Army rules Vanessa Guillen death as ‘in line of duty,’ grants benefits

[Elderberry]

American Military News  October 21, 2020 Heather Osbourne - Austin American Statesman

Fort Hood officials on Tuesday said the family of U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen received word that the Army classified the soldier’s death as “in the line of duty.”

Army officials spoke with the Guillen family of Houston, saying the new classification would allow them to receive Army benefits on behalf of the 20-year-old who is thought to have been killed by a fellow soldier on post, Fort Hood officials said in a written statement.

Typically, those benefits include compensation to help the family with expenses, a funeral with full military honors, life insurance and final pay and allowances.

However, the Guillen family will not utilize the funeral offered to them by the Army because the soldier was buried in August.

Guillen was last seen while working in a Fort Hood weapons room in April. Her dismembered remains were found a few months later near the Leon River in Bell County.

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/10/army-rules-vanessa-guillen-death-as-in-line-of-duty-grants-benefits/