Showing posts with label Fort Hood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Hood. Show all posts

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Another Fort Hood Solider Found Dead of Gunshot Wound

Soldier found dead in Texas identified as Bellevue native
By Source: Fort Hood Public Affairs Office
Sep 21, 2016


FORT HOOD, Texas A soldier killed by an apparent gunshot wound in Killeen, Texas has been identified as a Bellevue native.

Fort Hood officials identified him as Pvt. Nathan Joshua Berg, 20. He was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound Sept. 17 in Killeen, Texas.

Pvt. Berg, whose home of record is listed as Bellevue, Nebraska, entered active-duty military service in May 2016 as an combat engineer. He was assigned to Reception Detachment, United States Army Garrison, Fort Hood, Texas, since September 2016.
read more here

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Fort Hood: Ret. General Robert Cone Passed Away at 59

Former TRADOC, Fort Hood commander Gen. Robert Cone dies
Army Times
By: Kevin Lilley and Michelle Tan
September 20, 2016

Left to right, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, first lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry pray at a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, for the victims of the Fort Hood shootings on Nov. 10, 2009.
Photo Credit: Jay Janner/Pool via AP
Retired Gen. Robert Cone, who led Army Training and Doctrine Command and was the top general for III Corps during the deadly 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13 people, has died at age 59.

“He was a great friend, a brave warrior and a uniquely gifted Army leader. His loss leaves a big hole in our ranks and in our lives,” said retired Gen. Carter Ham, president of the Association of the U.S. Army, in a statement.
read more here

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Fort Hood 2nd Lt. Found Unresponsive At Home

Army investigating death of Fort Hood officer, 23
Army Times

By: Staff report
September 16, 2016

A 23-year-old officer was found unresponsive in his Fort Hood residence Tuesday and pronounced dead 90 minutes later at the Texas installation's medical center.

The death of 2nd Lt. Andrew J. Hunt is under investigation, Fort Hood officials said in a Friday news release. No further details were provided.
read more here

Friday, September 16, 2016

Fort Hood Rescue Efforts Delayed After Black Hawk Crash

Report: Black Hawk crash rescue efforts stalled nearly 3 hours 
Killeen Daily Herald
By David A. Bryant
Herald staff writer
September 15, 2016

FORT HOOD — Search and rescue operations were not launched for nearly three hours after a fatal Black Hawk helicopter crash on Fort Hood in November due to a series of delays in communication.

Sgt. 1st Class Toby Childers


The UH-60 Black Hawk carrying four soldiers crashed at approximately 5:30 p.m. Nov. 23, 2015, in a training area on Fort Hood. The aircraft was reported missing about 20 minutes later when the crew failed to report over the radio on schedule and was classified as overdue, according to a report on the crash.

Search and rescue missions should begin after officials are unable to make contact. However, an attempt to locate the aircraft was made before notifying the authorities responsible for initiating a search.

There was a nearly three-hour delay in launching those rescue efforts, according to the facts, findings and recommendations section of the internal investigation released Wednesday by First Army.

Regulations state the Installation Operations Center (IOC) on Fort Hood is responsible for initiating search and rescue. However, officials at the IOC seemed “unaware of their role in the overdue aircraft battle drill,” according to the internal investigation.

The report further stated the cause of the crash that killed Sgt. 1st Class Toby Childers, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen B. Cooley, Sgt. 1st Class Jason M. Smith and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael F. Tharp was due to pilot error while attempting a combat maneuvering flight technique called a break turn.
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Fort Hood Police Officer Inspires After Amputation

Fort Hood Police Officer Dedicates Life to Serving Others Despite Disability
KCEN
September 15, 2016

FORT HOOD- Retired Sergeant William Fisher is new to the Fort Hood Police Department, and he is already turning heads. In fact, as far as Fisher knows, he is the only officer of his kind in the entire Department of Defense.

