Vanessa Guillen

[closetohumping 17,474]

4 hours ago, Casual Encounter said:

“she’s on her first liberty pass since reporting to boot camp“

Bootcamp was complete. She was in AIT.

Makes sense.

[Guadaloopy 11,014]

2 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

this may surprise some of you folks... but there are levels of secrets in the military.     Military likes to keep those secrects if possible.  One huge way a soldier/sailor/airman could be compromised and blackmailed would be if someone nefarious found out the person was sleeping around and blackmailed them.    

Tell you what, elisted M1A1 tank mechanic,  tell us the top speed of the Abrams on flat ground or we turn in the blackmail information to your CO, which means you lose money, rank, and (very likely) your job.  is just one example where a young enlisted mechanic could know classified info ( but not hyper top secret), and have to divulge it.

plus the fact that the blackmail could be used against the soldier for literally decades if they stay in the army and keep getting promoted and maybe get into the real secrets.

military knows this, and thats why adultery has been a huge issue as a potential long term loss of military secrets. 

 

1 hour ago, MillerEP said:

The main reason why adultery is against the law is it's one of the biggest things that erodes trust in a command. It falls under Article 134, which is against anything that is prejudicial to good order and discipline or brings discredit upon the armed forces. If troops are sleeping around with each others women, then they're less likely to have your back (or worse be the one to shoot you) or work together when needed. 

Both are true, but they are separate issues.  Adultery is against the UCMJ due to its potential impact on good order and discipline, period.   Adultery is also a security threat due to the potential for blackmail.  The issues can get pretty intertwined, though, especially when the individual is of high rank and security clearance.  That’s what got Petraeus so tied up - he probably would not have gotten nailed for the adultery if it had not led to him giving unauthorized access to classified material.  

When I was a CO, one of my E7s got into a relationship with a civilian woman.  He was married.  She was married.  Not to each other.  The woman’s husband, also a civilian, found out and reported it to the chain of command.  No one below the top level of the command knew about it.  It didn’t involve anyone else in my command or at another military command.  

My boss at the next echelon wanted to nail his skin to the wall.  Only problem with that is that there was no demonstrable impact to good order and discipline within my command or any other military command.  A specific element of the UCMJ article for adultery is that it must impact good order and discipline in a military unit to be punishable.  My boss decided to pull it up to his level and tried to prosecute the guy.  The guy refused non-judicial punishment, and when my boss tried to convene a court martial, the JAGs laughed him out of the room.  

Bottom line... adultery is really only prosecutable under the UCMJ if it impacts good order and discipline in a military unit.  This guy killed Guillen for no real reason other than he was a murderous son of a bitch.  

[El Diablo 4,232]

On 7/1/2020 at 10:30 AM, tx 3 putt said:

Can the army be trusted with this investigation ????

multiple heads need to roll 

(narrator) - the did. 

[MaybeACoordinator 8,349]

Lotta shit flinging at the military as an institution from grads of the same school that produced Colton Pitonyak.

Glass houses, y'all. 

[NorthLoop 14,249]

2 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Lotta shit flinging at the military as an institution from grads of the same school that produced Colton Pitonyak.

Glass houses, y'all. 

Lol wut?

[freyguy 4,303]

10 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Lotta shit flinging at the military as an institution from grads of the same school that produced Colton Pitonyak.

Glass houses, y'all. 

nice try dude, but you barely caught air with that one. 

[Murfdogg21 4,430]

After periodically seeing this pic on the internet:

And my social media blowing up with adding Vanessa Guillen’s name to the list of victims of systemic racial injustice, I did not see this coming:

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,146]

After periodically seeing this pic on the internet:

And my social media blowing up with adding Vanessa Guillen’s name to the list of victims of systemic racial injustice, I did not see this coming:

Yeah, I’m confused by why she is being lumped in with Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain.

[Hpara759 1,780]

20 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

 

Yeah, I’m confused by why she is being lumped in with Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain.

 

Just because it's the hot item right now

[HRSchenker 2,274]

Remains found in Texas confirmed to be that of slain soldier Vanessa Guillen

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/remains-found-texas-confirmed-be-slain-soldier-vanessa-guillen-n1232986?cid=ed_npd_bn_tw_bn

Quote

The Army Criminal Investigation Command determined that the remains found Tuesady near the Leon River in Bell County were those of Guillen, 20, using DNA samples. Efflandt said that Guillen's family was notified Sunday.

Guillen was last seen April 22. A suspect in her killing, E-4 Specialist Aaron Robinson, fled the base and died by suicide early Wednesday as law enforcement agencies tried to make contact with him, officials have said.

