Fort Hood under probe

Congress to start joint investigation of soldiers’ deaths

WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced Tuesday they are launching an investigation into Fort Hood after the recent deaths of soldiers, including Vanessa Guillén, a Houston native whose family has pushed for months for a congressional inquiry.

The chairs of two key Armed Services subcommittees wrote Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy demanding documents and information related to the recent “disturbing” deaths of multiple soldiers stationed there be provided by Oct. 2.

“While the Army has directed an independent review of Fort Hood, congressional oversight is necessary to determine whether base leadership — by omission or commission — has allowed or enabled a culture to exist that undermines the values and traditions of the U.S. Army,” wrote U.S. Reps. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, and Stephen Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat.

According to the congressional letter, Guillén was one of three soldiers who have gone missing from the base and later been

found dead this year. The remains of a fourth soldier who went missing last August were discovered in June, as well.

“Families of missing Fort Hood soldiers have expressed anguish and frustration about the Army’s response to the disappearance of their loved ones and the dearth of information about the status of the Army’s investigations,” Speier and Lynch wrote.

The Guillén family cheered the news as a victory.

“Great news today,” Vanessa Guillén’s sister Mayra tweeted. “Nothing is in vain.”

“The Army attempted to appease everyone with their own ‘special’ investigations, but I refused to accept such specious investigations,” Guillén family attorney Natalie Khawam said. “The Army’s own investigation of itself is a Trojan horse that I refused to accept, and that’s why I continued to fight for these soldiers and their families.”