“To be honest with you, yes I was surprised. He wants to be treated like one of the guys, and so far there has been nothing put in front of him that he cannot do,” said Fort Hood Police Captain Rex Spicer.

It is not Fisher’s 16 years of military service or his dedication to serving others that sets him apart. It’s something entirely different that makes him special.

“Wearing pants all the time you really can’t tell that I’m an amputee,” said Fisher. “It is what it is. You can’t change it. You learn to live with it and adapt to it.”

In August of 2009, Fisher was deployed in Iraq when he fell 40-feet from an overlook. As he landed standing up, he crushed his right ankle and broke his back.

“After four years and six surgeries on my ankle of trying to revive it, fix it, and fuse it together, my life vs. the pain wasn’t worth it,” he said. “Amputation was probably the best decision I ever had to make concerning my injury.”

After amputating his right leg in 2013 and medically retiring from the Army, Fisher began his journey of public service as a civilian. After a recommendation to join law enforcement, he started a nine-week course to become a military police officer.
read more here

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier Died in Motorcycle Crash Fleeing Police

Fort Hood soldier dies after motorcycle crash
KWTX News
September 10, 2016

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) Killeen Police said a Fort Hood soldier has died after he crashed his motorcycle fleeing from police.

He has been identified as 20-year-old Stacy Hardy.

Around 10 p.m. Friday night, Killeen Police officers tried to pull over Hardy for speeding while riding a Suzuki motorcycle near Elms Road and Fort Hood Street.

The driver continued to flee from police at over 100 miles per hour. Police said the officers were led on a pursuit, but were forced to slow down because of heavy traffic and they "saw the motorcycle driving recklessly between vehicles that were stopped."
read more here

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier Found Dead in Barracks

FORT HOOD SOLDIER FROM MAYWOOD, ILL., FOUND DEAD IN BARRACKS
ABC 7 News Chicago
Associated Press
August 22, 2016

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a Fort Hood soldier from Illinois.

Spc. Dion Shannon Servant, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
(Fort Hood Press Center)
Spc. Dion Shannon Servant was found unresponsive in his barracks room at the Texas military base on Aug. 19.

The 24-year-old entered active-duty service in June 2014 as a petroleum supply specialist. He was assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since December 2014.
read more here

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier's Death Under Investigation

Fort Hood officials ID soldier found dead in Copperas Cove
Army Times
Staff report
August 10, 2016

Officials on Tuesday released the name of a soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, who was found unresponsive last week.

Sgt. Calvin Wenceslao Aguilar. (Photo: Army)
Sgt. Calvin Wenceslao Aguilar, 32, was found Thursday in Copperas Cove, Texas. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation.

Aguilar, who was from Hayward, California, joined the Army in October 2006 as a working dog handler. He had been assigned to the Fort Hood-based 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade since July 2013.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Veteran of 3 Wars, Abandoned By Family, Buried By Bonds of Love

Military "Family" Buries Veteran Local Family Won't Claim
KCEN
Rissa Shaw
July 27, 2016

Bundy served in the Army from 1942-1963, seeing combat in both World War II and the Korean War, and was active duty during Vietnam before retiring from Fort Hood as a Sergeant. Officials said he served honorably and would receive full military honors.
KILLEEN - His family wouldn't claim him, but the military did.

On Monday, a local veteran who fought for our freedom through three wars, was laid to rest in Killeen.


While Walter Scott Bundy Junior's living family members didn't show up to his burial service at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, many did to show support for the man they said was their 'brother' in every sense of the word.

"They have a home, they have a family," said Eric Brown, Deputy Director of the Texas State Veterans Cemeteries.

Many who attended the ceremony saluted Bundy, laid their hands on his urn, even gave money to the man they'd never met.

"No one is ever forgotten, they're lost but never forgotten," said Army Staff Sgt. Christopher DeRouen.