A woman described as Robinson's boyfriend, Cecily Aguilar, 22 of Killeen, has been charged and is accused of helping Robinson dispose of Guillen's body.

Aguilar appeared in court via video conference Monday and when asked if she understood the charges against her replied: "Yeah, sure," NBC affiliate KCEN reported.

She faces one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

A bit confused by that part.

[ss13 1,832]

Orange M&M (Aguilar) was the girlfriend of the dude that did it (Robinson), who then offed himself. 

[Gil Bang 26,036]

Didn’t have liberty passes when I was at bootcamp. Which branch of the military was she in?

Army did 10 years ago at Benning. I went down for “family weekend” in the middle of basic and my kid had 48 hours off. We sat in a hotel suite watching football all day Saturday and Sunday. He’s 11B

[Bama Chick 28,596]

Orange M&M is still married to a different soldier, which would make what he did Adultery. Adultery is illegal in the military, it's against the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and can carry a max penalty of up to 1 year in the brig, forfeiture of pay and dishonorable discharge if proven. That said, it's rampant in the military and not easy to prove, but when it is, it's taken seriously (which is why the Gen. Petraeus affair was such a big deal). Rumor is she reported that same guy for sexual harassment in the past, so if that's true, in his mind his motive could've been that he viewed her as out to ruin him and his career. 

Sounds like his career needed termination not just ruination.

[Bama Chick 28,596]

Yeah, I’m confused by why she is being lumped in with Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain.

I have seen them lumped together by people calling for justice for them as individuals in a general sense not lumping Gullien in as a black victim of police violence.

[Halohal 503]

[NorthLoop 14,249]

Where's that at

[ss13 1,832]

Quote

Monica Maldonado helped organize the mural and focused on selecting Latino artists and finding the right location in the Dove Springs neighborhood at the Texaco off of South Pleasant Valley and East William Cannon Drive.

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/justice-for-vanessa-guillen-mural-in-southeast-austin-honors-u-s-army-specialist

[Macanudo 13,014]

On 7/3/2020 at 11:19 PM, NorthLoop said:

Lol wut?

Mrs. Macanudo spent about 2 years of our 3 in Alaska  and another 2 yeare of our 3 in Washington monitoring sexual assaults, rapes, spousal abuse and other sordid things that soldiers do.  The amount of abuse spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, significant others and even random strangers experience on and around military bases by service members would make a college campus look like Sunday School. 

This is not a call out of the military but from the spousal/significant other rates are off the charts and out right assault/rape of acquaintances/dates/bar pickups/just random strangers is scary. 

Colton Pitonyak is ONE example over the last 15-20 years of a depraved individual from UT.   Military bases see stuff like this routinely.  And maybe it doesnt involve a brutal slaying.   But some of the assualts/rapes come close. 

She interviewed one woman at the hospital after a rape (by her husband) where he broke every finger on both of her hands and an arm BEFORE he literally tore her a new asshole.   And their 3 year old was in a toddler bed in the same room at the time of the rape. 

That's maybe number 10 on the "Holy Shit" scale of some things related to me.   Another top ten was a gang rape (of a female) soldier by 5 guys.  The reason? She was a lesbian but they "wanted to make sure."  She was tied down, repeatedly assaulted, both by dicks and foreign objects, then beaten, whipped and strangled.  She ended up with permanent scaring from the ropes.  And they used a knife on her.    Exactly where you can imagine.  This went on for several hours.  She was found, naked, bloody and quietly crying in the morning by other guys showing up for duty.  She refused to say who did it.  There was a note near her gear saying something to effect that "say nothing or next time there will be more than 5 of us."

Neither of these made the news.  Because they happened on base and most victims REALLY want to keep things quiet, either to avoid damaging a career (victim or rapist), fear of reprisal, or just wanting to to "go away."

So, yeah.  One Colton makes up for all of that, right?

Edited July 8, 2020 by Macanudo

[NorthLoop 14,249]

I think you quoted the wrong post on that one

[deadshank 24,653]

3 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Where's that at

Cringe worthy English.  
 

(Sorry.  Love ya, Boo.)

[Fondren & Main 6,742]

2 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Mrs. Macanudo spent about 2 years of our 3 in Alaska  and another 2 yeare of our 3 in Washington monitoring sexual assaults, rapes, spousal abuse and other sordid things that soldiers do.  The amount of abuse spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, significant others and even random strangers experience on and around military bases by service members would make a college campus look like Sunday School. 

