Retired general may be demoted

[Neil D]

A retired three-star general who headed a major Fort Bragg command is expected to be reprimanded for his role in providing misleading information about the friendly-fire death of NFL-star-turned-soldier Pat Tillman, military officials say.

Army Secretary Peter Geren is expected to recommend that Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger surrender a star — a stinging and rare rebuke.

Two other Fort Bragg officers have been connected with the investigation that arose into the circumstances of Tillman’s death in Afghanistan and the apparent cover-up of the fact that he was killed by fellow Rangers.

Retired Brig. Gen. Mike Jones is expected to receive a letter of reprimand. He is former commander of U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg.

Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, current commander of the Fort Bragg-based Joint Special Operations Command will escape punishment, officials say.

Kensinger, 60, commanded the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg for three years. He retired in December 2005. The command includes the Rangers, as well as Special Forces and other special operations troops.

Geren also is considering issuing a letter of censure to Kensinger, who is receiving the harshest punishment of those involved in what has become a three-year controversy.

An investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general found “compelling evidence that Kensinger learned of suspected fratricide well before the memorial service and provided misleading testimony” on that issue. That misrepresentation, the report said, could constitute a “false official statement,” a violation of the Military Code of Justice.

If Geren does recommend to Defense Secretary Robert Gates that Kensinger lose a star and be demoted to major general, that would trigger a decrease in his retirement pension and benefits.

Kensinger could not be reached for comment by The Fayetteville Observer.

He is one of seven high-ranking Army officers expected to get official reprimands for making critical errors in reporting the circumstances of Tillman’s friendly-fire shooting in Afghanistan in April 2004.

The Army said no final decisions have been made, and that once they are and the Tillman family and Congress have been notified, an announcement will come sometime next week.

The officials requested anonymity because the punishments under consideration by Geren have not been made public.

Army officials opted not to impose harsher punishments, which could have included additional demotions, dishonorable discharges or even jail time.

Tillman’s death received worldwide attention because he had walked away from a huge contract with the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Tillman’s mother, Mary, said the impending punishments are inadequate.

“I’m not satisfied with any of it,” she said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

She rejected the Pentagon’s characterization of the officers’ offenses as “errors” in reporting Tillman’s death, when several officers have said they had made conscious decisions not to tell Tillman’s family that friendly fire was suspected.

Geren’s pending decisions come four months after two investigative reports found that Army officers provided misleading and inaccurate information about Tillman’s death. A central issue in the case has been why the Army waited about five weeks after it suspected the former NFL star’s death was caused by friendly fire before telling his family.

No criminal wrongdoing

The probes found that nine officers — including four generals — were at fault in providing the bad information and should be held accountable. But the reports determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing in the actual shooting, and that there was no deliberate cover-up.

Geren then tapped Gen. William Wallace to review the probes and recommend disciplinary actions. Wallace disagreed with initial findings against McChrystal, according to the military officials.

But Wallace also surprised Army officials by singling out a 10th officer for rebuke — one who had not been blamed in the earlier reports.

Brig. Gen. Gina Farrisee, who is director of military personnel management at the Pentagon, is expected to receive a letter of punishment for her involvement in the oversight of the awarding of Tillman’s Silver Star.

The investigations found that Army officials were aware that Tillman likely was killed by friendly fire even as they were moving ahead with the medal that was awarded for heroism in the face of the enemy.

When growing up, we were not to trust the establishment nor the military. Today, I am to have faith in the establishment, as it triumphs the corporations all the while the goverment is doing nothing for middle america. Where are all my hippy friends to show traditional values of love peace and justice....?