SAN FRANCISCO – The Army has begun a review of casualty reports on American soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere since 2001, a response to complaints that it has not always given families accurate information.
The review covers hundreds of casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom — the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, two senior military officials said. It also includes American soldiers killed in neighboring countries in support of the two operations.
In coming weeks, the Army will issue a directive formalizing the review, according to two military officials. One spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because officers at the highest levels of the Army are still making minor changes. The other described the initiative in memos obtained by The Associated Press.
The review follows high-profile mistakes in informing families of the circumstances of soldiers' deaths.
The best-known is that of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the one-time NFL star who quit football to join the U.S. Army Rangers and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004. Tillman's family was originally told he had been killed by enemy fire.
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