Allegiance United States Name Kevin Tillman Role Baseball Player | Years of service 2002–05 Awards Arthur Ashe Courage Award Rank Specialist | |
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Born January 24, 1978 (age 46)
San Jose, California, U.S. ( 1978-01-24 ) Unit 2nd Ranger Battalion
75th Ranger Regiment Battles/wars 2003 invasion of Iraq
Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan Siblings Pat Tillman, Richard Tillman Parents Patrick Tillman Sr., Mary Tillman Education California Polytechnic State University, Arizona State University Battles and wars 2003 invasion of Iraq, War in Afghanistan Similar People Pat Tillman, Richard Tillman, Jessica Lynch, Amir Bar‑Lev, Mark Monroe | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Kevin Tillman (born January 24, 1978) is a former U.S. Army soldier, an American anti–Iraq War activist, and former Minor League Baseball second baseman. In 2002, Tillman left the Cleveland Indians organization after the September 11 attacks to enlist in the United States Army. With his older brother, former National Football League star Pat Tillman, he completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program in 2002, and they were both assigned to 2nd Battalion—75th Ranger Regiment. 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.
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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.
Baseball career
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.
Military career
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 U.S. 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."
Awards and decorations
Tillman and his brother won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 11th annual ESPY Awards in 2003.
Author
Kevin Tillman has been an outspoken opponent of the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. He has also been promoting the documentary which portrays the U.S. Government cover-up of his brother's death, The Tillman Story.
On October 19, 2006, Tillman wrote a weblog article in memory of his brother that condemns recent American foreign policy.
In late 2008, Tillman published the book The Transparent Pillage.