Warning Shots: Fact or Fiction?

[Magnifico]

Hello friends, I want to know from anyone that has held a job where they were occupationally required to hold a firearm if ever the procedure of a warning shot was dictated to them. If so, what was it?
(Feel free to disregard following as it's not relevant to question above, the below it is broader context to why I find this important to understand)
My grandfather was a Vietnam veteran and a Warrant Officer in the ADF, he had always told me as a young man that you do not aim your rifle at someone nor discharge a gun outside the range unless you are immediately ready, willing and trying to to take the life of someone meaning you harm.
I have recently heard an American veteran of the Iraq war give a rundown of the ROE that he was instructed of by his superiors, this included explicit mention of a warning shot as "one shot, down at the ground". This has caused me a lot of confusion as I've never heard any veteran of any Western nation mention warning shots as a part of ROE, nor were they ever given specific instructions. It seems incredibly dangerous to me to have something like this part of established practice.
The American veteran in question said this in a YouTube video which I am more than happy to provide for context, however, out of respect for him as well as my limitations of knowledge, I wish to hear from others before I link it because if I am wrong I do not want to make any such imputations that this story was in anyway made up or exaggerated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Your Starter for 10]

The last time I was in Iraq was 2009 and Afghanistan was in 2011, so anything after that I don't know. Warning shots were not part of general combat ROE (certain career fields like security forces may have had them in their ROE, I also don't know).

They weren't expressly forbidden like they are in stateside law enforcement, but they weren't one of the designated stages. I think the common wisdom was you might as well be shooting at them if you're going to shoot.

I sincerely doubt that firing at the ground would be the preferred action as well (which is one of the big reasons warning shots are generally frowned on - there's not a good place for them).

I guess anything is possible, but warning shots weren't part of my ROE any time I went over. And outside of uniform they have always been expressly forbidden.

 

[GratsTheat783]

My father was in the Navy and although he never shot anyone, apparently there was a time where he had to fire warning shots because of a rowdy crowd or something.