<But seconds later, Schmidt apparently felt he had to take action. "I've got some men on a road, and it looks like a piece of artillery firing at us," he can be heard saying on the cockpit tape. "I am rolling in in self-defense." The AWACS acknowleged the transmission and about 30 seconds later, Schmidt fired his bombs.

And another few seconds later, the go-ahead was received. Dropping early may have saved lives, or they could have saved lived by dropping at the go-ahead. Regardless, people were being shot at (assumed by the trigger-finger), and the shot-at replied in like form.

Maybe if we trained our fighter and bomber pilots by shooting at them, they would be able to tell when they are being shot at the first time they are being shot at. Well, we don't train that way, and shit hjappens.

Deal with it,
Dan