American Military News by Heather Osbourne September 16, 2020
Legislation honoring slain Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen that would allow for third-party investigations into military sexual misconduct claims will be officially introduced on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., are the lead sponsors for the legislation dubbed the #IAmVanessaGuillen bill.
The hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen went viral on social media as the search for Guillen, a 20-year-old U.S. Army specialist stationed at Fort Hood, was at its peak. She had been last seen April 22 and her disappearance remained a mystery until her remains were discovered near the Leon River in Bell County on June 30.
Former and active-duty service members used #IAmVanessaGuillen to share personal accounts of sexual misconduct within the military, which raised public doubts about whether military leaders properly handle investigations into such matters.
While Army officials say they’ve found no substantial evidence that Guillen was the victim of sexual misconduct, her family maintains that Guillen was sexually harassed by one or more soldiers at Fort Hood.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/09/lawmakers-to-officially-introduce-iamvanessaguillen-bill-wednesday/
