I will continue spreading her name until she is found and justice is served., Nathalie Ocampo Meda, a member of the Marines, shared that she was sexually harassed and threatened on multiple occasions. Here's What to Know About the Fort Hood Soldier. An independent review following her death found that the command climate at Fort Hood created a permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment." Since the beginning of the year, there have been 12 Fort Hood soldiers who have vanished, died, or, in one case, turned up dead after going missing last year. [Vanessa] was supposed to be safe while working and protecting the country we live in, Lupe Guillen told reporters at a June 23 press conference. Last December, an internal investigation found that Fort Hoods culture, environment, and leadership resulted in women feeling vulnerable and preyed upon, with no reliable recourse for their very real sense of duress. You have reached your limit of free articles. That September, Wedel-Morales, who was from rural Oklahoma, was due to be honorably discharged from the military. Five were murdered. In 2018, a soldier was allegedly shot and killed in her front yard by her husband at Fort Campbell, in Kentucky, which also has one of the highest rates of suicide in the Army. Fort Hood, which is situated in Killeen, Texas, is one of the largest military bases in the country, housing 36,500 soldiers and another 30,000 family members. Guillens youngest sister, Lupe, made me promise to stay at the Marriott, a hotel she considered safer than the rest. And so his disappearance was no surprise, his father told me. Agamemnon demonstrates disrespect, vanity, and other lapses in judgment, the result of which is what clinical psychiatrist Jonathan Shay describes as moral injurya (i) betrayal of whats right, (ii) by someone who holds legitimate authority, (iii) in a high stakes situation. Such moral injury deteriorates social trust, which is then replaced by the settled expectancy of harm, exploitation, and humiliation from others, resulting in despair and violence to self and to others. On June 18, 3rd Cavalry Regiment Commander Col. Ralph Overland announced the start of an investigation into claims that Guillen was sexually harassed before she disappeared. When the chain of command tries to be the one thats involved, its like the police policing itself, said Ordex. In other battles, having lost the use of his arm and later a leg, Hood had to be strapped to a horse for combat. At least nine service members have . The body of Gregory Morales, another soldier who went missing in 2019, was discovered on June 19 in Killeen. We are Vanessa Guilln, thats our story too, it could have easily been any one of us, said Tristeza Ordex, a retired marine corps staff sergeant who helped start the letter along with Pam Campos-Palma, a former intelligence analyst and community organizer. This was true of many I met at Fort Hood, including press officer Major Gabriela Thompson, my tour guide on base, who told me she joined to pay off her student loans: It was my ticket out, she said, echoing other soldiers sentiments about how the military had rescued them from hardscrabble existences. FORT WORTH, Texas One of the fastest-growing cities in North Texas is seeing an unwanted increase in one of its violent crime numbers. Aaron Robinson, who fatally shot himself as police moved to arrest him. Linda Schweers, whose specialist son, Justin, died in a car crash in June while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, wanted me to be careful of cartels, which she said ran the area. The next day, Wedel-Morales failed to show up for duty, and the day after that, he was classified as absent without leave, making him one of the thousand or so soldiers who go AWOL in any given year. Fernandes transferred to another unit where he was called a snitch and worse. Vanessa Guill, Pvt. She was taken to University Hospital San Antonio, where she was pronounced dead around 3 a.m., police said. Mayra Guillen, Vanessas sister, told KPRC that before her disappearance she had been talking about plans for her life. Firefighters discovered Mitchell with multiple gunshot wounds after responding to what they initially thought was a car crash, police said. Mitchell was on holiday leave at the time of her death, LeMaster said. Speier leads the armed services subcommittee on military personnel. From this inauspicious start, Killeen grew into a proper military town and is now home to six strip clubs, 18 pawn shops, 35 dollar stores, and 38 tattoo parlors. Soldiers cannot sue the military for harm, and have little recourse aside from reporting up the chain of command. The Lovell case was ruled an accident despite the fact that a rival clubs biker vest, or kutte, was found hanging neatly from a tree near the crash site, while his motorcyclemirror, taillightswas found intact. (Fort Hood refused all official interview requests for this story, citing ongoing investigations. According to the letter, the subcommittees will jointly investigate if recent deaths may be symptomatic of underlying leadership, discipline and morale deficiencies throughout the chain-of-command. Published: Apr. A lawyer for the Guilln family told the Houston Chronicle that they provided Robinsons name to authorities. Pfc. We send our deepest condolences and prayers to her friends and loved ones, Col. Geoffrey Whittenberg, commander of the division, said in a statement. The numbers are distressing. If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. She had also missed her standing noon call with her fianc, Juan Cruz. She filled out the paperwork that is the lifeblood of the Army before heading toward the arms room, a few paces away. What Vanessa experienced was not an isolated incident, Khawam, the Guillen family attorney, tells TIME. Fort Hood was founded in January 1942 as a training ground for tank destroyers, selected for its varied terrain. Sexual assault in the military has long been an issue. