Pat Tillman left his career with the Arizona Cardinals and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in response to the September 11th attacks. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and subsequent death, were the subject of much controversy. Tillman joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the mountains of Afghanistan. Initially, the Army reported that Tillman had gunned down by enemy forces. But the truth would be revealed later, when the Pentagon informed the Tillman family that he had been killed as a result of friendly fire. Controversy raged as the military was criticized for delaying the disclosure for weeks after Tillman's memorial in order to save face for the U.S. Army.