Lower the flags.

[gridlore]

San Jose native Pat Tillman, who walked away from his professional football career to join the Army Rangers, was killed in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Friday.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuckity-fuck.

Rest easy, Spc. Tillman.

Comments

[aurictech.livejournal.com]

This is the third time since I left the Regular Army that I feel guilt over my choices, and the deaths my choices may have caused.

The first two incidents involve soldiers with my MOS (97E) and language identifier (Arabic) who were killed in the line of duty: SFC Ben Hodge (http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/tradoc/usaic/mipb/1997-2/prop9704.htm), one of my platoon sergeants, was killed by the f*****g US Air Force over Northern Iraq in 1994; SGT Kenneth Hobson (http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/98080903.htm), who helped train my National Guard unit, was killed in the 1998 terrorist bombing of the US embassy in Kenya.

Both of these fine NCOs were married; IIRC, both had children. I can't help but think that, had I stayed in the Regular Army, I should have been serving in place of one of these men. I have no dependents; my death woud have been a far lesser loss than that of either of these NCOs.

Meanwhile, WRT SPC Pat Tillman, I accepted an early release from active duty during my mobilization in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Had I accompanied those soldiers from my unit who were deployed to Afghanistan, I, as one of the most experienced MI soldiers in my battalion, might have found some information that could have eventually prevented SPC Tillman's death.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I know that feeling. But we both know that people die, and that odds would have been slight that either of us could have affected this (had I been in, I might have been his First Segreant at this point.)