Army Officers Cited in Tillman Case

Mar 27, 05:00 AM

Current Headlines: By Matt Kelley

Nine high-ranking Army officers misled Pentagon investigators about the facts surrounding the death of NFL star and Ranger Pat Tillman, but there was no broad coverup, a military investigator said Monday.

The Pentagon's Inspector General Office said the officers violated Army rules by not immediately reporting their suspicions that Tillman died from "friendly fire."

The Army said it would look into whether any action should be taken against the officers. "It is important to the Tillman family, to our Army and to the American people that we resolve this matter," acting Army Secretary Pete Geren said.

In a statement, the Tillman family said the briefing they received on the probe "was unsatisfactory."

Tillman was killed accidentally by fellow Rangers during a battle in Afghanistan in 2004. The officers immediately suspected members of Tillman's own unit had shot him, but relatives of the former Arizona Cardinals player weren't told that until 35 days after his death.

Among those blamed for misleading investigators is Tillman's regimental commander, the Army Special Operations commander Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger. Three other generals and five Army officers were cited for violating regulations, according to the report by Defense Department acting Inspector General Thomas Gimble.

Tillman was awarded the Silver Star, the military's third-highest honor, with a citation saying he died from enemy fire. Geren said an Army honors board reviewed the award and determined that the award's citation would be changed but that the award stands. He said the medal was deserved because Tillman died going to the aid of fellow soldiers while under fire.

Gimble said there was no evidence the officers conspired to hide the truth. "I think there was a series of mistakes made. ... There was never an attempt to cover up that we saw," Gimble said. (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.