Tag: women in military

There were likely ‘missed signals’ ahead of killing of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén, joint chiefs chairman says

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told lawmakers on Thursday that there “were probably some missed signals” leading up to the alleged murder of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén. “I suspect, though I don’t know, that there were probably some missed signals,” Milley told the House Armed Services Committee. “And one of the […]

More than 90 lawmakers demand an investigation into the Army’s handling of Vanessa Guillén case

The Army may have some explaining to do.  In the wake of the disappearance and alleged murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén from Fort Hood, dozens of lawmakers are calling on other U.S. agencies to investigate the Army’s handling of Guillén’s case, and the Army’s sexual assault prevention program.  Though Army investigators say they haven’t yet found evidence that Guillén was […]

Remains of Vanessa Guillen positively identified, family attorney says

The unidentified human remains found last week have been identified as those of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, her family’s attorney confirmed on Sunday. “On Friday July 3rd, the Army confirmed that the bones, hair and other remains that were found are Vanessa Guillen,” Natalie Khawam said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “We are […]

‘Nothing like this should ever happen to one of our own’ — Army leaders call for justice in case of Vanessa Guillen

Army leaders reaffirmed on Friday their commitment to “bring justice” to the family of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, the Fort Hood soldier who went missing over two months ago. “We are deeply saddened by events unfolding in the disappearance of SPC Vanessa Guillen,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said on Friday. “Vanessa was a valued member of […]

This is the Army’s message to parents of prospective soldiers in the wake of Vanessa Guillen’s disappearance

The timing of the Army’s nation-wide hiring campaign couldn’t have been much worse.  The service kicked off a three-day hiring spree on June 30, during which leaders hoped to bring in 10,000 new soldiers. The first-of-its-kind push was intended to turn every person affiliated with the service, including veterans, into “active” recruiters.  But at the […]

Army opens investigation into Fort Hood SHARP office amid disappearance of Vanessa Guillen

The Army has opened an investigation into the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program at Fort Hood amid a separate investigation into the disappearance of Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, a soldier missing from the base for more than two months. According to a Fort Hood press release, a seven-member team from the U.S. Army Forces […]

‘A failure of command’ — How one soldier’s sexual harassment case forced a reckoning among leaders in the Army Reserve

Military leaders have for many years made statements, held focus groups, organized fundraisers, and conducted surveys to get a better understanding of sexual assault and harassment within the ranks. They have deemed the problem unacceptable and vowed that it would be handled appropriately under their watch. Yet a case unraveling within a two-star Army Reserve […]

Service members are sharing their stories of sexual harassment and assault using #IAmVanessaGuillen

Many say they’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted themselves. Others say they know someone who was. Plenty say they felt hesitant to post about their experience. But none of them seem surprised. Over the last several days, women have been flooding social media with posts about their experiences with harassment and assault in the military using […]

Army investigating claims that missing Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed before her disappearance

A commander’s investigation at Fort Hood is examining allegations that Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen experienced sexually harassment in the ranks before she went missing in April.  Col. Ralph Overland, commander of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, has appointed a team overseen by a “senior investigating officer,” to conduct an AR 15-6 investigation into the allegations, according […]

Two of the latest soldiers to earn Ranger Tabs have made Army history

Two soldiers who graduated Ranger school last week have made history. A specialist became the first woman in her MOS — Human Intelligence Collector (35M) — to earn a Ranger tab; and a male sergeant first class became the first cyber operations specialist (17C) to do so, according to an email obtained by Task & […]