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Army Says It Will Review More Combat Deaths

The U.S. Army is reviewing the way it notifies families that a relative has been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The changes follow complaints from families who say they haven't always been told the whole story -- and in some cases, were given a false version of events.

The new process is meant to avert some of the high-profile mistakes that have left families distrustful of the Army.

The best-known recent case is that of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who was killed in a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan two years ago. His family was originally told he was killed by enemy fire. But the family later learned Tillman had been killed by fellow Army Rangers during an ambush.

Tillman's family still doesn't feel it was dealt with honestly.

"I think it's a deliberate lie," Tillman's mother, Mary, said. "I think it's an attempt to cover it up, they don't the truth to be known."

Officials emphasize that the Army isn't undertaking new investigations into previously reported deaths. Instead, it will review existing cases to ensure that families have been told of any revisions or new details in the soldiers' cases.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

John Hendren
John Hendren began covering the Pentagon for NPR in November 2005. His reports can be heard throughout NPR News programming and newscasts.