At the Dollhouse, he got to know Penny Morales, a dancer and mother of two. She has said that if Guilln had felt able to come forward before, she might still be alive today. Guillen's case sparked national attention after she was allegedly murdered by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood in Texas in April, then dismembered and her remains dumped. She wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than herself. Vannessa Guilln at Fort Hood led to a reckoning within the Army about sexual assault and harassment. The back-to-back deaths come just four months after two congressional committees launched probes into the high number of deaths at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, in 2020, highlighted by the disappearances of three soldiers who were later found dead, including Spc. 2023 Cond Nast. The Fort Worth Lockheed Martin plant is adjacent to the military base, where the company assembles and tests the F-35. I still live with anxiety and depression every day. Driving into Killeen last fall, what greeted me was a deer, roadkill, that had been severed in half. The then senator Claire McCaskill offered her own legislation proposing many of the same reforms, but kept power within the chain of command, deferring to tradition. There, Wedel-Moraless remains had been found, long ago decomposed in the Texas heat. On August 25, a rail worker in Temple, Texas, 26 miles east of Fort Hood, saw a body hanging from a tree across from a burned-out warehouse near the tracks. Is it possible Elder killed himself? When his parents rushed to the hospital, they saw that Chee, lying unconscious, had bruises and scrapes on his chin and on both sides of his face. The purported motto of the Army was family first, mission second, Gary Shafer, a noncommissioned officer who served at Fort Hood from 2012 to 2018 and who knew Wedel-Morales through the car-club scene, told me. When the chain of command tries to be the one thats involved, its like the police policing itself, said Ordex. The first week I spent in Texas that October, 22-year-old Lucas Hicks-Mack went missing on base. Aguilars cell phone location data was also analyzed and revealed she and Robinson were together near Leon River on April 23 and April 26, the complaint states. A few hours later, Robinson, who had mostly been playing video games, escaped Fort Hood by car. On most nights, I had nightmares. His mother, Kim, only heard from her son when he needed money. Staff Sergeant Jessica Mitchell is seen in this undated photo. On May 19, military investigators went through Robinsons phone and learned that he had called his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, multiple times on the night of April 22, as late as 3:30 a.m., from a town 20 miles east of Fort Hooddespite his claim he had been with Aguilar that night. The coming months brought the suicides of Staff Sergeant Richard Harrington, 45, and then Specialist James Green, 23. 'We are Vanessa Guilln': killing puts sexual violence in US military in focus, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. However, efforts to pass legislation reforming military justice faltered over a debate about commanders roles in prosecuting sexual assault. That is the opposite of what hes been consistently saying.. Vanessa Guillen in Fort Worth, Texas in July 2020. Before she went missing, Guilln had told her family she had been sexually harassed by a supervisor. (The Boley case remains unsolved.) (His sons alleged killer is in custody awaiting trial.) Lynch and Speier said they would report the conditions and circumstances that could have contributed to the soldiers deaths and seek justice on behalf of soldiers and families who may have been failed by a military system and culture that was ultimately responsible for their care and protection. Vanessa Guillen, who died by suspected homicide. They lied to us since day one, Mayra Guilln, Vanessas sister, said in an anguished press conference last week. FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. (WWBT) - What was once Fort Lee's Army base now bears the names of two Black military officers. A body believed to be the missing 23-year-old soldier was discovered hanging from a tree Aug. 25 in Temple, about 30 miles from the base. Military police arrested Noah Edwin Anthony, 23, on March 3, 2022, court documents show. I want her alive because she entered [Fort Hood] alive, Gloria Guillen, Vanessa Guillens mother, said in Spanish at an emotional press conference outside of the base on June 23. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital He wondered if it was something he had eaten and carried on with his shift. The Army is investigating Graham's death. The soldiers said that Guillens belongings had been found in the arms room, but otherwise she had left no trace. (The person who called in with the tip declined to collect the reward. As distressing as the remains in shallow graves or the missing hyoid bone is the fatalism from soldiers and locals alike. The hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen spread across social media as service members shared stories of sexual violence and harassment in a #MeToo reckoning for the military, as the country also grapples with the wider indictments of systemic racial discrimination and injustice following the killing of George Floyd. We need