A new Pentagon probe into the ``friendly fire'' killing of Army Ranger Pat Tillman could last several months, said Rep. Mike Honda, who requested an investigation on behalf of Tillman's parents.
Tillman, a football star who quit the NFL in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, died in a firefight in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Though the Army quickly learned Tillman had been accidentally killed by members of his own platoon, Tillman's commanders did not inform his family of that fact for weeks.
In the interim, the 27-year-old Leland High School graduate was posthumously honored with a Silver Star for acts of valor in combating enemy forces during the supposed attack.
Honda, D-Campbell, said Tuesday the family is hoping the investigation by the Department of Defense's Inspector General will clear up such contradictions. ``This is all to put to rest a lot of the questions that the Tillman family has,'' he said.
Yet the inquiry immediately raised new questions. DOD Inspector General spokesman Gary Comerford said the office was reviewing the Army's investigation into Tillman's death -- at the request of the Army itself. Comerford declined to provide additional details, but said such reviews are not uncommon and are intended to make sure proper procedures were followed.
According to the Inspector General Act of 1978, the role of the Pentagon's office is to act as the ``principal adviser'' to the Secretary of Defense in matters relating to the prevention and detection of fraud, waste and abuse. The office also has the authority to look into allegations -- raised by Congress or others -- regarding wrongdoing and mismanagement by high-level Department of Defense officials.
In interviews with reporters, Tillman's parents have accused high-ranking officers of deliberate deceit.
``I have absolute respect and admiration for Army Rangers acting as such,'' Patrick Tillman, a San Jose lawyer, wrote in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post on May 28. ``As to their superior officers, the West Point-Army honor code is: `I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those that do.' They should reissue the booklet.''