Vanessa Guillen's Entire Fort Hood Chain of Command Fired

Spc. Vanessa Guillen's entire chain of command has been fired during the disciplinary action hearing that took place last month at Fort Hood, an army official said on Thursday.

Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston told soldiers at the base that all people in the chain of command responsible for Guillen's death, from her squad to the battalion, were fired.

Grinston cited the firings of the chain of command as an example of how the Army should handle leaders who allow harsh behavior to persist in their ranks, a report from Stars and Stripes said.

Members of Vanessa Guillen's platoon and company were also taken off their ranks, Grinston said. Initially, only leaders at the brigade level of Guillen's chain of command were known to be fired in the disciplinary action hearing last Dec. 8 as part of the Army's personnel privacy policy.

But Grinston confirmed that there were at least two dozen more enlisted soldiers with 14 leaders who were fired as well, Hip Latina reported.

Poor Leadership in Chain of Command was Root of Fort Hood 'Climate, Culture'

Previously named officials fired in the chain of command included Gen. Scott Efflandt, acting base commander at the time of Vanessa Guillen's disappearance and death, and Col. Ralph Overland and Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley Knapp.

Maj. Gen Jeff Broadwater and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Kenny were also suspended, pending the results of a new investigation on the unit's climate and actions against sexual harassment. Kenny was not part of Vanessa Guillen's chain of command.

During the December hearing, an independent committee for the base, Fort Hood Independent Review Committee, cited poor leadership at the base that stemmed from "climate and culture" problems in Fort Hood's chain of command.

Changes to Fort Hood After Vanessa Guillen's Death Won't Last, Soldiers Say

Last month's firings were discussed by Grinston in a visit to Fort Hood. He noted that leaders couldn't act on problems that they don't know about, so they encouraged soldiers to report any misconduct.

However, many soldiers in the base candidly expressed their belief that if there would be changes in Fort Hood, they aren't bound to last. Many of them believe that Grinston was only visiting to "check the box," reported Military.com.

"The whole U.S. is watching Fort Hood. They want to see you here," one soldier asserted. But another thought Grinston's intentions in his visit was actually out of genuine concern.

"Most people don't ask us questions," she said. "You asked. I think you care."

With these comments, Grinston said he appreciated the soldiers' honesty and told the group, "There's a lot going on in the world right now... but I'm here. I don't want to go back to what it was three months from now."

Vanessa Guillen served as a small arms repairer in a Fort Hood engineer squadron. She was reported missing from the base in April 2020.

A two-month-long search for her started, but many questioned these efforts, the conditions of the base, and its sexual assault and harassment program. Investigators identified Spc. Aaron Robinson as the killer after they found her body on June 30, 2020, about 20 miles away from the base.