European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 stars and stripes sunday april after timmans death army put Clamp on info by Scott Lindlaw the associated press san Francisco within hours of Pat timmans death the army went into info  Mode cutting off phone and internet connections at a base in Afghanistan posting guards on a wounded Pla Toon mate and ordering a sergeant to Burn timmans uniform new army investigative documents re viewed by the associated press describe How the military sealed off information about timmans death from All but a smash ring of soldiers officers quietly passed their suspicion of Friendly fire up the Chain to the highest ranks of the military but the truth did not reach Tillmans family for five weeks the Clampdown and the misinformation issued by the military lie at the heart of a burgeoning congressional investigation we want to find out How this happened said rep Henry Waxman Calif chair Man of the House oversight committee which has scheduled a hearing for tues Day was it the result of incompetence miscommunication or a deliberate strategy it is also a Central Issue As the army weighs punishments against nine officers including four generals faulted in the latest Pentagon report on the Case of the nil  Gen William Wallace who oversees training for the army is to re port on possible punishments i killed 9 detained in raid Kabul Afghanistan in hangar har province ils and afghan troops a filed one person arid detained nine oth ers during a raid on a compound Satur Day the to sled coalition said the compound was used by people the coalition accused of involvement in facilitating several suicide attacks in recent weeks during the operation a militant grabbed a weapon and was shot and killed by combined forces the state ment said from the associated press it is Well known by now that the Circum stances of timmans april 22 2004 death were kept from his family and the Ameri can Public the army maintained he was Cut Down by enemy bullets in an ambush even though Many soldiers knew he was mistakenly killed by Bis own comrades the nearly 1100 pages of documents re leased last month at the conclusion of the army criminal investigation commands probe reveal the mechanics of How the army contained the information for example the Day after Tillman died pc Jade Lane Lay in a Hospital bed in Afghanistan recovering from gunshot wounds inflicted by the same fellow rang ers who had shot at Tillman amid his Shock and grief Lane noticed guards were posted on him i thought it was strange Lane recalled later he said he Learned the reason for their presence the news Media were sniff ing around and lanes superiors did not want anyone talking to us he said inside Forward operating base Salerno near Khost Afghanistan a Soldier heard the dreaded Call come across the radio Keas there were two killed in action one Al lied afghan fighter and one army Ranger identified Only by his code name the sol Dier checked a roster and discovered the fallen american was Tillman had this Soldier wanted to share the news outside the tactical operations Center it would have been difficult the phones and internet had been Cut off to prevent anyone from talking about the incident he told investigators nearby on the same base a staff sergeant was in his tent when a Captain walked in and told him to Burn Tillmans bloody cloth ing he wanted me alone to Burn what was in the bag to prevent Security violations leaks and rumours the staff sergeant Testi fied the Superior put a lock on communications in the tent he testified other army officers said this was probably a directive to the staff sergeant to keep the conversation to himself several soldiers and officers testified that the primary reason destroyed the equipment was because it was becoming a Bio Hazard and emitting a foul odor several army officers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan said pulling the plug on base phones and email was routine after a Soldier died the practice was meant to ensure the family was notified through official channels said army maj Todd Breasseale chief spokesman for ground forces in Iraq until last August the new testimony and other documents do not identify who if anyone orchestrated the Clampdown nor do they address whether there was a concerted Effort to conceal the truth about the bes known casualty in the War on terrorism0ne Soldier carried a particularly heavy Burden of secrecy Ranger pc Russell Baer had witnessed rangers shooting at rangers afterwards he was directed to travel from Afghanistan to the United states with his Friend Kevin Tillman but he was ordered not to Tell Pat Tillmans brother and fellow Ranger that Friendly fire was the Likely cause of the former football players death he kept the secret fearing he did not know the whole Story but in a personal pro test Baer later went awol and was demoted As punishment i lost respect for the people in charge of me Baer testified in an earlier Tillman investigation female i takes out gender Barrier with big guns by Erik Slavin stars and stripes Camp red Cloud South Korea chief warrant officer Angela Lowe still remembers the disbelief she encountered at War rant officer candidate school in 2001 Are you sure a sergeant asked youre a 131 Alpha Are you sure of course she was sure no one goes to candidate school without knowing Why and Lowe was there to become a Field artillery warrant officer it just so happened that no woman had Ever been a Field Artil Lery warrant officer before six years later Lowe is fresh first woman Field artillery warrant officer tackles Job off a March promotion and serves As the 2nd infantry divisions staff Field artillery intelligence officer if the division goes to War she is the subject matter expert who will make recommendations to senior command on whether to fire some of the biggest weapons in the divisions Arsenal at the division War fighter she did remarkably Weh said 210th fires brigade col Matt Merrick referring to the Decem Ber simulation that pits the Divi Sion against a world class enemy once she makes a decision it gets executed immediately Lowe didst always have such support when she graduated from candidate school no one As signed her a Job they said go Home and that they Tell me when i had an assignment Lowe said then she caught the attention of the colonel and now Brig Gen Richard Mcphee he didst see female he saw a Soldier Lowe said As a woman Lowe int Al Lowed to be on the front lines despite How today insurgent tac tics erase any such clearcut line that Rule Means Lowe can serve Only at the brigade level or higher however Mcphee found ways to get Lowe around ground train ing situations providing her with valuable perspective at the higher Levels Lowe has repeatedly served in jobs slotted for higher ranks a major had performed her Job before it became a warrant Posi Tion Merrick said before becoming a warrant officer Lowe served As a Field Artil Lery meteorologist she earned promotion to e7 in eight years much faster than average in any military Branch Lowe switched out of her Job to become a Drill instructor but changed tracks again with an Eye toward quicker promotions recently Lowe received some company of sorts when a second female joined the Field artillery warrant officer ranks it was a sol Dier Lowe trained during her Days As a Drill sergeant Lowe whose accomplishments have made her a requested speaker during March women his tory month events Hopes other women interested in similar Ca reer advancement will continue breaking Down the barriers of the past i Tell them go for it and dont let anybody hold you Back Lowe said email Erik Slavin at 141 Manatu ram Stift 06371596860 Spang Dahlem 06565958610 09662413031 Lakenheath us 0044 1638531 888 asian of Italy 0039 0434 invoiced based pricing us specs stateside european delivery financing arranged factory extended warranties Honda Toyota Volkswagen Sec your heal 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