Army reviews soldiers' deaths

[jefferson_dem]

Army reviews soldiers' deaths
Posted 10/29/2006 10:59 PM ET
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

A review of battlefield deaths that included the case of former pro football player Pat Tillman has concluded that the Army gave wrong or misleading information to the families of seven dead soldiers, according to the Army's casualty notification office.

Army Secretary Francis Harvey ordered the review after the media cited mistakes in several war deaths. Tillman, once a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, was an Army Ranger when he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. His family was told he died from enemy fire, when actually fellow Rangers shot him by accident.

Col. Patrick Gawkins, head of the Army's notification office, provided findings of the review to USA TODAY. He said the review looked at about 810 deaths and found that the families of Tillman and six others were misinformed about how their relatives died.

The number of deaths reviewed amounted to roughly 40% of nearly 2,200 Army soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The findings mark the first time that the Army has released a total number of cases where next of kin were given incorrect information on causes of death.

Gawkins blamed the mistakes on the "fog of war" or possibly inappropriate efforts by individual soldiers to protect families from negative information. To guard against future mistakes, the Army is investigating every war death and alerting families if there may be "suspicious" circumstances, Gawkins said. "One mistake is way too many."

<SNIP>

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-29-army-reviews-deaths_x.htm

[Nolo_Contendre]

1. Fog of war = convenient propaganda / possible murder cover-up

I think gung-ho Tillman was fragged intentionally.

[0007]

3. He did speak out against junior and this stupid Iraq war before

he died. It sure makes one wonder and I can surely understand why you feel that way.

[dchill]

2. Isn't there such a thing...

as the "fog of bullshit?" This kind of malfeasance doesn't really require a war to cause or support it. Simple piling lies upon lies does it just fine. Pretty soon one loses ones place - as though in a fog. Of bullshit.

[Barrett808]

4. U.S. Army says it misreported 7 deaths

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has conceded it misreported the details of how seven soldiers were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, USA Today reported Monday.

Col. Patrick Gawkins, head of the Army's notification office, told the newspaper 810 deaths, or about 40 percent of the nearly 2,200 Army deaths in the two theaters had been reviewed, and families were given wrong or misleading information about the circumstances.

One of those was former NFL football player Pat Tillman, an Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire in 2004. His family was originally told he died by enemy fire.

Another death was that of a soldier in Afghanistan who died of a heart attack and his family was not told death occurred during inhalation of a substance from an aerosol can, Gawkins said.

He said the Army is now investigating every war death and alerting families if there may be suspicious circumstances, the newspaper said.

http://www.market-day.net/article_35962/20061030/US-Army-says-it-misreported-7-deaths.php

[stillcool]

5. Jesus H. Christ...

perception manipulation is the only thing these assholes care about.

[Supersedeas]

7. Yea, lil oppsie for family members to re-live and re-start the grieving process

[BrotherBuzz]

6. Fernando Suarez del Solar knows there's more than 7 misreported deaths

Fernando Suarez del Solar whose son, Jesus, was one of the first U.S. servicemen killed in the invasion of Iraq has been lied to from the get go.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/12/11/164256