Text Of Tillman Family Statement

Statement By The Family Of Army Ranger Pat Tillman, Following A Briefing Received From Pentagon Officials

(AP)  Our family will continue to pursue the full truth about the circumstances of Pat Tillman's death and the so-called "missteps" of the Army, the Department of Defense, and this administration.

The briefing we just received was unsatisfactory.

The characterization of criminal negligence, professional misconduct, battlefield incompetence, concealment and destruction of evidence, deliberate deception, and conspiracy to deceive are not "missteps."

These actions are malfeasance.

In our opinion, this attempt to impose closure by slapping the wrists of a few officers and enlisted men is yet another bureaucratic entrenchment.

The Army continues to deny the family, and the public that pays for the Army with its taxes, access to the original investigation and the sworn statements from that investigation, conducted by Capt. Richard Scott, former commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion.

His investigation contained the unaltered statements, taken when memories were still fresh, by witnesses to the events surrounding Pat's death.

We know from subsequent sworn statements that more than one of the original statements was altered, after Captain Scott's investigation "disappeared."

This is not a misstep.

It is evidence-tampering.

The Army has yet to provide the family with a copy of the original narrative required by Army Regulation to support the award of the Silver Star.

While they admitted today that there were improprieties in the submission of the award, they appear to have intentionally stopped short in every single "misstep" of actual criminal actions.

Submitting fraudulent awards is a crime.

More than one person participating in the construction of a fraudulent award is conspiracy.

The general officer who appears to bear the brunt of this so-called investigation is Lt. Gen. Kensinger.

While he is not blameless, we believe he is the pawn being sacrificed to protect the king, that king being secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

[ecanderson1]

The family said they do not blame Kensinger but you have to know the man to understand he will do anything to cover his butt. I personally know the type of general he was and the type of wife Gretta is and how they did not want any type of bad press to tarnish their military career. This ex-general is also not very supportive of the active duty reservist. Maybe he should think of a few things he did while serving as commander of USARSO in Panama. But then the man has no personality and is not family oriented.