Text of letter censuring general in Tillman case

(AP) -- Text of the letter from Army Secretary Pete Geren censuring Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger for his role in the investigation of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman:

MEMORANDUM FOR Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, USA Retired

SUBJECT: Censure

You are hereby censured for your conduct and failure of leadership in matters relating to the investigation and reporting of the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman. As the commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Command, you were the senior military officer in the administrative chain of command for the 75th Ranger Regiment, the unit to which Cpl. Tillman was assigned at the time of his death.

You and soldiers under your command failed to follow Army and Department of Defense policy and regulations in the investigation and conduct of the administrative duties required in a case of fratricide. Your failings compounded the grief suffered by the Tillman family, resulted in the dissemination of erroneous information and caused lasting damage to the reputation and credibility of the U.S. Army. You are accountable and responsible for the failures of your command.

When tasked by the acting Secretary of the Army, Secretary Brownlee, to investigate this matter, you failed in your duty to the Office of the Secretary and to the U.S. Army. You subverted the trust vested in you by the Secretary of the Army. To quote Gen. Wallace, "When you chose to lie about what you knew in order to avoid personal responsibility for your actions, you crossed a line that demands serious rebuke." Your Army leadership relied on the purported accuracy and completeness of the investigation to the detriment of the institutional credibility of the U.S. Army.

Few matters rise to the importance of your handling of next-of-kin notification for our fallen soldiers. You failed in your duty to the Tillman family in the conduct of their notification and failed the Army in your decision to deceive your Army's leadership regarding your role in the mishandled affair.

Pete Geren E-mail to a friend

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