Congress investigates Fort Hood following soldier deaths

What took them so long?

Congress is certainly welcome to investigate Fort Hood but they're not going to find anything different than at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart, and Fort Bragg. The statistics are effectively the same. I have listed and other threads great detail on each one of the deaths. Most of occurred off post. I personally don't agree with jumping on the bandwagon because of PFC Vanessa Guillen who am I felt something for as if she were my own daughter. The anguish of her family was palpable. But the majority of the deaths are not unusual.

Eight of the deaths were the result of traffic collisions. Five were the result of homicides on and off post that may or may not have a direct connection to the Post. Two deaths were the result of an result of illness and 6 were suicides. As a military policeman stationed at numerous posts I responded to Suicide calls. Soldiers that were homesick and usually highly intoxicated broke a beer bottle and slit their wrists. It's ugly but it's part of the military. Two of the deaths were as a result of a traffic collision in Austin 60 miles away with no connection to Fort Hood whatsoever. Two of the deaths were the result of drownings. One at Lake Belton where private was being towed on an inner tube and drowned. My last year station there I handled 8 drownings. I don't want to sound callous because I'm not. I felt every one of them. But it happens. When you mix alcohol with a lake you get drownings. I suppose the only thing they can do is say that if you're at the Fort Hood military Recreation Area no alcohol is allowed. But they'll just go to Morgan's Point or something like that. The other drowning took place Stillhouse Hollow which is also off post. The remaining five are under investigation.

I could give you a complete rundown on each Soldier because I've researched each one. The most recent would be private Chee of the Navajo Indians. He died on a PT run. According to an individual a doctor told him that she died of brain swelling as result of heat exhaustion. There's only two problems with that. 1, the individual that spoke was that a family member and under HIPAA regulations the doctor would have not told him that. Second, it was 7 a.m. and 79°. Anecdotal information indicates that she was celebrating his birthday and had tied one on the night before.

They have already relieved the acting Commanding General and demoted him back to Deputy Commanding General and effectively ended his career. I'm not okay with this. I've been assigned to too many posts and I've seen this before. Trust me when I tell you it's worse overseas. Drugs and alcohol flow freely. No Congressional investigations.