On November 5, 2009, a mass shooting took place at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. And necessarily there are additional pressures on these people with economic, or if theyre soldiers of color, then obviously race is a component as well. None of the messages added up, nor were they how he usually speaks to me, Rodriguez told me. It was ruled a suicide until her father noticed her broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, and burns on her genitals. THE MURDERS AT FORT HOOD | Vanity Fair | July/August 2021 It did make me wary of going out at night, for example, Jeong said. Speier leads the armed services subcommittee on military personnel. They are part of Killeens population of 151,000, many transient and very young, two thirds of whom have military ties. The enduring missions, beneficial partnerships, and promising outlook validate each installation's vital role in our nation's defense. 'We are Vanessa Guilln': killing puts sexual violence in US military A soft October wind carried the first chill of the season. Guillen's case sparked national attention after she was allegedly murdered by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood in Texas in April, then dismembered and her remains dumped. Five were murdered. Two months later, partial human remains were found along the Leon River in Belton and were identified as those of Guilln. Site Gregory Wedel-Morales' remains were found in Killeen, Texas. Guillens case sparked national attention after she was allegedly murdered by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood in Texas in April, then dismembered and her remains dumped. One of the first times she stepped onto the base, a rosary she had been carrying in the palm of her hand tore apart, its beads scattering over the concrete ground. The suicides, which reportedly jumped by as much as 20 percent across the military last year, work out to a rate of one soldier a month. Khawam, is also collecting testimony from women in the military who wish to share their stories of sexual assault and harassment. Two witnesses had seen Robinson roll a black cargo box out of the arms room and through the parking lot, where he loaded it into his car and drove away, contradicting an earlier affidavit from three soldiers who falsely claimed they had seen Guillen departing the arms room earlier. From Ron DeSantiss plan to severely target undocumented immigrants to mounting calls to bomb Mexico over drug cartels, the GOPs 2024 message on the border is coming into clearer focus. Guillen was last seen on April 22 in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, at the Fort Hood military base wearing a black shirt and purple fitness pants, according to a public statement by Fort Hood. If theres not actual accountability for those actions, then the fact that things have changed a little bit on the books doesnt change the culture at all, said attorney Sara Darehshori, a principal at Vestry Laight who wrote two reports on retaliation for sexual assault crimes in the military while senior counsel at Human Rights Watch. Vanessa Guillen's Remains Identified: What We Know So Far | Time Congress launches investigation after 28 soldiers die at Texas army She was assigned to the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade, also known as the Iron Eagle team. 27, 2023 at 2:33 PM PDT. Had anyone helped Robinson clean up Guillens murder in those 40 minutes? On May 11, however, Fernandes reported to Fort Hood abusive sexual contact from a staff sergeant, whom he alleged groped him in a supply room, according to the redacted military investigation report. Then The Effort Hit A Wall. Fort Hood is a sprawling base of nearly 215,000 acres, or 340sq miles, founded in 1942 in mid-Texas, between Austin and Dallas. Its like a fox in the hen house, Khawam told the Guardian. But then certain details start illuminating the mystery: that one out of three women soldiers have experienced sexual harassment, according to a recent survey. The base might have continued to devour its soldiers had it not been for a missing soldiers family whose rage, love, and devotion would attract the attention of the media, celebrities, and later the White House, sparking congressional and military investigations. When Ailina offered the Fort Hood authorities the contents of her sons car, including a laptop, iPad, and external hard drive, they declined to investigate further. He had then driven the body to the Leon River and had come back to pick Aguilar up from the gas station where she worked on Veterans Memorial Boulevard, five miles east of Fort Hood. Guilln was not the only soldier to disappear or die at Fort Hood in 2020. All rights reserved. Three weeks before her disappearance, Vanessa Guillen told her mother that she was being sexually harassed and followed by an Army sergeant, but was afraid to report him, according to the Guillen family who made a website to coordinate their search. The tributaries that run through Fort Hood flow into the Leon River, where Guillens remains were later found. It is also one of a number of US military bases named for leaders or generals of the Confederacy, which fought and lost the civil war between 1861 and 1865 in an attempt to maintain slavery. So much for Abbott's obsession with law and order., Secretary of State Blinken Says Detention of WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich Is Unacceptable, President Biden also demanded release of journalist from Russian custody on Saturday: let him go., Republicans Border Policy Has Apparently Escalated From Build the Wall to Invade Mexico. We are deeply saddened by the loss of PV2 Ana Basaldua Ruiz, and we extend our sympathies to her father, mother, and her sister, said Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, commander of the 91st Engineer Battalion. A Fort Bragg soldier, found with white supremacist literature and paraphernalia, pleaded guilty this week to having an unregistered "ghost gun," federal prosecutors say. The police too told Ailina that Fernandes was an adult and that they would not report him as missing. ), Wedel-Moraless death was not the first from the base that may have involved bike gangs. When Kim called Fort Hood inquiring after her son, she was told the case was the remit of the Killeen Police Department as Wedel-Morales had gone missing off base. She has become that complicated, indelible thing: a hero. When Ailina contacted the military police at Fort Hood, they told her that Fernandes was an adult, and that if he was missing, he likely didnt want to be found. According to the criminal complaint, two witnesses interviewed on May 18 told CID that they saw Robinson on April 22 pulling a large tough box, with wheels, that appeared very heavy in weight, coming out the arms room where he worked. 