Who is Scott Efflandt, the Fort Hood Commander who was removed after 15 soldiers from army base vanished or died?
The troubled Fort Hood has made the headlines yet again and this time, it is over the removal of its commander in the wake of the deaths or disappearances of at least 15 soldiers at the Texas army base. It appears Major General Scott Efflandt, the deputy commander of III Corps at Fort Hood, has also been delayed from moving on to his next assignment at Fort Bliss following the command review which was spurred by the alleged killing of Spc Vanessa Guillen in April.
Paul Boyce, spokesperson for US Forces Command, told Task & Purpose that Efflandt “will remain in command at Fort Hood to continue leading the Fort Hood community during the ongoing independent review of the command climate there.”
In April, the Army declared that Efflandt would take command of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss near El Paso. But in July end, the 1st Armored Division welcomed its new commanding general in Brig Gen Matthew Eichburg.
Who is Scott Efflandt?
Efflandt, who grew up in Rock Island, Illinois and served as the Deputy Division Commander for Maneuver in the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to the post of major general in May last year. He led a variety of key initiatives at II Corps as a deputy commanding general, including reforming ways in which soldiers are educated and how units are organized for cavalry missions.
Efflandt has worked in armor and cavalry posts in the US, Europe and the Middle East and his operational experience features diverse skills, from leadership and command positions from platoon through division. Efflandt received an Army commission in 1985 from Marion Military Institute, Alabama, as a Distinguished Military Graduate. For the next two years, he served as an Infantry Platoon Leader with the 3rd Battalion and 130th Infantry in the Illinois Army National Guard. After receiving a Regular Army commission in 1987, he joined active duty as an Armor Officer. Efflandt has also served as a faculty at the United States Military Academy in the department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership; faculty of Joint Operations at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.; Army office of Congressional Liaison, Washington DC and executive officer to the commanders of both TRADOC and FORSCOM. Efflandt was married to Ann Marie Pycz for more than three decades, but she passed away in March last year. Efflandt’s various awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Bronze Star Medals and six Legions of Merit. He was once called a “visionary leader” who “cared greatly about Soldiers and military Families” by Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, III Corps commanding general.
However, it did not end well for Efflandt.
On Tuesday, September 1, senior service officials in the Army told the media that a new general has been asked to take over as the acting command of Fort Hood, which has made the headlines for all wrong reasons in recent months, Army Times reported. A series of violent deaths and the disappearance of soldiers stationed at the facility have snowballed into a major controversy.
Maj Gen John B Richardson IV will become the base’s acting senior commander of Fort Hood and the deputy commanding general for operations of III Corps, starting Wednesday, September 2. Efflandt will remain at Fort Hood for the time being and serve as the deputy commanding general, reported NBC News. Richardson has recently served as FORSCOM’s director of operations and was selected by the Department of the Army in March this year to serve as the next deputy commanding general of III Corps.
New in-depth probe into look into command actions after Guillen death
According to the report, Army Futures Commander chief Gen John Murray will also lead an in-depth probe into the actions undertaken by the post’s chain of command following the disappearance of Guillen who prosecutors later said was murdered and dismembered by a fellow soldier. In June, remains of the 20-year-old woman were found along the Leon River and following that Aaron David Robinson, who was accused of killing her, fled and fatally shot himself when law-enforcement tried to catch him.
Guillen’s family alleged that she was sexually harassed by the soldier accused of killing her but the Army said there was no evidence to support that. An investigation is underway.
Gen Michael Garrett, the commanding general of US Forces Command, will appoint Murray. Murray’s investigation will be separate from an independent review of the army base which started in August and is zeroing on the command climate and the nearby city of Killeen. Murray’s probe will have “a comprehensive look at everything” including the command’s actions following Guillen’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her remains, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy informed.
Army Chief of Staff General James McConville said the probe will look into “every action among senior leaders at the post”.