Not to be a complete pedant ORAC, but regarding ;
The last Afghan incident, against the Canadians, involved the (Illinois) ANG, not the USAF, and the pilot involved, Maj Harry Schmidt (Ex USN), whilst not discharged, was relieved of flying duties and informed he would never fly a military aircraft again. It was certainly not blamed on the fog of war...
I would assume that the aircraft was operating under an ATO generated by the USAF, and that the Governor of Illinois was not responsible for the operational tasking of this asset while it was in Afghanistan. Even the letter of reprimand states...
Through your arrogance, you undermined one of the most sophisticated weapons systems in the world, consisting of the Combined Air Operations Center, the Airborne Warning and Control System, and highly disciplined pilots, all of whom must work together in an integrated fashion to achieve combat goals. The United States Air Force is a major contributor to military victories over our nation's enemies because our pilots possess superior flight discipline. However, your actions on the night of 17 April 2002 demonstrate an astonishing lack of flight discipline...
I think it unlikely that the mourners and relatives of those slain or injured by this act would be inclined to differentiate between it being a culpable act by the State of Illinois versus the USAF. The shame and ignominy of the USAF are amplified even more so knowing that the individual was from the ANG, possibly a factor in Gen Carlson's response.