http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7946201/

I remember when I was coming out of high school and mulling all my options for college and my life and the service was one of those options, the main thing I remember hearing people tell me was not to join the Army. They would say if you are going to join the service join the Marines or the Navy or the Air Force but that the Army was just not to be trusted. I was a kid at the time and didn't really have any perceptions as to what exactly that meant but I remember it nonetheless. Ultimately I chose to go to college with a scholarship and not join the service.

How do the enlisted/veteran guys feel about the Army lying to the family in this instance? I think this story could be indicitive of the distrust that some young people hold for the Army.

 

I know the Rangers had some pretty grueling instances in those hills around that time. Still good friends with two of them and miss one who died in Anaconda. Although I feel for Ranger Tillman's family 100% here's the way I see it...

They have this handsome model American [Tillman] that just so happened to be a respected player for the NFL. I think they covered it given the questionable times and the fact the military has been under the looking glass since day one regarding doctrine, recruiting, etc.

I mean his death was a very big deal in the MSM and with ESPN/Sportscenter for those that remember. There was ridicule as praise for the SS recipient for a good month. I think the Army got scared and put the situation on a pedestal for good publicity while the story was hot. Even though I’m against the idea I'm not sure I blame them given the bloodsucking media. I know that sounds awful, but the odds stacked up against them ten fold. They panicked. Not only did the All-American athlete die by friendly fire but it happened in a SOF unit (they make mistakes too) in a questionable war to many. It would be like a Navy Blue Angel pilot going on a strafing run at an air show with the chance to cover it up. They might as well have had every recruiter lock their office door and take 3 months free leave.

This also happened with Pfc. Lynch. You had an attractive girl from the heartland get captured, raped and shot. The media ate it up like cotton candy. The Army even awarded Lynch the Bronze Star when she didn't meet the criteria for the award.

Not sure what this blanket statement means. Regardless, I don't this it's relevant in this case.

 

I was just stating that when the service was an option for me, those were the things I heard from people in regards to the Army. I don't think they were experts or even veterans of the service and at the time it didn't really mean anything to me because I was offered a scholarship and ended up not joining the service. I guess I was thinking in regards to this incident and the stop-loss stuff along with the stories of people not getting their bonuses as promised that I can see how someone may think the Army has been shady in the past with certain things.

Although I can definately see your point, in regards to the Army being pushed into a corner with regards to the incident. It was a total PR nightmare from their standpoint. I just think it sounds alot worse now than it would have then, with allegations of intentional cover-ups and evidence tampering flying around now.

Thanks for the reply, Salty...

 

Yes it does. But it's also not a breaking story with the spotlight shining on it anymore. If the Army accepted the fact this could leak (you have to accept it as a possibility), then I'm sure they'd rather have the lie surface now rather than the truth then.

 

Never thought about it like that. Good point.....

 

This is really a touchy situation and to be totally honest I think the Army's cover-up was more for the family than anyone else. Knowing your son died in combat is one thing but for him to die due to fratricide is another. It's hard to justify that kind of loss to a mistake. Although mistakes have been made in every conflict America has been involved with it becomes increasingly difficult for many to foster the respect for those who die in combat and those who die in other instances as sorry as that is. I feel remorse for all service members no matter how they die. If your parachute doesn't open, a frag accidently goes off beside you at the range or your killed in a vehicle accident none of them would have happened had they not been serving. What's important is that everyone respect his decision to serve so voluntarily and that we honor his sacrifice no matter how it came about.

 

The Army should not have lied or covered up the true cause of Tilman's death. It is immoral to take advantage of that type of situation for publicity. Bottom line. If I were his dad I'd be livid.

 

Probably wasn't all publicity based on what 1reguL8NSti mentions in the 2nd sentence of his post.

What's more embarrassing than telling the world a football star died because of negligence from a fellow member in an SOC unit? It's like hearing about a Navy SEAL having an AD into the back of another SEAL during a covert mission. Except that SEAL was famous. Aside from the laughable Special Operations mural Hollywood has painted over the years, mistakes do happen but it's damn embarrassing to hear of them coming from a Unit of this caliber. Especially when a questionable war and recruiting statistics are in the balances.

That said, I can see the bigger picture. Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. The cracking of the eggs being the lack of information the parents received when the spotlight was at full power. Still wrong though. Just a bad situation anyway to slice it.

 

Yeah, there's really nothing good to come of a friendly fire death, ever. And you're probably right that the Army ended up better off in the public's eye how they handled it. But it's still very wrong to me. They should have told Tilman's parents what happened and let them decide how much of the story the media was given.

 

This may have had a good chance.