SPRINGFIELD,Ill. – A decorated pilot involved in a friendly fire bombing in Afghanistan that killed four Canadian soldiers is suing the Air Force, accusing it of ruining his reputation.

National Guard Major Harry Schmidt says military officials should not have released to the public the scathing letter of reprimand he was given for the bombing.

His lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, alleges the military violated privacy laws. It seeks unspecified damages.

The disclosure in July 2004 also violated a settlement agreement that spared Major Schmidt from being court-martialed for the 2002 bombing that killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight others, his lawyer, Charles Gittins, said.

“The government flat-out failed to comply with their agreement,” Mr. Gittins said.

An Air Force spokeswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Reardon, had not seen the lawsuit. “At this point, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the case,” she said yesterday.

On April 17, 2002, Major Schmidt and another pilot were flying F-16s when they spotted muzzle flashes near Kandahar airport. The Canadians were firing weapons on a training range but Major Schmidt mistook them for Taliban forces and dropped a 500-pound, laser-guided bomb.

He has said his superiors never told him the Canadians would be conducting live-fire exercises that night.

The second pilot received a letter of reprimand and was allowed to retire from the Guard. He is not a party to the lawsuit.