I read the Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee so you don't have to - although I encourage you to do so! It is 136 pp but is as consumable as it is disturbing.

For everyone else, I will highlight key points in this thread...

1/23

https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/forthoodreview/2020-12-03_FHIRC_report_redacted.pdf

A bit about my perspective: retired LE professional w/ background & passion for improving LE response to VAW, victims, victim svcs/rights, and gender bias issues. I've served as Chief of Police in 2 cities and am now consultant in VAW, victim svcs, & gender bias issues

2/23

FHIRC Committee Composition:
FBI agent
USMA grad & lawyer
Retired JAG
Retired USMC intl analyst & veteran svcs prof
USMA grad & attorney
Supported by 5 former FBI agents

NOTE: No local LE, no victim advocates, no experts on gender or VAW bias experts as core members

3/23

Some excerpts from FHIRC:

"no Commanding General or subordinate echelon commander chose to intervene proactively and mitigate known risks of high crime, sexual assault and sexual harassment"

4/23

"Sexual Assault Review Board (SARB) process was primarily utilized to address administrative and not the actual substantive aspects of the Program"

"Most of all, it lacked command emphasis"

5/23

"victims feared the inevitable consequences of reporting: ostracism, shunning and shaming, harsh treatment, and indelible damage to their career. Many have left the Army or plan to do so at the earliest opportunity"

6/23

"serious crime issues on and off Fort Hood were neither identified nor addressed. There was a conspicuous absence of an effective risk management approach to crime incident reduction and Soldier victimization"

7/23

FHIRC included 9 Findings:

1. Failed To Instill...Core Values

2. Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment...Significantly Underreported

3. SHARP Program Structurally Flawed

4. Investigations Division had Various Inefficiencies

8/23

5. Mechanics Of...Adjudication Processes Involving Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Degrade Confidence

6. Public Relations & Incident Management Have Deficiencies

9/23

7. No Procedures For 1st Line Supervisors In ‘Failure to Report’ Situations That Define Appropriate Actions In The Critical First 24 Hours

8. Unaddressed Crime Problems On Fort Hood, Because The Installation Is In A Fully Reactive Posture

10/23

9. Command Climate At Fort Hood Has Been Permissive Of Sexual Harassment / Sexual Assault

That one is worth repeating:
COMMAND CLIMATE PERMISSIVE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT & SEXUAL ASSAULT

11/23

"Report does not suggest – and, the Committee has not identified – a direct correlation between sexual harassment and sexual assault and the Army’s endeavors toward gender inclusion."

12/23

NOTE:
FHIRC Committee appears to have met with Civil Rights Orgs, Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, State Police, federal police, district attorneys, mayors but NOT with any victim services or women’s rights groups

13/23

"Fort Hood was identified as a high-risk installation for sexual assault as far back as 2014"

"in 2018, various climate indicators at Fort Hood were classified as “high risk”

"risk of...discrimination at Fort Hood was also high at an assigned level of 5" (out of 5)

14/23

Universal Fear of Retaliation, Exposure & Ostracism For Reporting Violations

"In one brigade, only 46% of enlisted and 44% of junior enlisted did not fear retaliation"

"Many...recounted times when...victim was then punished by being given extra duties or “chaptered out”

15/23

FHIRC found "fear of false reporting is unwarranted"

Again, this one is worth repeating:
FEAR OF FALSE REPORTING IS UNWARRANTED

16/23

Many Soldiers are convinced leadership does not care and that nothing is going to change.

“If we lose a piece of equipment, the whole base is locked down, but if we lose a Soldier, nothing happens.”

17/23

"commerce between the installation and the community seemed to override Soldier safety"

"should be zero tolerance for high-risk establishments and businesses that exploit and cheat Soldiers"

"No person...could provide a current list of off-limits establishments"

18/23

"series of memos...showed only two specific establishments were currently off-limits. The memo had barely changed since 2013"

19/23

"command...failed to make the connection between the health and safety of the Soldiers and mission readiness"

20/23

"Leadership is, and will remain, at a loss to address the crime problems affecting the health, safety and welfare of its Soldiers and their families at Fort Hood without a comprehensive, intelligence driven, proactive strategy to address the crime issues facing its command"

21/

My take aways?

If it is predictable, it is preventable.

The VAW reported here was eminently predictable, known even.

Much of it could have and should have been prevented

22/23

Leadership and core values matter. Always.

Take care of your people and THEY will take care of the mission

People over principal, property, and plans. Always.

Leadership failed.

23/23