10 Unsolved Military Cases | MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL Vanessa Guilln's family demands more change one year after her murder Ana Basaldua Ruiz was found dead on Monday at the same military base. Inside the Rash of Unexplained Deaths at Fort Hood | Vanity Fair Hood was an unsuccessful battle commander; 400 men of his Texas Brigade died in a single fight, some would argue through incautious direction. According to the letter, during an August visit to Texas McCarthy stated that Fort Hood had the highest, the most cases for sexual assault and harassment and murders for our entire formation of the US army. Aug 6, 2020. He had also gotten married without telling his family, been evicted from his apartment, and stopped showing up to work. Mitchell, a drill sergeant assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Center for Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, was shot to death around 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day while driving on Interstate 10 in San Antonio, according to the San Antonio Police Department. On my very first deployment, new girl, fresh meat. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts and Jackie Speier of California, both Democrats, sent a letter to the army secretary, Ryan McCarthy, requesting documents and information on the deaths. Natalie Khawam, who represents the Guilln family, said she is thankful Congress has agreed to their demands to investigate. While the bill received bipartisan support, Gillibrand encountered resistance from within her own party. She did not enter a plea. The Dallas Police Department has identified two suspects who are wanted in a shooting in June 2022 . Even then, it was she who had to scare up the $3,500 in bail money, and after Fort Hood sent two officers to pick up Casteel, officials refused to share information with Rodriguez. The numbers are distressing. Specialist Guillen's family has raised. Aguilar appeared in court earlier this month but did not make any statement other than to acknowledge the charges against her. Dominic Criqui, who served in Vanessa Guillens unit, says that the training had come to feel stupid and pointless. What on earth are you training for? he asks, then answers. Michael Burnett. A few hours later, Robinson, who had mostly been playing video games, escaped Fort Hood by car. Morales was reported missing in August 2019. The members of Congress cited the deaths of Spc Vanessa Guilln, who according to federal officials was bludgeoned to death at the Texas base in April by a fellow soldier, and Pvt Gregory Morales, whose remains were found in June during the search for Guilln. Fort Carson in Colorado had 18 such deaths in 2020. Fort Hood might not even stand out were it not for a particularly bad year among many. A History of Shootings at Military Installations in the U.S. Later came Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese, who still run sushi and pho restaurants in Killeen. She had also missed her standing noon call with her fianc, Juan Cruz. A body believed to be the missing 23-year-old soldier was discovered hanging from a tree Aug. 25 in Temple, about 30 miles from the base. On August 13, Staff Sergeant Bradley Moore died during a land navigation exercise on the base. Fort Bragg Murders: String of Violent Deaths at U.S. Military Base Vanessa Guillen, addresses the crowd outside the gates of Fort Hood military base in Killeen, Texas on June 12, 2020. Robinson himself left soon thereafter, he would testify, to spend the night off post with his girlfriend. There have been several unsolved deaths or disappearances at the base. John Bennett was hanged for the rape and attempted murder of a young Austrian girl after spending six years on death row. He died in 1879, leaving a troubled legacy that is only now beginning to be questioned. Killeen was named after another disappointing man: Frank Killeen, an assistant general manager to the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway. Is it possible Elder killed himself? Last December, a Special Forces soldier and an Army veteran were found dead at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where another soldier disappeared in May and was later found murdered. (He was found a day later.) The Department of Justice released a criminal complaint alleging that Robinson had murdered Guilln at the base, then dismembered and buried her body near the Leon River, with Aguilars help. 2 U.S. Army helicopters crash in Alaska, killing 3 soldiers "Her loss is felt not just in our formations but across the Army. Several other investigations into conduct at Food Hood are also under way, including one examining the allegations that Guilln was sexually harassed, and another on the support given to those who report sexual harassment and sexual assault. A female soldier died earlier this week at Fort Hood, the same Army base in Texas where Vanessa Guilln was murdered three years ago, officials said. Its cultivated in that place.. Here's What to Know About the Fort Hood Soldier. Who were the soldiers who had testified to seeing Guillen leave the arms room the day she disappeared? We need a neutral agency, to oversee claims of sexual harassment and assault, Khawam says, one with no stake in the game., I joined the Navy at 19. Basic details of the incident kept changing. On July 2, Robinson was identified as the soldier in question. His body was mostly intact but for his hyoid, which was never found. Officials did not reveal how she died but said an investigation is underway into the circumstances. A mural in Austin in remembrance of Fort Hood Army Spc. Courtesy: Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives File photo. As soon as I get out of the hospital, I will call you. Rodriguez disputes this claim. The small Texas frontier town was also a hotbed of Klan activity, according to Texas historian Gene Preuss of the University of Houston, so much so that when trains stopped in Killeen, Black passengersrelegated to colored carsknew to pull down their window shades to avoid a pelting with rocks by locals. The 20-year-old small arms specialist, then a private first class, was supposed to be off that day, so she showed up in civilian clothesblack