional numbness as a protective mechanism, and shares another story about responding to a car accident involving children early in his career.

Key takeaways

• Pietras describes how he had turned off his radio after an extended close air support mission, and believes he could have prevented a friendly fire incident if he had kept it on and been monitoring communications
• The friendly fire incident occurred when a Canadian JTAC mistakenly cleared an A-10 to fire on what he thought was the target, not realizing another fire had been set on the opposite side, resulting in approximately 34 casualties
• Pietras suggests that emotional numbness to trauma may be a protective mechanism the body develops after repeated exposure to high-stress situations and loss, preventing harmful levels of emotional strain

Episode details: published August 25, 2024 · 3.4K views · 9:52 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

← Previous: Should We Be Cloning Service Dogs? with K9 Officer Zach Pfannenstiel | Mike Drop #201 · Next: Air Force Combat Controller Jared ‘CCT Peaches’ Pietras →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)