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. On Wednesday, April 22, 2020, Guillen reported for duty at Fort Hood. 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. 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. Also that year, Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach was raped by her superior, which she reported. A spokesman for the Army, Matthew Leonard, confirmed that no other base has ever. Just before noon, Guillen left her keys, Army ID, and bank cards in one arms room and entered another adjacent arms room, separated by a hallway. 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The disappearance and killing of soldier Vanessa Guilln has gripped Texas, and reignited widespread outrage over sexual violence in the US military and the failures of recent reforms to address. There have been several unsolved deaths or disappearances at the base. 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. Before Fort Hood was built, the land was used for grazing by some 3,000 farmers and ranchers, according to Gerald D. Skidmore, a Killeen historian. Later, Robinson would tell investigators that Guillen completed her task and exited the building. Lynch and Speier said they would report the conditions and circumstances that could have contributed to the soldiers deaths and seek justice on behalf of soldiers and families who may have been failed by a military system and culture that was ultimately responsible for their care and protection. At first blush, such violence at a base that calls itself the Great Place may seem extraordinary, inexplicable even. And military leaders have struggled to deal with the culture Jeong says is driving the violence. The 20-year-old soldier said she was being sexually harassed by superiors before her dismembered body was found in Texas. After he returned to Fort Hood, Rodriguez managed to get Casteel on a video call. [2] [3] It was the deadliest mass shooting on an American military base. Eleven of the deaths remain unresolvedsome legally; others for the victims families. And yet: The data is not really out of the ordinary for U.S. military bases. Isaac Aguigui, Sgt. While the bill received bipartisan support, Gillibrand encountered resistance from within her own party. 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. 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. Later, on June 30, contractors working near the river discovered body parts. Authorities determined that the soldier suspected of killing Guilln was Spc. DeSantis Went to DC to Win Support for a Possible Presidential Bid. 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. Robinson himself left soon thereafter, he would testify, to spend the night off post with his girlfriend. Eventually Fernandes rang from the Army hospital. I still live with anxiety and depression every day. Aug 6, 2020. A annual report by the Pentagon revealed that in fiscal year 2019 the Army received 5.5 reports of sexual assault per every 1,000 soldiers, a rate that did not change from the previous year, and doesnt account for those who choose not to report their assaults. No arrests have been made and police are investigating if Mitchell was targeted. Guillns family pushed relentlessly for answers in their search for Vanessa.The family have now renewed their calls to shut down Fort Hood, as well as for a congressional investigation into the base and new legislation to create an independent agency for soldiers to report sexual harassment and violence. The TMPC continues to advocate for Texas' military personnel and installations, while . Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Analysis of phone records and location data place Robinson near Leon River, where human remains were found on June 30, for approximately two hours in the early morning of April 23. Michael Burnett. I guess my point is, Rodriguez told me, if everything was fine, the way Fort Hood officials would lead us to believe, then why would this soldier, out of character, leave base without permission, and [why] did he not feel comfortable enough to call his captain or anyone on that base once he was arrested for speeding? Writer May Jeong told Texas Standard that at least 30 soldiers went missing or killed themselves last year. 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. They are brave soldiers protecting us, and especially now, we need legislation.. A criminal complaint notes that both Robinson and Aguilar had previously been questioned by the CID, but at first denied being involved with Guillens disappearance. Boots and hat at Vanessa Guillens memorial, Killeen TX, Jeffrey Epsteins Decades-Long Relationship. Hazel Buck Blackwell, whose family lost their farm, homestead, barns, orchards, and adjoining land when the base took over, said the closest thing might be the unexpected death of someone you loved very much. It was a heartrending, searing experience, central Texas historian GraDelle Duncan said, leaving lifetime marks on all, and actually killing some from the psychic devastation that followed. Sadly we are all Vanessa Guillen.. It was ruled a suicide until her father noticed her broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, and burns on her genitals. On June 30, a construction crew found shallow graves containing human remains that belonged to Guillen. 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. But when Kim called the police, they dismissed her, telling Kim that her son probably just took off. (Killeen Police stated they have no knowledge of anyone declining to investigate.) "The Iron Eagle team is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and teammate. A Vanity Fair writer says the military has struggled to properly respond to the deaths, leaving grieving families feeling frustrated and forgotten. 