More from the Kovco Inquiry

Jake Kovco’s mates have a preminition about the body mix up

An unnamed soldier, codenamed Soldier 14, told the inquiry into Pte Kovco’s death and bungled repatriation that a group of fellow soldiers had tried to prevent any mix-up involving his body.

“We were looking after Jake and we wanted to make sure the job was done,” Soldier 14 told the inquiry in Sydney, via a video link from Baghdad. “Our job was to make sure he got home and I guess we wanted to make sure that it was him that went home and that’s why we, as a group, had talked about that. “One member then put forward that statement to Soldier 2, to make sure that it was him (Pte Kovco) because stranger things have happened.”

In all my days I have never heard of a body mixup other than on this one occassion. I wonder what historical precedence these guys used to express the concern that there might be a problem. It sounds like invention after the fact to me but then maybe it’s a known in-theatre problem. It’s hard to be sure from my desk in Brisbane. In another article Soldier 17, a 23-year-old private figures it was an accident

….yesterday told the inquiry he believed Pte Kovco could have been shot in the head while joking around with his two roommates.

And this………

Soldier 14 told the Sydney inquiry that Pte Kovco walked several metres in front of him as they were leaving their posts and then held a door closed on him at a weapons checkpoint so he could not get through. At the time, Soldier 14 said he decided he would clear his own rifle because he did not have Pte Kovco to follow the so-called “buddy system” of checking each other’s weapons when their duty finished. Soldier 14 said Pte Kovco had been carrying a rifle plus his 9mm Browning pistol on duty that day.

……raises the question; what were the NCO’s and Officers doing while all this horseplay was going on. The so called “Buddy System” aside, where soldiers check that each others weapons are cleared, surely the Corporal Section Commander has a responsibility to at least ensure this happens. The Inquiry now enters a phase of reviewing classified evidence in camera and fair enough too. It’s bad enough we have to wash our dirty linen in public without journalists and unqualified commentators debating operational security matters involving our troops in Iraq.

AN Australian soldier who wrote a damaging email from East Timor has been sent home and will be disciplined.

The Courier-Mail yesterday revealed details of the email which included sensitive operational information.

The young artillery officer known as “Gilly from Timor”, revealed detailed operational information including the locations and roles of units in an email to a mate.

Continue reading »

According to this report Pte Kovco dreamt of death by his own hand just one month before he died from a single gun shot wound to the head. I find it alarming that he not only had such a dream but he then recorded it in his private diary the next morning. Physciatrists would have a field day in a court case if armed with such startling information. I am further alarmed by the statements of the two soldiers with him at the time who are reported as saying;

The three men had been singing along to pop music, reminiscing and using laptop computers when Pte Kovco’s gun suddenly discharged just 5cm away from his head around 4pm. Pte Kovco’s pistol was in a holster slung on the bed post of his bunkbed, while he stood on the ground typing an email to his wife using a laptop perched on the top mattress.

I have been an Investigating Officer in the Army and know more than most punters about weapon handling, mishandling and the associated stories rationalizing same. I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying I have never heard of anything like it happening and therefore think a strong case exists to doubt the veracity of the evidence given too date…or, put more simply, someone is telling lies. If the pistol hadn’t had the trigger guard removed it would be virtually impossible for it to discharge whilst still in the holster. The trigger guards very reason for existance is to stop accidental discharges and for that reason is seldom removed.The SASR have been known to do so for improved reaction time but I have never heard of infantry troops doing it. I could be wrong but even if I am, we still have to move the muzzle of the weapon from the bedpost to 5 centimetres away from Pte Kovco’s head. I placed my laptop on my bed just now and adopted a typing position; this put my head more than 30 centimetres away from any bedpost. It’s too early to draw any conclussions other than, up to this point, the testimony given has some serious holes in it. If reported accurately the Investigating Officer must be doing some serious eye-rolling. “One of the them said `I didn’t hear the weapon cock nor did I see the weapon in his hand.” I would be beside myself in haste to ask; “then where was the pistol immediately after you heard the shot? In the holster, on the bed or on the floor? The answer to this would clear up some doubt. I presume the question was raised. The inquiry is expected to hear more evidence from Baghdad this week before adjourning until mid-July. Via Rick in comments.