Murders and sexual assaults hound Fort Hood [Video]

• An independent investigation is set to be launched over the high number of murders and sexual assaults in Fort Hood.
• Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy explained that the investigation aims to determine if a culture of abuse and violence exists within the base.
• McCarthy emphasized the importance of initiating “very hard conversations” with leadership and maintaining constant communication with troops.

Army officials are now planning to investigate Fort Hood, which reports the highest number of murders and sexual assaults among soldiers.

This year alone, at least five dead soldiers have been found around the base. One of which is 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen. Fellow soldier Aaron Robinson killed her near the base before taking his own life.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy addressed the issue when he visited the military base in Killeen, Texas, on Thursday.

McCarthy said, “I’ve met over the last 24 hours with soldiers of every echelon … and told them that were are sending down an independent group of investigators to understand the root causes associated with the rise of felonies, violent acts, to better understand why this is happening in this installation.”

According to McCarthy, Fort Hood has “the highest, in most cases,” of murders, sexual assaults, and harassment throughout the Army.

The independent investigation aims to determine if a culture of abuse and violence exists within the base. The secretary added that anyone upholding that culture will be held accountable.

McCarthy explained, “We are getting an outside look to help us to get to those root causes and understanding so we can make those changes. … We are going to put every resource and all of the energy we can in this entire institution behind fixing these problems.”

The alleged culture of sexual harassment within the military drew renewed scrutiny following Guillen’s death.

Other survivors have since spoken out about their own sexual trauma while in the military, using the hashtag #IamVanessaGuillen.

An “#IAmVanessaGuillen” bill was also drafted to help facilitate reports from victims of sexual harassment in the military.

Referring to Guillen’s death, McCarthy said, “I’m markedly disappointed and saddened by that, one of our own killing a teammate.”

“It rattles the system of trust that you have to have in this profession because of just how hard it is what we do around the world,” he continued.

Pointing out that “sexual assault … has been a challenge for the whole country as well,” McCarthy emphasized the importance of initiating “very hard conversations” with leadership and maintaining constant dialogue with troops to understand what they’re experiencing.

“The conversations don’t end; we have to keep doing them,” he concluded.

Source: New York Post