Dozens of soldiers, past and present, came to Killeen to honor one of their own who died without a family of his own.
read more here

Friday, July 15, 2016

Solider From Florida Found Dead at Paintball Court

Fort Hood releases name of Soldier found dead at Belton Lake paintball court
KCEN

Brandon Gray
July 14, 2016

SPC Alexander Michael Johnson, 21 (Photo: Custom)
FORT HOOD, Texas -- Fort Hood officials have released the name of a Solider that was found dead Tuesday near the Belton Lake Recreation Area paintball course, according to a press release.

SPC Alexander Michael Johnson, 21, whose home of record is Mulberry, Florida, entered active-duty military service in July 2013 as an AH-64 attack helicopter repairer. He was assigned to 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, since March 2014.
read more here

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Fort Hood Soldiers Saved Stranger From Suicide

Fort Hood Soldiers Save Stranger from Committing Suicide
KCEN
Tiffany Pelt
July 12, 2016

Two men helped a stranger off the ledge and saved his life. What Bonilla and Hinson did not know at the time, is they had just saved the life of a fellow soldier.
ELTON - On June 5th a man balanced on a wall 60 feet in the air. The ledge was maybe a foot wide, and it was part of the Lake Belton scenic overlook near the dam. Many people passed him but paid no attention. Was he a thrill seeker? Maybe. But a closer look would show the man teetering on the edge was about to take his own life.

Many people were there that day. They were at the right spot at the right time to intervene with a suicide. But only two people would really look and see a man who needed help.

“He wasn’t talkative. He was by himself and I knew something was wrong,” said Specialist Victor Bonilla, a Fort Hood soldier with the First Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade.

Bonilla and his roommate, Private First Class Ruslan Hinson, were bored that day. They decided to leave the barracks and explore Lake Belton. That decision would forever change their lives and the life of a complete stranger.

It wasn’t until they were leaving the scenic overlook that they saw the man standing on the ledge. “He was crying. He was emotional and upset,” said Hinson. “We just reacted. We didn’t even have time to think.”
read more here

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Fort Hood Soldiers Shot At July 4th

Good Samaritan act turns deadly for soldiers
Killeen Daily Herald
By David A. Bryant
Herald staff writer
July 9, 2016

NEW BRAUNFELS — Affidavits on two suspects arrested after a shootout with seven Fort Hood soldiers July 4 show that an act of Good Samaritanship on the part of the soldiers ended with acts of violence against the “Army guys.”

Jesus Ricardo Gallegos
The arrest affidavits for 24-year-old Jesus Ricardo Gallegos and 26-year-old Sarah Ann Garzes, both of San Antonio, state the two are charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The suspects were apparently in a heated argument fueled by alcohol, which attracted the notice of the soldiers.

According to the report by the New Braunfels Police Department, one of the soldiers involved stated he and his friends had arrived at Prince Solms Park with the intention of sleeping in their trucks overnight and spending the Independence Day holiday by cooking food and floating the river. After hearing the disturbance, the soldier followed his friends to provide assistance, but began returning to their vehicles when they found the female involved was not in need of help and was actually the aggressor.
The soldier said he heard the sound of a semi-automatic pistol being charged, turned around and saw a man holding a gun to his head. He ducked, heard a gunshot then quickly ran back to his truck to the sound of more shots being fired and the sound of one of his friends returning fire.

Another soldier interviewed by police said he saw the male suspect come up behind his fellow soldier, point a gun at his head and pull the trigger. He saw his friend duck in time to avoid being shot in the head and described the pistol as black with an extended magazine clip.
read more here

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Seven Fort Hood Soldiers July 4th Shootout

Update

Couple charged after man shoots at Fort Hood soldiers in New Braunfels


Police: Fort Hood soldier returned fire as others ran for cover
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp
Herald staff writer
July 4, 2016

One soldier was able to get to his vehicle and retrieved his personal .40 caliber handgun and he began firing as well, laying down what he described as ‘cover fire’ so that his fellow soldiers could reach cover.”

Several Fort Hood soldiers had to put their combat training to use during a Fourth of July shootout after police said the soldiers tried to break up a domestic disturbance at Prince Solms Park in New Braunfels early Monday.

