World | USA
Generals faulted in ex-footballer's friendly fire death
A Pentagon watchdog on Monday found fault with four generals and five other officers for mistakes following the death of US Army Ranger and former professional football star Pat Tillman in Afghanistan.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 March 28, 2007
- Image Credit: AP
- US Army Ranger and former professional football star Pat Tillman.
Washington: A Pentagon watchdog on Monday found fault with four generals and five other officers for mistakes following the death of US Army Ranger and former professional football star Pat Tillman in Afghanistan.
Army investigators found that Tillman, widely lauded as a hero for giving up the National Football League to join the Army, was killed by fellow US soldiers who believed they were engaging enemy fighters on April 22, 2004.
The Army initially told Tillman's family he died from enemy fire and did not alter that account until a month later, even though officers quickly knew that he was likely killed by US troops, the Pentagon's acting inspector general said.
Late notification
Only after a nationally televised memorial service and the posthumous award of a Silver Star, one of the US military's top awards for gallantry, did Army officials notify his family that he had died from US fire, the watchdog said.
"We as an Army failed in our duty to the Tillman family," Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren told reporters. "We failed to live up to Army values."
The inspector general, Thomas Gimble, also found three previous investigations into the death were deficient and that information presented in support of the Silver Star was incorrect and should not have been provided to top officials.
Geren said the Silver Star would stand but the accompanying citation would be changed to reflect the true circumstances of Tillman's death.
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