Army Shakeup Puts Focus On Fort Hood

A lot of Amry personnel from SW Michigan have been stationed at one time or another at Fort Hood in Texas. It is among the largest and most notable US Army bases in the country. If you know anyone who is there now, chances are you’ve heard some back-channel talk about the atmosphere. It’s been tense and a lot of soldiers have been nervous. Especially women soldiers. There’s been a series of sexual assaults, reports of harassment, and even murders inside the base and nearby.

An independent committee has completed its review of the situation at Ft. Hood. The results have been turned over to the Army Secretary and the chief of staff. Almost immediately, top command officers and some additional officers down to the squad level are being relieved or suspended.

The Army Times has been reporting regularly on the situation, leading up to the new command shakedown. The highest-ranking officer at Fort Hood to be caught up in the disciplinary action is the Deputy Commander.

The investigative committee that reviewed the situation at Fort Hood reported that the environment there allowed harassment and sexual assaults to proliferate. Making matters worse, the committee finds that Army CID (criminal investigations) agents at the base were both under-experienced and over-assigned.

An attorney who served on the committee told the Army Times, “Our charter was to look at Fort Hood and that was what we did. But we are not oblivious to the fact that this is one Army and Fort Hood is potentially emblematic of other things going on in the Army.”

“Unfortunately, a ‘business as usual’ approach was taken by Fort Hood leadership causing female soldiers, particularly, in the combat brigades, to slip into survival mode, vulnerable and preyed upon, but fearful to report and be ostracized and re-victimized,” the report reads.