WASHINGTON — Military officers knew a day after the death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan that the former NFL star's killing was probably caused by friendly fire, but led Tillman's family to believe he was shot by Afghan insurgents for more than a month before divulging the truth.
According to a Pentagon inspector general's report issued Monday, nine officers, from battlefield commanders to a three-star general, were well aware of the friendly fire incident even when Tillman was awarded a Silver Star that posthumously commended him for valor in the face of an enemy attack.
The report will be reviewed by an Army general who will be empowered to recommend punishment for the officers, including a court-martial.
The most serious accusations in the inspector general's report are those against Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., then the commander of the Army's Special Operations units. The report said Kensinger learned the likely cause of death two days after Tillman was killed, but told investigators that he had learned about it on the eve of Tillman's memorial service more than a week later.
The false statements, the report notes, are a possible offense under the military's criminal code. Now retired, Kensinger could be called back to active duty for a court-martial. Nevertheless, citing the fact that the Army began investigating the incident the day after Tillman's death, the inspector general found no evidence of a coverup.
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Truth withheld
Tillman, who gave up a multimillion-dollar football contract with the Arizona Cardinals to joint the elite Army Rangers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was seen as a recruiting coup for the Army, one that the service cited in the months after his decision to enlist.
The death of such a high-profile recruit in a friendly fire incident was a blow to the Army, and it has struggled to explain to Tillman's angry family and to critics why it took so long to reveal how its star recruit died.
Monday's report for the first time detailed how officers withheld the truth for 35 days, blaming officers for inordinate secrecy while they worked to complete investigations. Thomas F. Gimble, the acting inspector general, declined at a news conference to speculate on the motives of Kensinger and other officers in their failure to disclose the friendly fire investigation as soon as they learned of it.
