Newz Forum: OTHER: Army to release details of Tillman's death

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The U.S. Army Special Operations Command was to release information Saturday about the death of Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to fight for his country.

Tillman, who left the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army, died April 22 in Afghanistan.

Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, USASOC's commanding general, was to issue a statement about a completed military investigation into the circumstances of Tillman’s death, the Army said in a statement released late Friday.

Tillman, 27, died in a firefight near the Pakistan border as he was leading his team to help comrades caught in an ambush. Until now, the Army has given few details about his death

Tillman was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and was based in Fort Lewis, Wash.

The military posthumously promoted Tillman, a member of the Army's elite Ranger unit, from specialist to corporal. He also was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star.

He never publicly offered reasons for joining the Army, but friends said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, affected him deeply.

AP NEWS

Former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman, who died in April while a U.S. soldier fighting in Afghanistan, likely was killed by friendly fire, according to an Army investigation, the Arizona Republic has learned.

"It seems pretty clear that he was killed by friendly fire," Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Republic. "This does not take away one iota from the heroic nature and courage of the man. The source of that fire is of little consequence in terms of heroism."

is this smart to release information like this

The family of former NFL player Pat Tillman says the Army disrespected his memory by lying in its investigation of his death in Afghanistan last year.

In interviews with The Washington Post, the Army Ranger's mother and father said they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country.

"Pat had high ideals about the country; that's why he did what he did," Mary Tillman told the Post. "The military let him down. The administration let him down. It was a sign of disrespect. The fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. The fact that they lied about it afterward is disgusting."

Shortly after arriving in the mountains to fight, Tillman was killed in a barrage of gunfire from his own men, mistaken for the enemy as he got into position to defend them.

After a public memorial service, at which Tillman received the Silver Star, the Army told Tillman's family what had really happened.

The separate interviews with Tillman's parents, who are divorced, appeared on the Post's Internet site for Monday's editions.

Patrick Tillman Sr., a lawyer, told the Post he is furious about a "botched homicide investigation" and blames high-ranking Army officers for presenting "outright lies" to the family and to the public.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com...

it is a shame that they would lie about something like this, it must be torture for the surviving family, i think that heads should roll for this mess

This is an unfortunate result of the world we live in, where everything has a spin value, which is often looked at closer than what honesty and compassion are. I would continue, but I don't think this is the correct forum for that, my feelings belong more on PTS.

In case you missed it -

WASHINGTON -- The Army said Saturday it will launch a criminal investigation into the April 2004 death of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who was shot to death by fellow soldiers in Afghanistan in what previous Army reviews had concluded was an accidental shooting.

Col. Joseph Curtin, an Army spokesman, said the Defense Department office of inspector general had reviewed the matter at the Army's request and concluded that a criminal probe was warranted.

Members of the Tillman family were notified on Friday, Curtin said. In the past, Tillman's father, Patrick Tillman, and other family members have criticized the Army and its investigations.

"We are obligated to answer the family's questions, as we are with all grieving families," Curtin said.

Curtin said the scope of the new investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Command had not yet been determined in detail.

A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the new investigation has not been formally begun, said it would focus on possible charges of negligent homicide.

source

CBS Sportsline