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US army fires, suspends 14 for allowing murder, sexual assault at Texas base, Internet says ‘shame on Fort Hood’

Fourteen soldiers from Fort Hood base in Texas have been suspended or fired for leadership failures that have resulted in violence within the army base

Fourteen soldiers at Fort Hood have either been suspended or fired after an independent panel’s investigation into problems at the Texas base was conducted. Policy changes to address chronic leadership failures that resulted in violence including murder and sexual assault have been ordered. The investigation panel was set up after a year that saw 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood die due to suicide, homicide, or accidents according to a report in AP. This also includes the death of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old private first class stationed at US Fort Hood Army.

The actions were taken by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy who said that the problems and "issues at Fort Hood are directly related to leadership failures". The investigation panel was launched after Guillen's remains were found. She was reported as missing two months before her remains were found. McCarthy also added that Guillen's murder "shocked our conscience and brought attention to deeper problems" at Fort Hood and in the US Army more widely. The suspect in Guillen's death, Specialist Aaron Robinson, had died by suicide on July 1 even as police were trying to take him into custody. Gen. James McConville, the chief of staff of the Army, also spoke to the reporters and informed that he had got in touch with Guillen’s mother on Tuesday morning and told her, “We are holding leaders accountable, and we will fix this.”

The firings and suspensions announced on Tuesday include army Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt. He was left in charge of the base earlier this year when Guillen was killed, and Maj. Gen. Jeffery Broadwater, commander of the 1st Cavalry Divisions. However, base commander, Army Lt. Gen. Pat White, will not face any administrative action as he was deployed to Iraq for much of the year. 

The news of action taken by the US army has resulted in outrage and shock on social media as users called the suspended and fired soldiers criminals and delinquents. One user wrote, "And how many months did family and social media have to demand an investigation? Shame on Fort Hood and the entire armed forces imo. Reality Winner gets prison and these guys get 'fired' NOT GOOD ENOUGH."

Another user reacted to the news of 14 officers being disciplined and said, "Nah. 14 Fort Hood officers & enlisted being dismissed isn’t enough for what happened to Vanessa Guillen and the 25 other dead soldiers in one year- One of which who’s body they finally found months later while looking for Vanessa! Fort Hood needs fully cleaned out top to bottom." This user then added, "Look..If you live in Texas it’s well-known fact Fort Hood is shady as fuck and has been for years! It isn’t a ‘new’ problem- getting rid of just a handful of officers & enlisted doesn’t cut it for the systematic deep rooted problems that have been festering there for years." 

A few were also happy that someone was held accountable and this one user also tweeted, "The fact that 14 have been fired or suspended following the Fort Hood investigation into Vanessa Guillén’s death is probably one of the best news to end 2020 despite all the craziness that went on this year..."

There was also questions raised about other problems in the US Army and this user tweeted, "Meanwhile #backatbragg 31 reported soldier deaths this year, bottomed out morale in the #82ndairbornedivision and defying of public safety during a worldwide pandemic for a field exercise. But the Army leadership problems only exist at Fort Hood."

Not only Guillen, other soldiers stationed at Fort Hood were also found dead in the last year. This includes the body of Pvt. Mejhor Morta, who was found near a reservoir by the base. Also in June, officials had found the remains of another missing soldier, Gregory Morales, about 10 miles from that lake.