Posted on 09/01/2020 7:41:48 PM PDT by robowombat
Fort Hood commander loses position following string of deadly incidents BY ELLEN MITCHELL - 09/01/20 05:40 PM EDT
Fort Hood commander loses position following string of deadly incidents Army leadership on Tuesday removed the commander of Fort Hood from his role and barred him from a planned position at another Texas base following multiple high-profile deaths under his tenure.
Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, who had been set to take over as commander for the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, will instead remain at Fort Hood to serve as deputy commanding general for support.
“The Army will announce the name of a new commander for the 1st Armored Division, which Efflandt had previously been designated to lead. That announcement is expected in the coming days,” according to a service statement.
The announcement comes after three Fort Hood soldiers went missing in the last year before later being found dead.
Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, was found hanging in a tree last week in Temple, Texas, about 28 miles from the base. His family attorney has said he was “humiliated” after reporting sexual abuse, and his death is under investigation.
Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, went missing in April before her body was discovered in July. Army officials suspect another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, was involved in her disappearance before he took his own life.
And Pfc. Gregory Morales, 24, went missing exactly one year before Fernandes. His remains were discovered in June in Killeen, Texas, and his death remains under investigation.
In addition, three members of the military, including soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, were among a group of men arrested in August in a prostitution sting in central Texas.
In Efflandt's place, U.S. Army Forces Command head Gen. Michael Garrett directed Maj. Gen. John Richardson IV to assume command at Fort Hood on Wednesday.
Overnight Defense: China aims to double nuclear arsenal | Fort Hood... Democrats release key interview in Pompeo probe Garrett also intends to appoint Gen. John Murray, commanding general of U.S. Futures Command, “to lead an in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Spc. Vanessa Guillen,” according to the statement.
The new investigation adds to the several other open inquiries at Fort Hood, including one directed by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in July to independently review the command climate at the installation.
Murray “will roll those efforts into a more complete and comprehensive investigation” that take a larger look at base activities and leadership.
I didn’t know the Commander was responsible for holding the hand of everyone who left the base.
Yeah, there’s got to be more to this.
Family lawyer: Fort Hood soldier found dead was ‘humiliated’ after reporting sexual abuse
BY J. EDWARD MORENO - 08/28/20 11:08 AM EDT 270
Family lawyer: Fort Hood soldier found dead was ‘humiliated’ after reporting sexual abuse
Sgt. Elder Fernandes, the Fort Hood soldier whose body was found in Temple, Texas, on Tuesday, was “humiliated” after reporting sexual abuse, his family attorney said.
On Tuesday, Fernandes was found hanging in a tree in Temple, which is about 28 miles from the Fort Hood base, months after he had gone missing in April. Natalie Khawam, the family’s attorney, said the U.S. Army’s base in Texas created an environment that led to Fernandes’s death.
“They don’t know what happened — whether it was suicide or whether murder. But I’m gonna tell you, what they did to him, the blood on their hands, it’s a form of murder,” Khawam said Wednesday afternoon at a press conference in Tampa, Fla., The Enterprise reported.
“He was humiliated; he was embarrassed. He couldn’t even tell his mom; he didn’t want to tell anyone. He was afraid. He was ashamed by this,” she said.
The person Fernandes accused of sexual assault “kept harassing him” and “hazing him, torturing him, making his life impossible,” Khawam said.
Army officials told the Enterprise that Fernandes was moved to another unit after reporting sexual abuse and an investigation into his allegations was completed “fairly recently” and found “the allegations were unsubstantiated.”
His family maintains that he was telling the truth.
“That is a bunch of lies and cover ups,” Isabel Fernandes wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday night. “So how convenient is it that it took the army almost 4 months, with Elder alive to conclude the sexual harassment investigation and they didn’t do it, but a day after he is found dead the result is not only concluded BUT inconclusive????”
Fort Hood commander loses position following string of deadly...
Overnight Defense: China aims to double nuclear arsenal | Fort Hood...
Fernandes was the third Fort Hood soldier to go missing in the last year.
Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, went missing in April before her body was discovered months later in July. Army officials suspect another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, was involved in her disappearance before he took his own life.
Pfc. Gregory Morales, 24, went missing exactly one year before Fernandes. His remains were discovered in June in Killeen, Texas, and his death remains under investigation.
Good!
The post Provost Marshal needs to have his head roll too.
My background is from the Air Force and the base commander on AFB installations always seemed to be an O-6 Colonel — why a 2 star is taking the hit on this doesn’t make sense.
Doesn't matter. The army needed a scapegoat and he fit the bill, right down to his lily-white privilege.
Half dozens incidents with 15,000 troops, 10,000 acres and 365 days...
Like what is the standard?
There is much more to this story.
It is a result of accepting flawed persons into an Army that is not equipped to deal with LGBTQ, XYZ. I refer to them as “giblets.” What could go wrong with putting a Homosexual into close quarters with red blooded, screaming hormones, horny young men?
If there is any doubt, as to the sexual proclivities of a recruit, can his ass or you might find him hanged in a tree.
This crap missed my generation. I pity those present and future.
An installation commander is held responsible for the actions of everyone under his/ her command. It’s always been that way.
Trump met with the family of one female soldier murdered awhile back
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/30/donald-trump-meets-with-family-of-murdered-fort-hood-soldier-vanessa-guillen/
But there were several other soldiers murdered.(men) Some had complained of sexual harassment.
The CT has more on the problem, and check out the comments.
He apparently did not take the fact that three soldiers were missing and wound up dead seriously enough. My guess is that there are going to be subordinate commanders who will also be negatively affected.
Nope he was just the poor dumb bastard in charge when it all came to light. The does seem to be a climate of dereliction of duty among the officers at Ft. Hood for all of this to happen on one base. Fostering a poor command climate overall.
Oh there’s more to this than that.....they don’t just change leadership rolls without a lot of evidence the base is getting out of control in one way or another.
i agree with this if he had the power to allow off duty personnel and ccw holders to carry on base.
if he couldn’t set this policy, i think he’s probably just the most convenient closest scapegoat.
Pfc. Vanessa Guillen
Pfc. Gregory Morales
All three were Hispanics.
The family of Vanessa Guillen blamed the base leaders for not doing enough to find their sister. They made her disappearance national news.
Whispers of 'racism' were always in the background; a white commander who didn't take the disappearance of Hispanics seriously. They needed a scapegoat and they found one.
Somehow this must be part of the Obama "legacy".
I hear ya, but a dozen soldiers from Fort Hood have died on or near that base in the last year or so. No way he could take a more prestigeous command with that unresolved mess in the wake of his tenure.
The impression I get is that lower enlisted are preyed upon by their seniors (or bad elements around the post) and the command seems powerless to do anything about it.
Obammie has done more damage to EVERY department of government than I ever thought possible in 8 short years!! No wonder he accomplished NOTHING else he was busy behind the scenes weaponizing and destroying every inch of our republic and justice system!!
Same thing in the Army. The Ft. Hood Garrison commander is Col. Jason A. Wesbrock. It's just the reporting. Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt was deputy commander III Corps. Often on Army posts a senior officer is referred to as the post commander. His boss, the III Corp commander is a four star billet, also at Ft. Hood.
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