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U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston) is a part of the group of Congress members who gathered at Fort Hood to continue the investigation of the U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén’s death and introduce the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act, a legislation in her name, intended to enforce discipline acts following sexual assault accusations.
The command has detailed several changes made at the base to prevent similar acts of violence in the future.
"We will not rest until we can get #justiceforVanessaGuillen,” Garcia said.
The investigation, led by the FBI, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and other federal law enforcement agencies, has made recent findings that prove Guillén’s attempt to report two sexual harassment instances, during which she was approached by a supervisor and asked to engage in “a three-some” in summer 2019, and during another incident in which the same supervisor followed her as she engaged in acts of personal hygiene. Both occurrences were ruled to be unrelated to her murder, which was perpetrated by Spc. Aaron Robinson. The division failed to reprimand the supervisor or take any appropriate reformative action following the incidents and continued harassment.
"They knew of the aggressive and counterproductive leadership but took no action," Fox News quoted from a related report drafted by commanding general of Army Futures Command John Murray. "Senior non-commissioned officers were aware of the concerns with this supervisor and failed to advise their leadership before this individual was moved from one squadron to another."
Following the murder, various efforts were implemented to improve the Army’s response to sexual assault accusations. According to ABC 13, the changes include a Civilian-led Army Criminal Investigation Command to oversee logistics and administrative duties and the removal of the Office of the Provost Marshall General, additional staff to work on cases and the expulsion of 14 Fort Hood-based leaders and General Officer Memorandums of Reprimand for 13 current leaders.
According to the CID commander, Maj. Gen. Donna Martin, the changes will first be applied to three of the largest Army bases, Fort Hood, Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Carson in Colorado. Though the exact cost of the improvements was not disclosed, the funding will be allocated to the bases over a span of five years.
The Fort Hood independent review panel in charge of drafting the needed reformations within the bases was formed last year by former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. The review panel has revealed findings that suggest a lack of organization and understaffed inquiries at the Army CID. The changes resemble similar guidelines put in place by the Navy in 1992 after Navy and Marine officers sexually assaulted dozens of women at a hotel in Las Vegas.
"We are very confident these organizational changes address the committee's CID-related recommendations and lead us into the future," said acting Army Secretary John Whitley, in a prepared statement.