New Braunfels Police Department officers arrived at the park about 1:30 a.m. after multiple shots were reportedly fired and began to investigate what happened, according to a news release.

“That investigation revealed that a total of seven soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, had arrived in the park shortly after 1 a.m.,” the news release said. “The soldiers explained to officers that shortly before 1:30 a.m. they had witnessed a disturbance between a male and female in the parking lot of the park, and they had intervened. The soldiers believed they had successfully de-escalated the situation and began to walk back to their vehicle.”

But the soldiers told police that after walking away, the female involved in the dispute ran back to her boyfriend’s car, retrieved a 9 mm handgun from under the driver’s seat and handed it to her boyfriend, who allegedly opened fire on the soldiers as they scattered for cover.
read more here

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier From Ohio Died At Temple Hospital

Fort Hood soldier dies at Temple hospital
Killeen Daily Herald
June 24, 2016

FORT HOOD — Fort Hood officials released the name of a soldier who died June 22 from an illness at Scott and White Hospital in Temple.

Chief Warrant Officer-3 Michael Steven Adkins, 37, whose home of record is Wooster, Ohio, entered active-duty military service in January 1997 as a quartermaster technician. He was assigned to the 206th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Hood since 2013.

Adkins deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2002 to August 2003, March 2004 to January 2005 and from July 2009 to July 2010. He also deployed in support of Operation New Dawn from June 2011 to November 2011.
read more here

Sunday, June 19, 2016

When Will Fort Hood Families Receive Justice?

Lawyer for 2009 Fort Hood shooting victims seeks resumption of long-delayed civil case
Army Times
Kevin Lilley
June 18, 2016

Nearly seven years after an Army major’s shooting rampage left 13 dead and dozens wounded at Fort Hood, Texas, lawyers for about 130 of the victims and family members have asked a federal judge to lift a stay in their civil case against the service and other defendants.

While many of those killed or injured received Purple Heart Medals (and the financial benefits that accompany those awards) in 2015, Reed Rubinstein, one of the lawyers on the case, said the Army and other defendants – including the FBI – have yet to pay in full the debt owed to the victims.

“Nothing, nothing is going to happen on this case, if the government has its way, until well into 2017,” said Rubinstein, who first filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in November 2012. “Long after the people involved are gone, and presumably … long after everybody will have forgotten about Fort Hood.”


The complaint cites multiple reports on the killings, including a Senate report that outlines Hasan’s statements in support of extremism in the years before the shooting. Lawyers for the victims also point to a 2013 letter from three members of Congress to then-Army Secretary John McHugh, saying the hands-off approach to Hasan despite his statements that seemed to link him to extreme Muslim ideology, and the promotions he received after making them, amounted to “preferential treatment” given because of his Muslim faith.
That treatment, Rubinstein said, ultimately resulted in the Army failing to stop Hasan’s actions.
“It seems like it’s happening over and over again,” Rubinstein said, alluding to the more recent shootings in San Bernardino and Orlando. “These shooters are being identified. It’s not like they’re missed or weren’t discovered. They’re discovered, and somebody makes the determination to let it drop.”

read more here

Friday, June 10, 2016

Fort Hood Soldier Found Dead At Home

Fort Hood IDs soldier found dead in off-post home 
Army Times 
Staff report 
June 10, 2016 

A 34-year-old 1st Cavalry Division soldier died Wednesday after he was found unresponsive at his off-post home near Fort Hood, the Texas installation announced Friday. 

Sgt. Duane Cass Shaw III was taken to a hospital in nearby Temple, where he was pronounced dead. No further details were provided; the incident is under investigation, according to a Friday news release. read more here

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Soldier Died After Being Found at Fort Hood Sportsmen Center

Update
The soldier has been identified.
Spc. Bernardino Guevara Jr., 21, of Roxbury, Massachusetts




Soldier found unresponsive at Fort Hood Sportsmen’s Center later dies
KWTX News
By Paul J. Gately
June 7, 2016

FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) Investigators at Fort Hood were looking into the death of a soldier who was found unresponsive Monday at the post’s Sportsmen’s Center, a III Corps and Fort Hood media spokesman confirmed.

