Kevin Tillman is an American anti–Iraq War activist, a former United States. Army soldier and former Minor League Baseball second baseman.
Education
Tillman attended and played baseball at Arizona State University before transferring to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo where he also played Division I baseball and led the Mustangs in hits and on-base percentage during the 2001 season.
Career
In 2002, Tillman left the Cleveland Indians organization after the September 11 attacks to enlist in the United States Army. Kevin and Pat Tillman were deployed to the Middle East together as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2004, Pat was killed in combat while in Spera, Afghanistan by friendly fire.
Tillman was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 31st round of the June 1999 MLB Amateur Draft.
Prior to enlisting, he played just one season (2001) with the Burlington Indians and the Akron Aeros in the Cleveland Indians farm system. Tillman and his more well-known brother, Pat (a then-current NFL player), enlisted together on May 31, 2002, completed training and selection for the elite United States Army Rangers in late 2002, and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington.
Both Pat and Kevin Tillman were deployed to South West Asia as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In late 2004, Tillman graduated from Sniper School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
In July 2005, fulfilling his 3-year enlistment, Tillman was honorably discharged from the army.
On April 24, 2007, Pete Geren, acting United States. Secretary of the Army stated "We as an army failed in our duty to the Tillman family, the duty we owe to all the families of our fallen soldiers: Give them the truth, the best we know it, as fast as we can." "We believe this narrative was intended to deceive the family but more importantly the American public." "The deception surrounding this case was an insult to the family: but more importantly, its primary purpose was to deceive a whole nation. We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Once again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise.".
Views
Quotations:
"We believe this narrative was intended to deceive the family but more importantly the American public."
"The deception surrounding this case was an insult to the family: but more importantly, its primary purpose was to deceive a whole nation. We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Once again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise.".