‘Rookies’ at Ft. Hood investigated missing soldiers, panel finds

FORT HOOD, Texas (KTRK) — The House Armed Services Committee held Congressional hearings Tuesday to review findings and recommendations about Fort Hood, where Houston soldier Vanessa Guillen died nearly a year ago,

The hearings took a closer look at how the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division should be conducting its work.

Guillen’s death happened almost a year ago, on April 22.

Her family has been vocal and critical of how the Army handled the initial reports of her disappearance and the investigation that followed, saying not enough was done.

More light has also been shed on what happened to Guillen leading up to her disappearance, including allegations of sexual harassment at Fort Hood. That led to serious questions about safety on the base and safety of the soldiers.

As part of the hearing, members of an independent review committee gave an update on what changes have been made and what else needs to be done.

Guillen’s story angered many, with strong calls for change coming from members of the community as well as elected officials like Houston Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia.

“There definitely seems to be something in the water at Fort Hood. There have just been too many soldiers that have gone missing. There’s too many soldiers that have ultimately died. There’s too many soldiers, it looks like, that make complaints that nothing happens,” Garcia said in September.

Some changes have already been made at Fort Hood as leadership works through a list of 70 different recommendations identified for improvement.

Among the items implemented already: the creation of a female mentorship program and training for soldiers to better identify the warning signs of sexual misconduct.