Gridlock News

 It has been a long time coming, but it looks like the Pat Tillman case might be coming to a close.  Pat Tillman left a career in the NFL to volunteer for the Army and served in the special forces in Afghanistan.  As is all too common in war, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire.

Unfortunately, his death was tragic, however his death also marked one of the early examples of the lies and corruption that slowly began to become public.  This was one of the first instances where the Bush administration began to demonstrate both its incompetence and its corruption.

Pat Tillman's death by friendly fire was covered up and that was almost as much of a tragedy as his death.  Seven military officers will receive career ending administrative actions as a result of a cover-up.  For those officers that have not already retired, they will have to leave the military.  The highest-ranking officer involved was a lieutenant general.  He will likely lose his three stars and be demoted even though he was already retired. 

Essentially his pension will be cut from the payment rate at a three-star general would receive down to the payment rate that a kernel would receive.  Apparently that's about $1000 per month, or for a person that's likely to live 30 years, that is worth about $360,000.  So he will not be broke and he will not serve any jail time in a military jail, but he may have to do a little work to make ends meet, possibly investing a little money in a Virginia bed and breakfast serving up omelets to cronies from the Pentagon on holiday in the rolling Virginia hills.

Many frauds and cover ups followed Pat Tillman's death.  They occurred as we ramped up to go to war in Iraq and as we rescued soldiers in Iraq and has our country spied on its own citizens without search warrants.  It occurred while our government secretly captured people and tortured them around the world and while our soldiers, contractors, and inspires tortured captives in Iraq.

In a way, America lost its innocence when Pat Tillman died.  We were just too blind to know it at the time.

ABC News: EXCLUSIVE: Army to Punish Seven Officers for Mishandling Pat Tillman Case