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 possible. #TXwx . Pvt Carlton L Chee, 25 and a member of the Navajo Nation, collapsed following a training exercise. Then The Effort Hit A Wall. Officers searched Anthony's car as he was going through a gate to enter Fort . The 2020 murder of Spc. [The families] felt like they were very available to recruit these men. Combat engineer Pvt. On August 11, a higher-up called Fernandess mother, Ailina, to tell her that her son had not shown up for work for two days. Its like a fox in the hen house, Khawam told the Guardian. I could lose everything: Dallas drag performers say Texas bills could impact their jobs, Facebook users can now apply for a portion of a $725 million settlement. Last years murder of Pfc. All rights reserved. In the course of the search for Guilln, investigators also found the remains of another missing Fort Hood soldier, Private Gregory Morales, who disappeared last August, one of several unsolved deaths and disappearances at the base. He told his sister there were three white soldiers who did not like him. On August 28, Chee was called into a training run. Ana Basaldua Ruiz was found dead on Monday at the same military base. Thomas Berg, whose son Private Brandon Rosecranss Jeep was found burning in May, told me not to go out after dark. There were no Black residents in town until the early 1950s. Barely a week later, Private Corlton Chee, 25, died during training. (On July 14, 2020, a federal grand injury indicted Aguilar on one count of conspiracy and two counts of tampering with evidence. And I think its just the confluence of these factors that is intersecting in this spectacularly terrible way.. An independent group of investigators from the U.S. Army will be probing the rise of serious crimes at Fort Hood, Texas, involving the military base's soldiers. She did not enter a plea. Dont they care as to what happened to Elder Fernandes? On August 25, a rail worker in Temple, Texas, 26 miles east of Fort Hood, saw a body hanging from a tree across from a burned-out warehouse near the tracks. It is situated on 340 square. THE MURDERS AT FORT HOOD. Her remains were found in late June 2020. That is the opposite of what hes been consistently saying.. The dollhouse, strip club Gregory Wedel Morales frequented, Killeen Tx. He died the evening of September 2. During the day, though, it was still hot enough that if you dropped a beer bottle, the contents appeared to dry on contact. One even made chief. Vanessa Guillen, who died by suspected homicide. Staff Sergeant Devin Schuette was found dead in his pickup truck, fitted with a hose running from the exhaust pipe to the cabin, in January 2016. Guillen was last seen on April 22. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The new family, like more than 70 percent of all Fort Hood service members, lived off post, but after two dead bodies were found on their street, they moved into base housing. No skid marks were apparent, nor did anyone hear the crash. These figures eclipse American casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq in the same year. For the Army to say no foul play would also indicate a tone deafness to the concerns of the father and the mother of Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz who stated that she had been the target of alleged sexual harassment repeated and consistent sexual harassment by other service members up to and including an immediate superior to who she reported, David Cruz, the Communications Director of LULAC, said. Darlene Krashoc Sexually Assaulted, Murdered, and Dumped in Parking Lot in Colorado Springs; DNA Match Leads to Arrest of Michael Whyte (March 17, 1987) Captain Gordon Hess, U.S. Army Army Captain Gordon Hess Found Stabbed to Death at Fort Knox in Kentucky, Military Investigators Ruled Suicide Despite the 26 Stab Wounds to Neck & Chest Area (1998) The US army is assembling a civilian review panel of consultants to review the command climate and culture at Fort Hood, the army secretary, Ryan McCarthy, announced last week. Protesters gather at a march and vigil for Vanessa Guillen on 12 July in Austin, Texas. Graham was a human resources specialist who was stationed at Fort Bliss in December after completing basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, officials said. 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. Vanessa Guillen is painted on 14th Street NW in Washington July 13. Is it possible Elder killed himself? The Fort Worth Lockheed Martin plant is adjacent to the military base, where the company assembles and tests the F-35. On April 29, it was Private Joshua Barnwell, 19. A second suspect, Cecily Aguilar, 22, was charged on July 2 with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. The 2020 numbers add to ongoing mysteries, including a 2016 case where a corpses hyoid, the U-shaped neck bone typically examined to determine whether strangulation has occurred, was missing. Herdeath also inspired legal reforms to help and protect victims of sexual assault in the military. Private Morta died on. A recent story in Vanity Fair explores how murders like Guillns, as well as suicides, arent rare on American military bases. 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. They lied to us since day one, Mayra Guilln, Vanessas sister, said in an anguished press conference last week. The young couple, Georgia state prosecutors charged, was killed by Pvt. There was a deep cut above his left eye, and cuts all over his legs. Since being stationed at Fort Hood in November 2016, Wedel-Morales had frequented the Dollhouse, a strip club not far from where his remains would eventually be found. Casteel had told Rodriguez he was getting away from the abuse.. In 2015, a sergeant with the bases sexual assault reporting unit which Guilln would have reported to had she lodged a complaint pleaded guilty to running a prostitution ring with vulnerable young soldiers. If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. 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.
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