a neutral agency, to oversee claims of sexual harassment and assault, Khawam says, one with no stake in the game., I joined the Navy at 19. It was also an ancient Comanche Native American burial ground, discovered when construction workers unearthed more than 2,200 grave sites in 1998. Far from itthe military was operating as it had been intended. He died in 1879, leaving a troubled legacy that is only now beginning to be questioned. Guillens superior confirmed she was missing. Without any sense of purpose, the suffering at Fort Hood had started to lose its meaning. Guillen is from Houston, a three-hour drive south east of Fort Hood, where she relocated after first being stationed in Virginia, according to Houston KPRC 2. Why was Robinson not put under watch? Several investigations sparked by Guilln's death led to the removal of 14 base leaders in December 2020. In 1941, Private Felix Hall was lynched by fellow soldiers, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Guillens case sparked national attention after she was allegedly murdered by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood in Texas in April, then dismembered and her remains dumped. The 2020 murder of Spc. The family of Guilln, whose remains were found on 1 July, has rallied from Texas to the doors of the White House calling for a congressional investigation. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Fernandes had just been stationed at Fort Hood in January. A annual report by the Pentagon revealed that in fiscal year 2019 the Army received 5.5 reports of sexual assault per every 1,000 soldiers, a rate that did not change from the previous year, and doesnt account for those who choose not to report their assaults. Fort Hood had refused to list him as missing, and it was only after his then fiance, Paradise Rodriguez, posted a video on Facebook that an officer at the parish jail saw it and got into contact. Ive been in places that are nominally deemed unsafe, and Killeen just had a bit of a vibe, to use an unscientific term. IE 11 is not supported. LULAC leaders said the soldier's parents stated their daughter had complained about repeated sexual harassment by other service members, including one of her superiors. The next day, Wedel-Morales failed to show up for duty, and the day after that, he was classified as absent without leave, making him one of the thousand or so soldiers who go AWOL in any given year. After 8 p.m., Guillens sister Mayra called the base. New HBO Max series Love & Death anchors a Texas true crime story in the human condition. By Nicole Lopez. What happened on that base and in the Army to cause this person who is normally very [kind] and responsive to all of a sudden leave and shut down?, When I asked soldiers at Fort Hood what they thought was the matter on base, they mentioned toxic leadership, a catholic term that seemed to encompass all: lack of care, general command climate, and so-called toxic masculinity. Casteel had been stationed at Fort Hood since the end of June, where hed been bullied for a spinal injury that consigned him to desk duties. These figures eclipse American casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq in the same year. "The Iron Eagle team is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and teammate. Ever since returning from a deployment to Iraq in February 2019shipped off two months after basic training for a nine-month tourRing had become withdrawn, developed a drinking problem, and had been arrested for drunk driving. If he killed himself, dont they want to know why?. There had been a few people, then it was a group run of 11. On August 17, Sergeant Elder Fernandes, 23, disappeared. There was a deep cut above his left eye, and cuts all over his legs. His wife, Christal, was denied her husbands mobile phone, the final investigation report, and even his corpse, until Texas Congressman Ron Wright stepped in on that front. Later came Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese, who still run sushi and pho restaurants in Killeen. The Pentagon, in a document attached to the suicide figures, cautioned against ranking them by risk, noting that the populations of the . I asked him directly if he wasnt willing to speak because of position and he signaled yes, and he said, Id rather tell you in person. , Several days later, Rodriguez learned that Casteel had been committed to a hospital on base. Heather OsbourneAustin American-Statesman via AP, Inside the Utah National Guard DC Deployment. By then Wedel-Morales had grown distant from his family in Oklahoma, who had not been told of the marriage. In a particular blow to the Florida governor, one Texas Republican said he decided to endorse Trump specifically after meeting with DeSantis. We are Vanessa Guilln, thats our story too, it could have easily been any one of us, said Tristeza Ordex, a retired marine corps staff sergeant who helped start the letter along with Pam Campos-Palma, a former intelligence analyst and community organizer. Why hadnt the arms room been treated like the crime scene it was? That September, Wedel-Morales, who was from rural Oklahoma, was due to be honorably discharged from the military. She is one of six children in her family. . The tributaries that run through Fort Hood flow into the Leon River, where Guillens remains were later found. The study