Operation Truth; Family seeks answers in killing of son.

• Author: Fortier, Bill
• Position: Local

Byline: Bill Fortier

Maj. David L. Brodeur's brilliance as a U.S. Air Force pilot ended in a burst of gunfire in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011, when an Afghan Air Force colonel fired at least 30 shots from an automatic handgun, killing the major, seven American servicemen and a Department of Defense contractor.

Since that bloody morning, Maj. Brodeur's father, Lawrence A. Brodeur of Sutton, has been determined to find the truth about what happened, and why.

But classified documents from military investigations will not be declassified until 2038, and gnawing questions persist about whether the shooter acted alone and what motivated his murderous madness.

Although reports documenting the investigation don't say it, Mr. Brodeur, a man who carefully measures his words, said he believes strongly that his son and the eight other Americans were killed that day by 46-year-old Col. Ahmed Gul because the American team was working on measures that would cut down on profits made by Afghan officers in a criminal patronage network within the Afghan military.

The attack came in the Air Command and Control Center at Kabul International Airport. It is believed to be the deadliest single attack involving U.S. Air Force personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the gunfire began, the 34-year-old major was engaged in daily activities, talking to an Afghan Air Force captain.

Maj. Brodeur was shot first in the neck and twice more, according to reports. According to his family and diagrams provided by the military, instead of fleeing through a nearby door, Maj. Brodeur moved nearly 20 feet toward the killer, who died minutes after being shot by Air Force Capt. Nathan Nylander. Capt. Nylander also died in the gunfire.

The diagrams are not part of any official military report, and Maj. Brodeur's father, a Worcester lawyer, said he still hasn't gotten a satisfactory answer as to why they have not been included.

He acknowledged that while the movements most likely aren't that important to what happened that day, they are of utmost importance to the Brodeur family.

He said reports by flight surgeons say that Maj. Brodeur's efforts are what could be expected by a strong, physically fit fighter pilot trained to make split-second decisions under extreme duress -- in this case, a volley of about 30 shots in 10 seconds.

"It is one thing to have your life taken, and it is another to give your life,'' the father said. "That is a very important distinction for a parent.''

In an email responding to a reporter's questions, Lt. Col. Steve Wollman, spokesman for Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said, "It is not uncommon for certain documents (such as diagrams) to be disclosed to interested parties but not deemed appropriate for release to the public -- especially those which might compromise operational security.

"Due to the nature of Maj. Brodeur's fatal...