前国家橄榄球队队员Pat Tillman于2004年在阿富汗捐躯。他的牺牲引发无数人的悼念，但是时至今日，却传来另一个消息，有人认为他的牺牲并非不可避免，有人应为此事背负责任，而且军方并没有告知其家人详情。这到底是怎么回事呢？这位前球星的牺牲，到底只是一个让人遗憾的意外，还是一个让人愤怒的事故呢？
In April of 2004, former National Football League player Pat Tillman was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan.
His death received worldwide attention because he had turned down a multi-million dollar contract to play American football in order to join the elite Army Rangers after the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
Initially U.S. military officials said Corporal Tillman died during a heroic attack on enemy Taleban fighters. A memorial service for Tillman was nationally televised across the United States.
However, weeks after his death, the Army told Tillmans family that soldiers in his own unit had shot and killed him by mistake - a case of fratricide, or friendly fire. An Afghan soldier was also killed during the incident.
Results of investigations released by the Defense Department Monday say the deaths were accidental.
However, the departments acting inspector general, Thomas Gimble, says while there was no broad cover-up, military officers looking into the incident passed along misleading and inaccurate information and delayed reporting that Tillman was killed by friendly fire.
"Overall, our review concluded that Corporal Tillmans chain of command made critical errors in the reporting and assigning investigative jurisdiction in the days following his death and bear the ultimate responsibilities for the inaccuracies, misunderstandings and perceptions of concealment that led to our review," he said.
The Acting Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, says the military failed in its duty to provide the truth, as fast as possible, to grieving families of all soldiers who have died.
"Our failure in fulfilling this duty brought discredit to the Army and compounded the grief suffered by the Tillman family," he said. "For that, on behalf of the Army, I apologize to the Tillman family. But words are not sufficient. We are taking corrective action and requiring accountability."
Geren says the Army will not withdraw Tillmans Silver Star award, even though some of the information used to justify it was inaccurate.
Pat Tillman (2003 file photo)
Thomas Gimble briefs media at Pentagon news conference, 26 Mar 2007