also notes that the prevalence of sexual assault is high and has increased since 2016. Private Morta died on. ABC News' Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report. Sexual assault in the military has long been an issue. The Army is about to leave the house from this visit they had. This was true of many I met at Fort Hood, including press officer Major Gabriela Thompson, my tour guide on base, who told me she joined to pay off her student loans: It was my ticket out, she said, echoing other soldiers sentiments about how the military had rescued them from hardscrabble existences. Gloria had noticed her losing weight and pressed her for why. Specialist Vanessa Guillens father, Rogelio, wondered if I shouldnt carry a gun. But survivors and advocates already know the limits of congressional advocacy. We are deeply saddened by the loss of PV2 Ana Basaldua Ruiz, and we extend our sympathies to her father, mother, and her sister, said Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, commander of the 91st Engineer Battalion. She told family and friends that she was being sexual harassed by two different soldiers who outranked her, including Robinson, but never formally reported the allegations, fearing retaliation. Combat engineer Pvt. My entire deployment I was catcalled, and called names, wrote Crystal De Los Rios in a Facebook post as part of the #IAmVanessaGuillen campaign. So much of reporting is opening yourself up to chance, and there I was, compulsively locking and relocking the rental car door. First came the British and Germans. Fort Worth is on . Khawam said Army officials, accompanied by an Army chaplain, met with Guillens family on Sunday to inform them that Guillen was dead. Beyond the base, gas station attendants and restaurant servers, many of whom were veterans or had ties to the military, all seemed resigned to certain fates. Fort Hood concluded Chee had died in training. She was talking about college. Soldiers cannot sue the military for harm, and have little recourse aside from reporting up the chain of command. At CPAC In Dallas, Conservative Elites Urge Activists To Stay Motivated Against Democrats, Less Drilling Plus Millions Eager To Hit The Road Means Higher Gas Prices For Now, Houstonians Are Slowly Going Back Into The Office But Many Dont Want To, Texas Republicans push to end countywide voting. On June 21, CID, the Bell County Sheriffs Office and Texas Rangers identified a burn site and disturbed earth near Leon River, but did not find remains that day. The departments estimated number of sexual assaults rose sharply between 2016 and 2018, an increase driven mostly by women aged 17 to 24, like Guilln. The U.S. Army has fired or suspended 14 officers and soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, following an investigation into sexual assaults and murders at the base, including the bludgeoning to . There were no Black residents in town until the early 1950s. I will tell you everything. Fernandes was dropped off at his friends house the next day, August 17, never to be seen again. The 20-year-old small arms specialist, then a private first class, was supposed to be off that day, so she showed up in civilian clothesblack tee, purple leggings, and a fanny pack. He died the evening of September 2. I went through with mine and they all got a slap on the wrist. A mural in Austin in remembrance of Fort Hood Army Spc. Two witnesses had seen Robinson roll a black cargo box out of the arms room and through the parking lot, where he loaded it into his car and drove away, contradicting an earlier affidavit from three soldiers who falsely claimed they had seen Guillen departing the arms room earlier. And military leaders have struggled to deal with the culture Jeong says is driving the violence. (Fort Hood does not count Moore in its official casualty list, as he was a member of the National Guard.). As we speak, they are in prayer at the house, she said. At least 159 Fort Hood soldiers died out of combat between 2016 and last year, including seven homicides and 71 suicides, according to an analysis by The New York Times. It installed 35 firing ranges, 18 chapels, three bowling alleys, and 1,384 barracks that would house, at its peak, 95,000 soldiers, the most densely populated military base, at a cost of $35 million. That morning, Guillen had left her third-floor barracks and headed downstairs to her work station at the motor pool, a vast garage for military vehicles. An investigation is currently underway to determine whether she was sexually harassed. They are part of Killeens population of 151,000, many transient and very young, two thirds of whom have military ties. A criminal complaint notes that both Robinson and Aguilar had previously been questioned by the CID, but at first denied being involved with Guillens disappearance. This is an epidemic in our military system, in our culture. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. Before Fort Hood was built, the land was used for grazing by some 3,000 farmers and ranchers, according to Gerald D. Skidmore, a Killeen historian. All Rights Reserved. According to the letter, the subcommittees will jointly investigate if recent deaths may be symptomatic of underlying leadership, discipline and morale deficiencies throughout the chain-of-command. Updated: 5:56 PM CDT November 2, 2021. The Army charged a fellow soldier with Guillns murder, though that soldier killed himself before charges were announced. This increase is very troubling and shows that the Armys sexual assault prevention strategies have not achieved their intended results, the report says. