Review Finds Army Mishandled Friendly-Fire Case

The report also exposed a casualty reporting system marred by gaps and inconsistencies. The Buryj case, along with others, prompted major changes in the way the Army notifies families of war casualties. Those new policies were put into effect in April, three months after Buryj's story was reported publicly and after the secretary of the Army asked for a review.

Col. Patrick Gawkins, director of the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center, said mistakes in the case "prevented a more timely, accurate notification" of the family. He noted that the complexity of the situation added to the confusion and that a vast majority of cases are reported correctly.

"Providing accurate casualty circumstances when you are attempting to rapidly notify a family of a loss is an extremely challenging task," Gawkins said. "We have continued to improve all aspects of casualty support because this is precisely what we owe our fallen soldiers and our families. We have definitely analyzed the Buryj case and other publicized cases to identify problems and fix the system."

Typically, casualty officials in the United States track such deaths via medical records, investigative reports and official notifications from the field. Though Army officials claimed to have notified the family about the nature of Buryj's death not long after it occurred, there are no records of such a conversation, according to the report. Incorrect medical records led to incorrect entries in Buryj's casualty report, which in turn led to incorrect information getting to the family.

"The casualty reporting in the PFC Buryj case was often inaccurate and untimely," leading to errors and delays, according to the inspector general's report.

One of the delays that particularly bothers Peggy Buryj concerns the final investigative report, which places responsibility on the Polish troops. It was completed by Multi-National Corps-Iraq on Sept. 6, 2004, 124 days after the incident. It was then forwarded to the U.S. Central Command weeks before the U.S. elections but stayed there until Feb. 18, 2005 -- a total of 165 additional days.

Polish officials have repeatedly disputed the U.S. findings, saying their troops were not responsible for Buryj's death. The inspector general found that U.S. criminal investigative agents were aware of the international sensitivities and the fact that the loose military coalition was losing members at the time.

Peggy Buryj said she is resigned to the idea that she may never know what happened to her son.

"I feel like I gave them my son and they've done nothing but dishonor him," she said.