“Former Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee unveiled the results of a three-month examination of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community on Dec. 8, 2020.”
“The independent review, which was directed by former Secretary McCarthy, arose from the questions and concerns voiced by family members, Congress, and various Hispanic advocacy groups during the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén.”
“The committee examined the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community to determine whether they reflect the Army’s commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity, and freedom from sexual harassment.”
“Committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White conducted a two-week fact-finding mission to the Texas base, meeting with unit leaders, Soldiers, members of the Guillén family, local officials, law enforcement and community groups.”
Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, whose home of record is listed as Brockton, Mass., was found [deceased] near Lake Polk in Temple. He entered the Army in September 2016 as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist and has been assigned to the 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division since April 2019. Fernandes’ awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Fernandes was last seen in Killeen on Aug 17. When he was reported absent on Aug. 18, Soldiers from his unit initiated a thorough search for him, both on and off post while cooperating with the Killeen Police Department and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) in an attempt to find him. The unit distributed his photograph, searched motorpools, parking lots, barracks, and headquarters buildings. Members of his unit visited local hotels and hospitals throughout Central Texas trying to find him as they expanded their search efforts.
The unit is cooperating with local authorities from the cities of Killeen and Temple as this incident remains under investigation. The Division will continue to support the Fernandes Family during this difficult time and requests everyone respects their privacy during this time of grief.
Massachusetts lawmakers write “evidence suggests that the Army failed to give him the proper support and care that he needed while serving at Fort Hood” Massachusetts (September 4, 2020) – U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-01) today called on the independent review panel investigating the command climate and culture at U.S. Army Base Fort Hood, Texas to include the case of Army Sergeant Elder Fernandes in its review of the base. Sergeant Fernandes, a 23 year-old native of Brockton, Massachusetts who was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, was found dead on August 25 after having gone missing on August 17. Shortly after he was reported missing, public reports revealed that in May of this year Sergeant Fernandes had reported a sexual assault allegation against a member of his chain of command and also became the target of bullying, hazing, and harassment. The Fort Hood independent review panel was created before Sgt. Fernandes’s disappearance, so the Massachusetts lawmakers are asking the panel to ensure it includes his case in the scope of their review and report.
In their letter, the lawmakers urged the Fort Hood panel to review the following issues:
The circumstances surrounding Sergeant Fernandes’s treatment by commanding officers and peers while serving at Fort Hood, including allegations of sexual assault, bullying, hazing, or harassment;
The adequacy of the investigation conducted by the Army of his reported sexual assault;
The circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death, including the Army’s coordination with local and state law enforcement in the search for him after he was reported missing, and;
The adequacy of Army’s coordination with and treatment of Sergeant Fernandes’s family, including but not limited to information-sharing during the search for Sergeant Fernandes and in the period after his body was discovered, and the release of his medical, service, and treatment records thereafter.
“Although an Army-led investigation remains ongoing into the cause and circumstances of Sergeant Fernandes’s death, the evidence suggests that the Army failed to give him the proper support and care that he needed while serving at Fort Hood,” write the lawmakers in the their letter. “As you conduct your independent, comprehensive review of Fort Hood, we urge you to consider the facts of Sergeant Fernandes’s case. We will do everything we can to ensure that Sergeant Fernandes receives the justice he deserves, that Army leaders are held accountable, and to prevent harm to any other soldiers at Fort Hood. We stand by, ready to assist in your review in any way possible, and we look forward to seeing your final report.”
Senators Warren and Markey along with Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) today sent a bipartisan request to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Ok.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) asking that the Committee hold a public hearing to probe the findings and recommendations of the independent review panel on the command climate and culture at U.S. Army Base Fort Hood, Texas.
“In the last five years, 165 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood have died, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, which regularly released information on soldiers’ death until a 2018 decision to stop the practice. The post was an outlier in this level of transparency.
In those years, seven soldiers died by homicide, while six died in a combat zone. The deaths of 70 soldiers were ruled suicides, and on- and off-base accidents resulted in the deaths of 60 soldiers.”
“Air Force veteran Jennifer Norris believes Fort Hood’s current situation has been years in the making.
