Posted on Dec 9, 2020
Fourteen leaders relieved or suspended after scathing report on Fort Hood
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Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 5
Thank you my friend MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. for making us aware that Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee determined there was an environment at Fort Hood that allowed sexual assault and harassment to proliferate, and that Army CID agents at the post were under-experienced and over-assigned.
The review also raised concerns about how Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention programs are conducted across the force, as well as how the Army investigates soldiers’ deaths and disappearances beyond Fort Hood.
“Our charter was to look at Fort Hood and that was what we did. But we are not oblivious to the fact that this is one Army and Fort Hood is potentially emblematic of other things going on in the Army,” said Jack White, an attorney with a background in government investigations who was on the committee."
Fourteen leaders at Fort Hood, Texas, from the deputy commander down to the squad level, were relieved or suspended after the Army secretary and chief of staff were handed the results of an independent committee’s review of the command climate there.
III Corps deputy commander, Maj. Gen. Scott L. Efflandt, as well as the 3rd Cavalry Regiment commander and senior enlisted soldier, Col. Ralph Overland and Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley Knapp, were all relieved,
McCarthy also directed the suspension of two 1st Cavalry Division leaders, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Broadwater and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas C. Kenny.
FYI LTC John Shaw Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Kim Patterson TSgt David L. Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see) LTC Hillary Luton SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. CPT Paul Whitmer
SPC Randy ZimmermanSPC Daniel RankinMSG (Join to see)SPC(P) (Join to see)SSG Byron HewettSSG Robert WebsterCSM Chuck StaffordPO2 Frederick Dunn LTC (Join to see)
The review also raised concerns about how Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention programs are conducted across the force, as well as how the Army investigates soldiers’ deaths and disappearances beyond Fort Hood.
“Our charter was to look at Fort Hood and that was what we did. But we are not oblivious to the fact that this is one Army and Fort Hood is potentially emblematic of other things going on in the Army,” said Jack White, an attorney with a background in government investigations who was on the committee."
Fourteen leaders at Fort Hood, Texas, from the deputy commander down to the squad level, were relieved or suspended after the Army secretary and chief of staff were handed the results of an independent committee’s review of the command climate there.
III Corps deputy commander, Maj. Gen. Scott L. Efflandt, as well as the 3rd Cavalry Regiment commander and senior enlisted soldier, Col. Ralph Overland and Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley Knapp, were all relieved,
McCarthy also directed the suspension of two 1st Cavalry Division leaders, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Broadwater and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas C. Kenny.
FYI LTC John Shaw Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Kim Patterson TSgt David L. Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see) LTC Hillary Luton SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. CPT Paul Whitmer
SPC Randy ZimmermanSPC Daniel RankinMSG (Join to see)SPC(P) (Join to see)SSG Byron HewettSSG Robert WebsterCSM Chuck StaffordPO2 Frederick Dunn LTC (Join to see)
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SPC Daniel Rankin
I had read about this and found it to be very disgusting for any person of rank to do this. In my army men treated women in the military with respect, for one reason at least because most of those women worked hard and could keep up. They earned and deserved the rank the rank they got. Some of the tank mechanics in my unit were women and they worked just as hard as I did and even did the dirty jobs like every one else.
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The article states there is a problem but did very little to define the problem.
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SGM Joel Cook
I watched a one hour question and answer session between the public and the Committee. A few problems were highlighted. #1: CID was staffed with 93% rookie officers in the enlisted positions. Inexperienced and incapable of conducting viable investigations. #2: The vast majority of soldiers did not or do not trust their Commanders enough to report sexual harassment or assault to them. The main fear was many and various types of reprisals or even revenge from offenders, 1SGs, CSMs, XOs other junior leaders or even the CDRs themselves. #3: Junior NCOs do not know their soldiers well enough to determine if, why, when, or where they might go AWOL or desert. #4. Commanders were reporting soldiers AWOL or deserters without conducting adequate investigations into the actual methods of disappearance. For example fatal auto accidents, abductions, murders etc. Soldiers bodies were then found at later dates in various states of decomposition and then had to be cleared of crimes they had never committed, specifically desertion. #5. Commanders did not have a good Command Climates that encouraged trust and confidence in their leadership. A whole list of Army high bad statistics for Fort Hood were read off, such as Sexual Assault, suicides, drug abuse, crime rates, murders and more. There were more but these were probably the top five mentioned in my opinion.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
Thank you for your incite. This utter failure is a team effort. Soldiers should trust their first line supervisors and their chain of command. That chain of command must have fidelity to do the right thing and help soldiers to solve problems. I am very angry that some leaders conducted reprisals. They have no business being a military leader or any type of leader. Those who attack victims deserve to go to hell because taking care of soldiers is a key and non-negotiable task of an army leader.
I don't want to brag but I had great command climate surveys because I made it a priority that we collectively as leaders would take care of soldiers and fight on their behalf. I made it a point to establish that kind of culture. It is evident that some leaders do not espouse that view. It makes me sick to my stomach because leaders should protect their soldiers and facilitate their growth professionally and personally.
I have seen a real example where a victim was attacked. It crushes the spirit as there is nowhere to turn. The system and everyone seems to be the enemy. That broken spirit is taken back to the house. There is no escaping it. It can easily render the victim broken.
Just out of curiosity in regards to negative command climate surveys, was the mistrust applied to the whole unit chain of command?
I am so angered and disgusted by some of the examples of horrific leadership and how their actions further break soldiers who need help. We need to love our soldiers and fvcking take care of them.
I don't want to brag but I had great command climate surveys because I made it a priority that we collectively as leaders would take care of soldiers and fight on their behalf. I made it a point to establish that kind of culture. It is evident that some leaders do not espouse that view. It makes me sick to my stomach because leaders should protect their soldiers and facilitate their growth professionally and personally.
I have seen a real example where a victim was attacked. It crushes the spirit as there is nowhere to turn. The system and everyone seems to be the enemy. That broken spirit is taken back to the house. There is no escaping it. It can easily render the victim broken.
Just out of curiosity in regards to negative command climate surveys, was the mistrust applied to the whole unit chain of command?
I am so angered and disgusted by some of the examples of horrific leadership and how their actions further break soldiers who need help. We need to love our soldiers and fvcking take care of them.
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Senior leadership relieved after a high profile investigation. To quote Buddy the Elf, "shocking".
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