The Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy, announced on Tuesday the firing or suspension of 14 officers from Fort Hood as a result of the independent investigation into the failures in the procedures to deal with complaints of sexual harassment, murders and suicides at the Texas base. that came to light after the murder of the Latin soldier Vanessa Guillén.
"The problems at Fort Hood have to do with a lack of leadership, I am deeply disappointed by that lack of leadership, they did not act when allegations of assault and sexual abuse were reported," McCarthy lamented.
The firings and suspensions include Army Major General Scott Efflandt, in charge of the base when Guillén was killed, as well as Jeffery Broadwater, commander of the First Cavalry Division.
These administrative actions can trigger another series of investigations and more sanctions, from a simple warning letter to a military discharge.
The base commander, Lt. Gen. Pat White, will not face any administrative action.
He was sent to Iraq for much of the year.
In recent months, the Pentagon has questioned whether there is a toxic environment at the base and has pledged to purge responsibilities.
Major General John B. Richardson, who has overseen Fort Hood since September, shared some of the findings of that report in advance in an interview with Noticias Telemundo Investiga.
Richardson admitted problems at the largest military base in the country.
"Soldiers
did not feel comfortable approaching their superiors to report sexual harassment or abuse
, because they did not trust that their superiors would take any action or hold other leaders accountable," said the senior.
At least 26 Fort Hood soldiers died in the first eight months of the year, according to military statistics.
The Army recognizes that Fort Hood has one of the highest murder and sexual assault rates in the nation.
Richardson avoided providing answers on the dozens of violent deaths, suicides and disappearances in recent years, but linked crime and sexual harassment to "a lack of trust between soldiers and leaders."
The distrust of the soldiers, he indicated,
is a consequence of "20 years of war" in the Middle East
, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC In his opinion, the high ranks forgot the care of their subordinates because they had more pressing priorities.
[They identify the soldier linked to the case of Vanessa Guillén who committed suicide: the Army insists that it is not related to her disappearance]
A crime that started louder complaints
Suspicion of sexual harassment hovers over the crime against Vanessa Guillén, who at only 20 years of age was murdered, dismembered, burned and buried near a river in the area.
Her family says the soldier was honest with her mother and her friends.
He revealed to them that he was the victim of sexual harassment, but never dared to report it.
The young woman believed that she was only going to complicate her existence at the base, her mother, Gloria Guillén, told Noticias Telemundo.
"The Fort Hood base is hellish," says Vanessa Guillén's mother, who continues to demand justice for her daughter
Sept.
17, 202000: 50
After initially denying it, the Army neither confirms nor denies that Guillén was being harassed.
He alleges that he is part of the criminal investigation.
But much of the action he has taken after the crime is aimed at curbing sexual harassment and abuse.
A bill with his name seeks to pass in Congress to better protect victims within the Army.
And the mailboxes of the Guillén family have received hundreds of messages that assure that this is not an isolated and individual problem suffered by the older sister of the house.
The fear of reporting abuse
Major General Richardson acknowledged that soldiers can distrust their leaders and insists they have avenues to report such "corrosive" problems as sexual harassment and abuse.
Every unit at Fort Hood
now has "victim advocates," he
explained, and defines them as "individuals who are specially trained to provide initial care, who know where to take the victim immediately."
In turn, it ensures that, as an alternative, there are more anonymous communication channels within the Army.
The family of Vanessa Guillén, the murdered Latina soldier, visits the Fort Hood military base in Texas
Nov. 11, 202000: 26
Among the measures taken at Fort Hood, Richardson says that "it will no longer be assumed that the soldier left intentionally but that,
until proven otherwise, they are unintentionally missing
."
That happened to 23-year-old Private Gregory Wedel Morales, who disappeared in August 2019. His remains were found in Killeen, Texas, just outside the base, 10 months later and while Vanessa Guillén was being searched.
The Wedel family told Noticias Telemundo that they had no support for months, but that now the Army has corrected their “deserter” file.
You can share your experience in the Army by contacting Noticias Telemundo Investiga confidentially through the email
ntinvestiga@nbcuni.com