For the past decade, Norris, a trained social worker with a master’s degree in public policy, has been tracking crimes committed by and against service members and advocating for reform. She posts her research on her website, Military Justice for All.
She first focused her research on several large military bases, but after noticing a trend of Fort Hood deaths, Norris narrowed her efforts to the Texas post.
‘I didn’t set up to go after Fort Hood at all. It’s a compilation of systematic issues,’ she said.
At the end of 2017, Norris used her own money to travel from her home in Maine to Washington to meet with lawmakers. By the time she got home, Norris said she thought everyone had moved on without intending to address the problems.
‘The other bases are nothing like Fort Hood is right now,’ she said. ‘I think the anomaly with Fort Hood is that its isolated and that it’s such an economic powerhouse in the community that it’s in everybody’s best interest to protect it so they can protect themselves.’”
Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty, U.S. Army
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty, 44, from Bowie, Maryland, died March 30, 2020 in Erbil, Iraq, of a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. Hilty was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty entered the Army in April 1999 as an Army combat engineer. His most recent military occupational specialty was petroleum supply specialist. Hilty’s deployments include three tours to Afghanistan from January 2009 to December 2009, January 2012 to December 2012, October 2016 to October 2017 and most recently to Iraq in October 2019.
Obituary: Pfc. Jason Matthew Decker, U.S. Army, age 25, of Slidell, LA, passed away on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Beloved husband of Emily Fuller Decker. Survived by his grandparents, who nurtured and raised him from birth, Buddy and Colette Decker, his birth mother Lacey Smith, his birth father, Adam Galloway. Brother of Madison Lara, Rylee Lara, Taylor Galloway, Megan Galloway, Matthew Galloway. Also survived by many Aunt’s, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends. Jason was born in Slidell where he graduated from Slidell High school in 2011. Jason was an avid outdoorsman, loved baseball and his family. He will be greatly missed and remain in our hearts forever.
In the News:
A grieving father on his way to bury his son rushed to officer Jason Seals’ side after the crash. -WWLTV (September 26, 2018)
1. Army SSG Devin Schuette Found Dead in Vehicle at Recreation Area Near Fort Hood; CID Ruled Suicide, Spouse Requests Independent Investigation (January 3, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5pY
2. Fort Hood Army Major Troy Wayman Found Dead at Nolanville, Texas Residence; Death Ruled Suicide by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound (January 16, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-6Nv
3. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Sean Van Der Wal Died in a Traffic Crash on I-35 in Texas; Driver Spc. Timothy Corder Found Guilty of Felony, Received Probation (March 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qp
4. Fort Hood Army Soldier Staff Sgt. Brian Reed Found Dead of Gunshot Wound at Off-Post Residence in Copperas Cove, Texas (March 14, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5tp
5. Fort Hood Army Soldier SSG Steven Lewis Died of Self Inflicted Wound at Off-Post Residence in Killeen, Texas (March 22, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qg
6. Fort Hood Army Soldier Sgt. John Stobbe Found Dead at Off-Post Residence in Killeen, Texas (May 1, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qE
7. Fort Hood Army Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III Died After Motorcycle Crashed Into the Back of a Van on U.S. 190 in Killeen, Texas (May 9, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Pn
8. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr. Died While in Custody at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas; Nelson Held on Charges Stemming from 1st Cavalry Division (May 23, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Py
9. Army Spc. Christine Armstrong Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7iH
10. Army Pfc. Brandon Banner Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7iY
11. Army Staff Sgt. Miguel Colonvazquez Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7j8
12. Army Pvt. Isaac Deleon Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jp
13. Army Pfc. Zachery Fuller Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jz
14. Army Pvt. Eddy Gates Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jJ
15. Army Pvt. Tysheena James Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jQ
16. Army Specialist Yingming Sun Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7B3
17. West Point Cadet Mitchell Winey Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7Bf
18. Army SFC Antino Glass Died in a Fatal Motorcycle Accident After Hitting Livestock on Fort Hood in Texas (June 5, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8PZ
19. Army Spc. Bernardino Guevara, Jr. Found Dead from Gunshot Wound in Parking Lot Near the Sportsmen’s Center at Fort Hood, Texas (June 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8PO
20. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Duane Shaw III Found Unresponsive in Off-Post Killeen, Texas Home; 12th Reported Fatality in One Month (June 8, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Qb
21. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Dougal Mitchell Died From Injuries Suffered in an Automobile Accident in Georgetown, Texas; Accident Claimed Two Lives (June 11, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Qt
22. Fort Hood Army Spc. Alexander Johnson Found Dead Near Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area Paintball Court in Texas (July 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qJ
23. Fort Hood Army Spc. Logan Rainwater Died From Injuries Sustained in a Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Killeen, Texas; Other Driver Failed to Yield Right of Way (August 1, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-apo
24. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Calvin Aguilar Found Dead in Copperas Cove, Texas (August 4, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qU
25. Army Spc. Dion Servant Found Dead in Barracks at Fort Hood, Texas (August 19, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qO
26. Fort Hood Army Pfc. Stacy Hardy Died From Injuries Sustained After Motorcycle Crash at the Conclusion of a Pursuit with Killeen PD (September 10, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-apR
27. Army 2nd Lt. Andrew Hunt Found Unresponsive at Fort Hood, Texas Residence (September 13, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5rD
28. Fort Hood Army Pvt. Nathan Berg Died of a Gunshot Wound in Killeen, Texas (September 17, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qY
29. Fort Hood Army Spc. Bradley Acker Found Dead at Off-Post Residence in Copperas Cove; CCPD Reported Cause of Death Self-Inflicted (October 7, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5ru
30. Fort Hood Army Soldier Douglas Bailey Found Dead at On Post Home; Official Cause of Death Unknown (October 15, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aqe
31. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Douglas Riney Shot and Killed by a Suspected Taliban Infiltrator in Kabul, Afghanistan (October 19, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aqp
32. Fort Hood Army Pvt. Dakota Stump Found Dead on Post Three Weeks After Vehicle Accident; Family Wants Missing ‘Warrior Alert’ Law (Nov 3, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eU
34. Army Pfc. Tyler Iubelt Died of Injuries Sustained from Suicide Bomber at Post-Veterans Day Fun Run on Secure Base in Bagram, Afghanistan (Nov 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eZ
35. Army Sgt. John Perry Died of Injuries Sustained from Suicide Bomber at Post-Veterans Day Fun Run on Secure Base in Bagram, Afghanistan (Nov 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5fa
36. Fort Hood Army Infantryman Pvt. Kevin Paulino Died of Gunshot Wound in Peru, Indiana; Civilian Police Confirm Suicide Cause of Death (Nov 16, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eN
38. Pvt. Wanya Bruns Died by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Nine Months After Joining Army; One of Many in 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas (November 26, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-6Xl
39. Fort Hood Army SFC Allan Brown Died at Walter Reed of Injuries Sustained From an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan on November 12th (December 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aZe
40. Army Pvt. Paige Fontenot Briles Found Unresponsive in Vehicle at Fort Hood Housing in Texas; Despite Suicide Ruling, Family Requests Homicide Investigation (Dec 24, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5kn
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Sgt. First Class Allan E. Brown, 46, of Takoma Park, Maryland, died December 6, 2016 at Walter Reed National Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device in Bagram, Afghanistan, that occurred on Nov. 12. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Allan Brown deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2006 to August 2007, November 2008 to October 2009, and December 2010 to December 2011. Brown deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from July 2014 to September 2014. He deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel from September to December 2016.
“He was killed by a suicide bomber standing on Disney Road,” Greene said of Brown, the words still hard to say, carefully choosing them, her throat filled with sorrow. “That day was one of the most traumatic days of my life.” Two American contractors were also killed. Fifteen American troops and one Polish soldier were wounded. It’s been almost four years since the attack that forever changed the life of this proud veteran who has seen so much and lost even more. –Local Veteran Remembers SFC Allen Brown, Fox West Texas (May 25, 2020)
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
“NBC 5 Investigates has learned that the U.S. Army has launched a new investigation inside Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), looking at claims of harassment and abuse.
The investigation comes after NBC 5 Investigates partnered with The Dallas Morning News for a six-month investigation that revealed hundreds of complaints from injured soldiers who said commanders harassed, belittled them and ordered them to do things that made their conditions worse at three Warrior Transition Units in Texas: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston.”
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 