Fort Hood Officers Fired, Suspended Following Dozens of Deaths, US Army Orders Policy Changes

March For Vanessa Guillen Demands Investigation Into Soldier's Murder

(Photo : Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 30: Family, friends and supporters of murdered U.S. Army Private First Class Vanessa Guillen rally on the National Mall to call for justice and for Congress to investigate her death July 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. Guillen went missing from her post at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22 but her remains were not discovered until June 30. A fellow soldier, Aaron David Robinson, was the main suspect in Guillen's murder and shot himself to death as he was approached by police.

Due to the chronic failures of leadership which contributed to the widespread pattern of violence which includes sexual assault, murder, and harassment, the United States Army has fired or suspended not only 14 officers and but also enlisted soldiers at its Fort Hood, Texas base and ordered policy changes.

Ryan McCarthy, the Army Secretary, in a sweeping condemnation of command hierarchy at Fort Hood, fired three top commanders and suspended two others while pending a further investigation.

McCarthy also ordered a separate investigation regarding staffing and the Criminal Investigation Command unit's procedures at the base, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood.

The said actions came a year after they saw at least 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood died because of homicide, accidents, and even suicide, which includes the bludgeoning death of Vanessa Guillen, who is a young soldier that went missing for around two months until her remains were discovered.

According to New York Times, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives armed services committee held a hearing on Wednesday wherein testimony coming from the panel of investigators that examined the deaths of Fort hood can be heard, also the culture that prevailed at the time a spate of crimes and suicides in the area, as aa part of a congressional investigation.

McCarthy shared based on an independent review of the panel, as he spoke to reporters at the Pentagon, he concluded that the issues at Fort Hood, which involves major flaws in the response regarding harassment and sexual assault can be considered directly related to failures in leadership.

He also added that he was disappointed about the actions that have made and not been made by the commanders there as for him it clearly shows no leadership, and systems do not matter.

The chief of staff of the army, Gen. James McConville shared to the reporters that he spoke to the mother of Guillen on Tuesday morning and told her that they are holding leaders accountable and they will make sure to fix it, Texas Tribune reported.

The mother of Vanessa, Gloria Guillen stated during an emotional press conference in Houston that she was able to have a conversation with McCarthy and she was told by the Army Secretary that the administrative actions were a step in the right direction, however, she wanted to see those who had failed her daughter serve jail time.

Guillen shared in Spanish through tears that nothing is going to take away the pain I feel like her mother all day and all night.

The attorney of Guillen's, Natalie Khawam, mentioned that the CID or the Criminal Investigation Command officers were among those who were fired or suspended on Tuesday.

The panel also found that Fort Hood was used as a training ground for new officers of the CID and there were a lot of turnovers and many of the officers were over-assigned and inexperienced.

McCarthy also ordered a new army policy which changes how commanders deal with their soldiers went missing, the panel found that there were no detailed procedures for what commanders of small units should do if a soldier is missing, but not necessarily awol, or absent without leave, The Guardian reported.