tee, purple leggings, and a fanny pack. And what ended up happening is that this amazing and beautiful family gave this beautiful girl to this country, and they chewed her up and spit her out like she was garbage., Military sexual assaults jump by 37%, anonymous survey shows, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The plan, Wedel-Morales told anyone who would listen, was to use the G.I. On the night of August 19, Wedel-Morales went out to Club Fuego, located in a desolate strip mall about 10 miles east of Fort Hood. No skid marks were apparent, nor did anyone hear the crash. We send our deepest condolences and prayers to her friends and loved ones, Col. Geoffrey Whittenberg, commander of the division, said in a statement. One of the largest military bases in the world, Fort Hood has been criticized for failing to protect soldiers in the past. The corpse had been dead for a while, though it was impossible to determine exactly how long. There are currently four inmates awaiting execution at Leavenworth, but these four will not face the gallows. More 4,000 women and non-binary veterans and active duty members have signed a petition directed at the leaders of Department of Defense and congressional leadership supporting the familys calls. More than 2,200 trials over land rights commenced. [5] (There was also literal toxicity on base in that some of the mold-infested barracks where soldiers lived were technically condemned, according to Maureen Elliott, a military spouse and a housing advocate.). Deaths of 2 female Army soldiers probed in Texas, 1 fatally shot on Ana Basaldua Ruiz no foul play is evident, and will remain under investigation.. (The Boley case remains unsolved.) On July 1, Fort Hood officials announced that the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and other law enforcement were attempting to locate a junior soldier from Fort Hood who fled the post late on June 30. If she wanted to pursue things further, they advised, she would have to file a missing persons report with the local police. Her story led to another social media campaign with survivors of sexual abuse and harassment in the military sharing their stories online using the #IAmVanessaGuilln hashtag and demanding change. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Ive been in places that are nominally deemed unsafe, and Killeen just had a bit of a vibe, to use an unscientific term. We believe that Vanessa told him that she was reporting him, and thats why he bludgeoned her, said the Guilln family attorney, Natalie Khawam. After a chase along Rancier Avenue, the same street near which Lovell was found dead, Robinson shot himself and died. Congressional investigation opened into deaths of 27 soldiers this year The base said the chain of command is in contact with Basaldua Ruizs family and providing support and resources to her family and those who worked with her. There had been a few people, then it was a group run of 11. Soldiers cannot sue the military for harm, and have little recourse aside from reporting up the chain of command. November 2009: Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan carried out the largest mass murder at a military installation in American history, opening fire on dozens of unarmed soldiers at a medical deployment. A sergeant from Guillens division called it mandatory fun days. The additional scrutinythe congressional delegation visit, press toursmeant that soldiers had to work harder. From here, wars are launched. Thirteen killed themselves. Later the same day, at 8:30 p.m., Aaron Robinsons girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, changed her story and told Army investigators that Robinson had confessed to her that he killed Guillen in the arms room, beating her to death with a hammer. Several investigations sparked by Guilln's death led to the removal of 14 base leaders in December 2020. By then, the Army, it seemed, had stopped providing Wedel-Morales with a sense of purpose, and he had turned to alternate sources of meaning, namely car and motorcycle clubs, and life beyond the base. The dollhouse, strip club Gregory Wedel Morales frequented, Killeen Tx. The Top 10 Most Safe & Least Safe Military Towns for Families About one in three service members report sexual assault, according to the defense departments sexual assault prevention and response office, which was established in 2005. Fernandes transferred to another unit where he was called a snitch and worse. Amarillo Was Vaccinating People At Double The States Pace. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Traveling in the time of plague, trying to build rapport with people from six feet away, was enervating. This negates civic participation, as the state no longer needs to collect taxes and thus stops serving the people, who in turn have no need to pressure the government for anythingthe very dynamic that continues to play out in oil-rich Gulf states. The stories are gruesome, then heartbreaking, then beyond belief. Guillen did not disclose the name of the alleged perpetrator to her mother who suggested she would report the man on her daughters behalf. Her ID, car key, room key and wallet were all found in the army barrack where she had been working earlier in the day. Washington CNN The Army announced Tuesday that 14 senior officers will be punished following a probe that was initiated after the murder of a soldier and several other deaths at the Army's. A woman who was the only person charged in the 2020 killing pleaded guilty on Tuesday to four counts including accessory to murder after the fact. T. Cullen Davis - Wikipedia I lived in Afghanistan for four-and-a-half years. American military bases, once established, seldom shutter, and Fort Hood, which started operating during World War II, has remained open for business, its 218,000 acres spreading across two. These figures eclipse American casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq in the same year. Magazines, Digital However, efforts to pass legislation reforming military justice faltered over a debate about commanders roles in prosecuting sexual assault. Key parts of theI Am Vanessa Guillen Actbecame lawin December 2021, includingcriminalizing sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, improving how certain officials respond to sex-related offenses through independent investigations, and removing the decision to prosecute sexual misconduct cases from service members chains of command.
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