Review is set after Guillén slaying
Army secretary agrees to independent look into the command culture at Fort Hood
Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy agreed Friday to launch an independent review of the command culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community in the wake of the slaying of a 20-year-old Houston soldier at the post, according to a statement.
The announcement came shortly after McCarthy met Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, Rep. Gil Cisneros, a California Democrat, and leaders from the League of United Latin American Citizens to discuss concerns raised by the investigation into Vanessa Guillén’s reported sexual harassment, as well as her murder while on duty at the post.
“I want to express my condolences to the Guillén family. We are saddened and deeply troubled by the loss of one of our own, Specialist Vanessa Guillén,” he said in a news release. “I would like to thank the League of United Latin American Citizens for meeting with us today and their continued commitment to honor the memory of Specialist Guillén and in helping the Army identify and address challenges Hispanic service members face.
Additionally, I’d like to thank Rep. Sylvia Garcia and Rep. Gil Cisneros for their support for our troops and their special interest in ensuring justice for Vanessa.”
McCarthy said he would appoint four civilian experts to a panel that will spend five to 10 days at Fort Hood reviewing historical data, command climate surveys, inspector general reports, crime reports, and data related to the military’s response to sexual harassment and sexual as
sault. The panel will conduct interviews with military personnel and others in the Fort Hood community.
The aim, he said, is to ensure that the post reflects Army values, “including respect, inclusiveness and workplaces free from sexual harassment.”
Garcia said she and LULAC officials would be involved in recommending experts for the panel.
“This is a good step in the right direction,” Garcia said. She said McCarthy told the group that all the panel’s findings would be available to Congress in full to make sure their investigation is “thorough, transparent and can answer so many questions that not only the Guillén family has but so many soldiers across the country have.”
Last week U.S. lawmakers Jackie Speier of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York asked the Pentagon to initiate an independent investigation of what happened to Guillén. Garcia said she specifically asked
McCarthy to launch an independent investigation into the sexual harassment and slaying of Guillén while she was stationed at Fort Hood. A release issued before the meeting said they wanted the Army to support the call for the Defense Department Inspector General’s Office to conduct a full and independent investigation into
Fort Hood’s handling of Guillén’s case. In addition, other cases of Latino soldiers who have reported sexual harassment and/or been victims of still unresolved homicides and other abuses are being presented to the Army.
The remains of Guillén, a Houston native, were recovered months after she went missing. A suspect in her death, Aaron Robinson, died by suicide as police were preparing to arrest him. A second suspect, Robinson’s girlfriend Cecily Aguilar, has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to tamper with evidence.