Posted on 07/31/2007 4:49:41 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2007 The Armys senior civilian announced today that a retired three-star general will receive a letter of censure as the result of a review of previous military investigations into the death of Army Spc. Patrick D. Tillman. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said a perfect storm of events initially obfuscated the facts regarding the April 22, 2004, death of Tillman, an Army Ranger who was killed by friendly fire near the Afghan-Pakistani border. Tillman, a former National Football League star, was initially reported to have died as a result of enemy fire. After reading a review of previous Tillman investigations performed by Army Gen. William S. Wallace, commander of U.S. Training and Doctrine Command, Geren said he decided to issue a letter of censure to retired Army Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger, whod commanded U.S. Army Special Operations Command at the time of Tillmans death. I believe the buck stops with General Kensinger, Geren said. He was the senior leader in the chain of command for administrative control for the 75th Ranger Regiment. If Kensinger had performed his duty, we wouldnt be standing here today, Geren said to reporters at a Pentagon news conference today. Geren cited Kensinger for multiple failures, including failing to initiate a timely Army safety investigation into Tillmans death, giving false statements during follow on investigations, failing to notify the Tillman family about the fratricide investigation as well as failing to notify then-Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee about the friendly-fire investigation. Kensinger should have convened a safety board upon being notified that Tillman died from friendly fire, Geren said. That safety board would have been an outside group of eyes. It would have gone into theater and it would have immediately commenced an investigation, Geren pointed out. The safety board would have added an outside chain-of-command review of this situation as well as recommendations on how we make sure it didnt happen again, Geren said.
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Biographies: Secretary of the Army Pete Geren Gen. Richard A. Cody, USA Gen. William S. Wallace, USA Related Sites: Related Articles: |
I hear one of his brother has come out against US Army recently Sandrat I hear that on Jim Rome show
You know, I’m all for the truth, but are our generals now required to investigate every death during a war to determine if it was anyones fault? Seems to me, that in a war sh*t happens, even to a great guy like Tillman.
some perfect storm..
So, to a retired three-star general, exactly what does a letter of censure mater?
Basically just means no fourth start, and no posting of any consequence in his future.
He is retired, no forth star or additional assignment in his future anyway. Original question still active.
It wasn't accidental, it was negligent. This allegedly "elite" force fired at their own people, even though they didn't know where their other troops were and they had been ordered to cease firing. The men who kept firing despite warnings and Tillman yelling and gesturing should be rigorously punished and their leaders - the ones responsible for training and discipline - should also be punished.
Then they should go after the liars that tried to hide the truth. There is no room in a fighting force for people without the moral courage to tell the truth.
Great question. I do not know the answer. Tillman, as we all know, was a high profile soldier. He, according to his mother, was asked to be a voice for army recruiting and he turned it down. Poster child and all. He did not want the limelight.
Can’t recalled to be the USMA Commandant of Cadets I would think but beyond that guess I don’t know.
“There is no room in a fighting force for people without the moral courage to tell the truth.”
You are correct, USMCVet. (I’m retired Army.) But doesn’t this strike you as kind of stupid? Why censure someone they “retired” already, anyway? It’s like the liberal media had to have it’s “pound of flesh” and the military gave it to them.
Dead is dead. Pat Tillman is dead. It’s a d@mn shame, but WONDERFUL people die in all sorts of horrible circumstances every d@mn day...usually because liberal judges “feeeeeeeeeeeel” that sex offenders and gang bangers and illegals and lifer criminals should be released back into the General Population at will.
If you hold our Military up against the way civilians run the show in every city across the land, you’ll find a much lower level of screw-ups and corruption resulting in the death of innocents.
Perspective, People! Perspective! :)
Not trying to pick on you, just curious, thats why Im keeping it as an open question.
Letters of censure for retired military folks always seem a waste of time to me. Why bother other than to put blame on someone not touchable (?).
Well if he’s retired, then it really don’t mean diddly squat.
The story I read said the matter was also referred to another group or panel to determine whether the general should be stripped of a star. I would like to know exactly what this general (who was head of all Army special forces, as I understand it) did wrong. Or stated another way, what should the general have done differently? That seems to be missing from the story, and it makes me think the general is being made a scapegoat. If so, that’s one hell of a reward for many long years of service on behalf of us Americans.
This is a situation, where the top has accepted responsibility rather than pass the buck down (to where the original AAR weren't as accurate as they could/should have been).
Bottom line is one half of soldiers from this Ranger unit was engaged by enemy fire - Ranger Tillman, a fellow Ranger (and an ANA member) doubled back to see if they could be of support - They came upon the ridge after the initial engagement was over - At that time the Afghani and Ranger Tillman were KIA via blue on blue fire....
It awful, but it happens.
God bless Ranger Tillman, he was a hell of a man. But this situation is disgustingly being blown into something it is not. There is no cover-up, there is no conspiracy.
I doubt they are threatening to take away a star based on his covering for underlings.
Dont know if it is relevant, but if someone on a ship screws up, the Captain is responsible. Regardless the excuses, he is ultimately responsible.
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