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Her ID, car key, room key and wallet were all found in the army barrack where she had been working earlier in the day. There have been several unsolved deaths or disappearances at the base. That American imperialism is imploding, and the blast force radiates inward. After he returned to Fort Hood, Rodriguez managed to get Casteel on a video call. She had been working that day to confirm serial numbers for weapons and equipment. Firefighters discovered Mitchell with multiple gunshot wounds after responding to what they initially thought was a car crash, police said. Several other investigations into conduct at Food Hood are also under way, including one examining the allegations that Guilln was sexually harassed, and another on the support given to those who report sexual harassment and sexual assault. The military is necessarily an institution of state-sanctioned violence, where we teach our young to kill on our behalf in the name of ideologies such as patriotism or democracy. From the age of 18, the only thing I knew how to do was kill people, Ring wrote on the website of his fathers veterans rights organization. Namely, the military. When Ailina offered the Fort Hood authorities the contents of her sons car, including a laptop, iPad, and external hard drive, they declined to investigate further. On my very first deployment, new girl, fresh meat. First . On April 29, it was Private Joshua Barnwell, 19. Racism could also be a factor. Stump was going 82 mph in a 30-mph zone, the investigation report said, and had hit a tree on a mound. If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. Fort Hood was cast under intense scrutiny when Guilln, a 20-year-old soldier, disappeared from the military base in Bell County on April 22, 2020. Vanessa Guillen is painted on 14th Street NW in Washington July 13. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. On July 1, Fort Hood officials announced that the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and other law enforcement were attempting to locate a junior soldier from Fort Hood who fled the post late on June 30. Now the family is calling on Congress to pass a bill in Vanessa Guillens name that would change the way sexual harassment and assault is reported in the military. Graham, of Cherryville, North Carolina, was found unresponsive in her barracks room at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and pronounced dead by emergency personnel, officials said. Most of the groups were aboveboard, even as they were ruled by certain strictures for meeting attendance, dress code, and how to appropriately signal respect. Fort Hood was founded in January 1942 as a training ground for tank destroyers, selected for its varied terrain. Morales was reported missing in August 2019. From here, wars are launched. She pleaded not guilty. Their minds both turned to Vanessa, whose hourly texts to family members had gone silent. After a chase along Rancier Avenue, the same street near which Lovell was found dead, Robinson shot himself and died. Fort Bragg is the largest military base in the U.S. and the command post for the Army's most elite units, such as Delta Force and the Green Berets, which have borne a disproportionate burden. Linda Schweers, whose specialist son, Justin, died in a car crash in June while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, wanted me to be careful of cartels, which she said ran the area. Ana Basaldua Ruiz died Monday at the base, Fort Hood said in a news release. Robinson fled Fort Hood on June 30, and the complaint says he killed himself that evening after being confronted by police. He refused to send a selfie or get on a video chat and began using a strange and unfamiliar speech pattern. The 20-year-old soldier said she was being sexually harassed by superiors before her dismembered body was found in Texas. In death, she is no longer a daughter or a sister or a partner. They are brave soldiers protecting us, and especially now, we need legislation.. The base was named after John Bell Hood, a Confederate general from a family that enslaved people in Kentucky, who made his name by breaking a Union line at Elthams Landing in Virginia and who, by todays standards, likely suffered from PTSD. She doesnt belong to the Army anymore, AnaLuisa Tapia, a local organizer, told me. The 28th death at Fort Hood this year occurred last week. (There was also literal toxicity on base in that some of the mold-infested barracks where soldiers lived were technically condemned, according to Maureen Elliott, a military spouse and a housing advocate.). Guillens disappearance sparked protests and her family said she was sexually harassed before she went missing. "Her loss is felt not just in our formations but across the Army. How had he managed to escapeand where had he gotten his gun? The Dallas Police Department has identified two suspects who are wanted in a shooting in June 2022 . We lost a skilled human resource specialist who wanted nothing more than to serve her country and her battle buddies.".