Fourteen U.S. military leaders were fired upon or suspended at Fort Hood

Subscribe to our daily newsletter, The Brief, to get the most important Texas news quickly to your readers. Fourteen U.S. military leaders, including commanders and other leaders in Fort Hood, have been fired or suspended in an attempt to reverse years of culture of sexual violence and violence in the foothills, military officials said Tuesday. That climate – failing to prioritize the health and well-being of soldiers, especially female soldiers – is described in a 150-page report released Tuesday after a year of startling and tragic deaths at a Central Texas establishment. Among those relieved was Maj. Gen. Scott L. Efland was in charge of the SBC site earlier this year. Vanessa Gillan is missing. Colonel Ralph Overland and Command Charget. Major Bradley Napp was also relieved. Major General Jeffrey Broadwater and Commander Chargett are the two leaders. Major Thomas c. Kenny, the results of the investigation into the command climate and the answers to the sexual harassment and assault are pending. The Army has opened a separate inquiry into the sources, policies and practices of the 6th Military Police Commission, part of the Criminal Investigation Command that conducts the worst criminal investigations in Fort Hood. Gillen’s family, amid increasing pressure from congressional and prosecution groups, said in mid-July that Secretary of Defense Ryan D. These shakes have come in response to an independent review of the commanding climate and culture of the site that McCarthy started. Gillan went missing in April and his body was found near the Lyon River in July. The soldier suspected of killing the killer, S.P.C. Aaron Robinson committed suicide when police tried to arrest him. Gillan was sexually harassed, his sister said, but he did not report sexual harassment for fear of retaliation. As a result of the investigation, McCarthy and other military leaders announced Tuesday that they have established a new policy on missing soldiers. They also started a new group called the People’s First Task Force, which was responsible for analyzing the problems found at Fort Hood and re-evaluating military policy. “We know in the military that we are not the right people, but what makes us the largest army in the world is that we recognize where we need to move. We acknowledge our problems and we will fix them,” General James McCainville, the army’s chief of staff, told a news conference Tuesday. Earlier, I spoke with Vanessa’s mother, Mrs. Gillan, and told her that we were going to fix these problems and change the culture that allowed them to happen, and that we should provide a safe and secure environment for American sons and daughters serving in the military. ” Army officials announced Tuesday that this includes a new status – “non-existent” – that missing soldiers will be marked within the first 48 hours of their disappearance. Soldiers will no longer be considered AWOL. S – not without leave – if the absence of commanders is voluntary. If they are unable to show that the absence is voluntary, the commanders classify the person as “missing” and send a liaison officer to renew the soldier’s family, trying to locate the missing soldier. The new policy is to ensure that the military takes immediate action to locate the missing. Between 2014 and 2019, Fort Hood committed an average of 129 crimes a year, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault. During a press conference in August, McCarthy acknowledged that “there are cases of sexual harassment and harassment and murder for the entire formation of the US military.” The Ford Hood Independent Review Committee was set up by five members of the public, who conducted a massive inquiry into the culture in the basement, conducted more than 2,500 interviews at the base and held community meetings. From that effort, they have produced a report that includes nine key findings and 70 recommendations. In this report of more than 150 pages, investigators found that the leadership situation at Ford Hood was “ineffective as far as the environment in which sexual harassment and sexual harassment were permitted”. It also identified serious deficiencies in the military’s sexual harassment / assault response and prevention program. Investigators found that there was “strong evidence” that sexual harassment and assault had not been assessed on a case-by-case basis, that there were structural flaws in the prevention plan, and that it would undermine confidence in its sentencing process. Public investigators found that Ford Hood’s protocols were “not sufficient to calculate, protect, and determine the whereabouts of missing soldiers within hours.” In some cases, little effort was made to verify the disappearance of a soldier who was not in suspicious circumstances. This report identifies a soldier who was declared AWOL on August 30, 2016; Announced a departure on September 27, 2016; He later died on October 6, 2016. At Hood Castle, emergency officials did not conduct a preliminary investigation until a soldier went missing for more than 24 hours. That was when Gillan went missing, despite the immediate signs that her absence was suspicious. His ID, car keys and other items were found in an armory where he worked, but the investigation did not begin immediately. The group released dozens of recommendations on how the military can improve the climate in Fort Hood, including restructuring a program designed to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault, and the professionalization of its personnel. It also said command officers should be familiar with their soldiers to ensure their health and safety, including conducting routine welfare checks. The panel also stressed that in the absence of a soldier to begin an initial investigation, officers must do more in the “critical first 24 hours” to determine why the person may be missing. To improve Ford Hood, the committee report said, the military leadership should prioritize the well-being of its officers. “While not fully appreciating the honesty and respect he has for the military and from them as a key component of military readiness, military preparedness is more important than all other responsibilities,” the investigators wrote. “For many years, commanders at Fort Hood have failed to make a connection between the health and safety of soldiers and their readiness for duty. “It’s not about measurements, but about the ability to show compassion to our teammates and to have human dignity to look after the best interests of our soldiers,” McCarthy said Tuesday. The two congressional subcommittees are investigating separately how Hood’s leadership responded, and the issue is set to be heard before Congress on Wednesday. Has been. US envoy Sylvia Garcia, de-Houston, said after reading the report that she had “many concerns” that the panel had not determined which leaders were “criminally negligent” in the Gillan case. Earlier this year, Garcia introduced the “I Vanessa Gillan Act of 2020”, which would create a covert reporting system for sexual harassment in the military. Garcia said at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that he planned to “ask the military how this could be done for our troops.” “The military and the U.S. military have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of our service members, their families and the American public,” Garcia said. “They can’t wait another decade before anything changes.” Gillan’s sister, Loop Gillan, told a news conference Tuesday that the report’s findings were a step in the right direction, but that she wanted to see congressional action. “We will not be satisfied until the law is passed, and Vanessa Gillan will have real answers, accountability and justice,” he said. Kelsey Carolyn contributed to the reporting. .

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