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The Fort Hood Texas base witnessed murder, harassment, sexual assault and suspected prostitution rings, which sparked an investigation.
The US military said on Tuesday it had fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at the controversial Fort Hood, Texas base, and ordered policy changes to address chronic leadership failures that contributed to a pattern Widespread grizzly violence, including murder, sexual assault and harassment.
Two general officers were among those dismissed from their posts, as top military officials announced the findings of an independent group’s investigation into base Texas issues.
The actions taken by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy come the day after a year that has seen 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood die as a result of suicide, homicide or accidents, including death with batons from specialist Vanessa Guillen.
Guillen was missing for about two months before his remains were found.
The layoffs and suspensions include Army Major General Scott Efflandt, who was left in charge of the base earlier this year when Guillen was killed, as well as Major General Jeffery Broadwater, commander of 1st Divisions of cavalry.
Administrative measures should trigger investigations that could lead to a wide range of sanctions, from a simple letter of reprimand to military discharge.
The base commander, Lt. General Pat White, will not face any administrative action. He was deployed to Iraq as the commander there for much of the year.
McCarthy also ordered a new Army policy that changes the way commanders treat missing soldiers, requiring them to list service members as absent-strangers for up to 48 hours and do whatever they can. to locate service members to determine whether their absence is voluntary or not before declaring anyone AWOL or absent without permission.
Army chiefs had already delayed Efflandt’s planned transfer to Fort Bliss, where he was to take command of the 1st Armored Division. Command of a division is a key stage in the career of an army officer.
Efflandt’s transfer to the division has been put on hold while the independent investigative team investigated whether leadership failures contributed to the murder of several people, including Guillen, and who should be held responsible.
Investigators say Guillen, 20, was clubbed to death in Fort Hood by specialist Aaron Robinson, who committed suicide on July 1 as police attempted to take him into custody.
Her family said Robinson sexually harassed her, although the military said there was no evidence to support this claim.
Also in July, the body of Private Mejhor Morta was found near a tank near the base. And in June, authorities discovered the remains of another missing soldier, Gregory Morales, about 16 km (10 miles) from that lake.
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