Fort Hood NCOs Prevented Soldiers from Reporting Crimes, Investigators Tell Congress
16 Mar 2021
Military.com | By Steve Beynon
Investigators tasked with analyzing chronic leadership failures at Fort Hood, Texas, pointed to noncommissioned officers perpetuating a culture of fear and preventing soldiers from reporting crimes.
"There was a serious risk there that should've been known by the leadership. The NCOs became the blockers. They did not facilitate or encourage reporting and were part of the shaming of victims," Chris Swecker, a North Carolina lawyer and former FBI inspector who led the review, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday.
In December, the Army fired, suspended or otherwise punished 14 leaders after Fort Hood was rocked by a series of suicides, murders, and cases of sexual assault and harassment. The actions were spurred by the violent death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who was missing for nearly two months before her remains were found.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/16/fort-hood-ncos-prevented-soldiers-reporting-crimes-investigators-tell-congress.html
