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Army Completes New Probe of Tillman Death
Family Disputes Pentagon's Description of 'Satisfaction'

PHOENIX (April 14) - The military has completed an investigation into former NFL star Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan that aimed to address concerns raised about whether the Army held back information, but its findings won't be made public.

"We are not going to release it,'' said Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

Then-acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee ordered the new investigation in mid-November based on questions from the family of the linebacker-turned-Army Ranger.

The family got a briefing on the inquiry "only a couple of weeks ago,'' said Lt. Col. Hans Bush, chief of public affairs for the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., which conducted the latest investigation.

Bush said there was "a degree of satisfaction expressed by the family.''

Patrick Tillman Sr., when asked by The Arizona Republic whether it was true that the family was satisfied, responded: "No. And I don't want to talk about it.''

The original Army investigation, released May 29, found that Tillman was shot to death April 22 after a U.S. soldier mistakenly fired on a friendly Afghan soldier in Tillman's unit, and other U.S. soldiers then fired in the same direction.

Reports by the Army soon after Tillman's death had suggested that he was killed by enemy gunfire when he led his team to help another group of ambushed soldiers.

Tillman, 27, left his position as a starting safety for the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal and received posthumously a Purple Heart and Silver Star. The latter is among the military's highest honors, awarded for gallantry on the battlefield.


04/14/05 21:03 EDT