The spokesman said the soldier was unresponsive at the scene and later died, but no other details were available.
read more here



Sunday, June 5, 2016

Two Fort Hood Soldiers Lost in Flood From Florida

Fort Hood releases names of soldiers killed in training accident
FOX News
June 5, 2016

Fort Hood officials released the names of eight of the nine soldiers Saturday who were killed earlier this week in Texas after floodwaters overturned an Army tactical vehicle at a low-water crossing during a training exercise.


Officials identified the soldiers as

Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, 38, of Brooklyn, New York
Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, 27, of Twentynine Palms, California
Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, 22, of Milton, Florida
Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, 23, of Palmetto, Florida
Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, 19, of San Angelo, Texas
Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, 20, of Dunn, North Carolina
Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, 21, of Jersey City, New Jersey
Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey, 21, of Valparaiso, Indiana.
Officials with the post said the name of the ninth soldier who died won’t be released until the family can be notified.
read more here


Pfc. Zachery Fuller, 23, was a "health nut," she said. A Palmetto resident and third-generation soldier, he especially loved the camaraderie of the military.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Tragic End To Search for Fort Hood Soldiers, 9 Confirmed Dead

9 confirmed dead in Fort Hood training accident
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp
Herald Staff Writer
June 3, 2016

The search for four missing Fort Hood soldiers came to a tragic end Friday.

A total of nine Fort Hood soldiers were confirmed dead Friday evening, after rescue teams located the bodies of the remaining four soldiers missing after Thursday’s deadly Owl Creek accident.

Floodwaters swept away an Army vehicle Thursday, killing nine and injuring three. The three surviving soldiers were released from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood on Friday afternoon.

“On behalf of the city of Killeen, I extend my deepest sympathy to Fort Hood,” said Mayor Jose Segarra on Friday afternoon. “In times of tragedy, the bond between city and fort is ever present, and we stand ready to assist in the days to come.”
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Friday, June 3, 2016

First Responders Share Suffering With Fort Hood Families

First responder in Fort Hood tragedy speaks out
Killeen Daily Herald
Clay Thorp
Herald Staff Writer
June 3, 2016

“From myself, my officers and my crews, we’re here to help them and we’re devastated when we can’t. We can’t pretend to understand their pain. We can’t pretend to understand their loss. But we do share in their suffering.”
Jeff Mincy
Crews search for 4 missing in Texas from flooded Army truck
Morgan's Point Resort Fire and Rescue works on Lake Belton near the scene of an accident at Fort Hood at Owl Creek Park near Gatesville, Texas, on Thursday, June 2, 2016. Fort Hood says several soldiers are dead and six are missing after an Army troop truck was washed from a low-water crossing and overturned in a rain-swollen creek at Fort Hood in Central Texas. A statement from the Texas Army post says the accident happened about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in an area near Cold Springs and Owl Creek.

(Michael Miller/The Temple Daily Telegram via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
When Jeff Mincy arrived on the scene of a deadly swift water rescue on Fort Hood Thursday, he said, he didn't see the Army’s large troop carrying vehicle, which was later found in the usually dry Owl Creek.

“It was flowing pretty fast,” said Mincy, a seven-year chief of EMS in Coryell County, of Owl Creek. “I can’t estimate how fast it was flowing, but it was faster than I would have felt comfortable putting anything into the water. When we did find the vehicle, we could see the tires sticking up out of the water, so in that position where the vehicle settled, it had to have been about eight feet deep.”

Five Army soldiers died and at least three were injured in connection with the Army light medium tactical vehicle accident Thursday morning where Owl Creek meets East Range Road on Fort Hood.

Crews are still searching for at least four missing soldiers, according to Army officials.
read more here