Army general criticized by vets for saying he’ll mourn soldier instead of Kobe Bryant

Veterans criticized an U.S. Army general for tweets about mourning a soldier instead of basketball star Kobe Bryant, saying his posts were “unprofessional” and “unbecoming.”

Bryant was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in California along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. Maj. Gen. John Evans acknowledged the death on Twitter Monday, saying that “lots of people are mourning a basketball star.”

He continued, “I think I’ll use my energy to remember SPC Moore and his Family.”

His post referred to 22-year-old Spc. Antonio Moore of Wilmington, N.C., who was killed in a vehicle crash in Syria Friday, according to the ArmyTimes.

Phillip Carter, Army veteran and researcher for the nonprofit RAND Corporation, joined a growing chorus of criticism to Evans’ tweet, saying that it was “not a healthy look for civil-military relations.”

“The military does not have a monopoly on suffering or death,” he said.

Retired Army officer and entrepreneur Fred Wellman echoed Carter, saying the post was “unprofessional and beneath us.”

“If you don’t understand the need for people to express sorrow at any death than you have no place leading my kids,” he said on Twitter.

Evans doubled down on his original post, saying that his detractors made his case for him.

“No one life is any more important than another - regardless the celebrity,” he wrote.

In a statement to McClatchy News Monday afternoon, Evans said Army Cadet Command sends its condolences “to all the grieving families.” He continued, saying that since people tend to connect to celebrities more, there is a tendency to “forget about others who are just as important.”

“There was no disrespect meant towards the families of the nine that were lost,” he said.

This story was originally published January 27, 2020 at 1:03 PM.