This is not a call out of the military but from the spousal/significant other rates are off the charts and out right assault/rape of acquaintances/dates/bar pickups/just random strangers is scary. 

Colton Pitonyak is ONE example over the last 15-20 years of a depraved individual from UT.   Military bases see stuff like this routinely.  And maybe it doesnt involve a brutal slaying.   But some of the assualts/rapes come close. 

She interviewed one woman at the hospital after a rape (by her husband) where he broke every finger on both of her hands and an arm BEFORE he literally tore her a new asshole.   And their 3 year old was in a toddler bed in the same room at the time of the rape. 

That's maybe number 10 on the "Holy Shit" scale of some things related to me.   Another top ten was a gang rape (of a female) soldier by 5 guys.  The reason? She was a lesbian but they "wanted to make sure."  She was tied down, repeatedly assaulted, both by dicks and foreign objects, then beaten, whipped and strangled.  She ended up with permanent scaring from the ropes.  And they used a knife on her.    Exactly where you can imagine.  This went on for several hours.  She was found, naked, bloody and quietly crying in the morning by other guys showing up for duty.  She refused to say who did it.  There was a note near her gear saying something to effect that "say nothing or next time there will be more than 5 of us."

Neither of these made the news.  Because they happened on base and most victims REALLY want to keep things quiet, either to avoid damaging a career (victim or rapist), fear of reprisal, or just wanting to to "go away."

So, yeah.  One Colton makes up for all of that, right?

Jesus. 

[Halohal 503]

 

3 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Where's that at

6607 S. Pleasant Valley (Citgo convenience store) Austin,TX

[bolverk 29,727]

WTF is going on at Fort Hood?!?

 

[High Plains Drifter 11,052]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:49 PM, crash_davis said:

I don't know jack shit about the military. Not sure how much of this thread is true but lulz if it is. Ft Hood sounds like a wonderful place to be. Aren't most cops now former military? I'm beginning to see the problem.

 

 

"recruited" is probably the wrong word. "Forced" or "Blackmailed" would probably be a better choice.

[AUS-97HORN 11,824]

right about now is when the commanding General  gets releived of command....

[FartingMonk 3,608]

Commanding General was promoted and was going to take a better spot at Fort Bliss.  His transfer has since been delayed and seeing if his command led to the toxic culture at Hood.  Basically he's going to get retired.

[Armybrat 40,918]

Camp Hood has changed quite a bit since we were stationed there 1947-49..

 

 

[williemackgarza 1,826]

So fucking bad

[Your Mom 4,852]

On 7/8/2020 at 3:02 PM, Macanudo said:

Mrs. Macanudo spent about 2 years of our 3 in Alaska  and another 2 yeare of our 3 in Washington monitoring sexual assaults, rapes, spousal abuse and other sordid things that soldiers do.  The amount of abuse spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, significant others and even random strangers experience on and around military bases by service members would make a college campus look like Sunday School. 

This is not a call out of the military but from the spousal/significant other rates are off the charts and out right assault/rape of acquaintances/dates/bar pickups/just random strangers is scary. 

Colton Pitonyak is ONE example over the last 15-20 years of a depraved individual from UT.   Military bases see stuff like this routinely.  And maybe it doesnt involve a brutal slaying.   But some of the assualts/rapes come close. 

She interviewed one woman at the hospital after a rape (by her husband) where he broke every finger on both of her hands and an arm BEFORE he literally tore her a new asshole.   And their 3 year old was in a toddler bed in the same room at the time of the rape. 

That's maybe number 10 on the "Holy Shit" scale of some things related to me.   Another top ten was a gang rape (of a female) soldier by 5 guys.  The reason? She was a lesbian but they "wanted to make sure."  She was tied down, repeatedly assaulted, both by dicks and foreign objects, then beaten, whipped and strangled.  She ended up with permanent scaring from the ropes.  And they used a knife on her.    Exactly where you can imagine.  This went on for several hours.  She was found, naked, bloody and quietly crying in the morning by other guys showing up for duty.  She refused to say who did it.  There was a note near her gear saying something to effect that "say nothing or next time there will be more than 5 of us."

Neither of these made the news.  Because they happened on base and most victims REALLY want to keep things quiet, either to avoid damaging a career (victim or rapist), fear of reprisal, or just wanting to to "go away."

So, yeah.  One Colton makes up for all of that, right?

Yeah the UT and Colton comparison is just silly. The stories you describe don’t surprise me at all. A few of the greatest men I’ve ever been around were fellow Marines... but the largest number of fucked up individuals I’ve ever been around were also fellow Marines. 

But I used to date a social worker who worked for the Austin Police Dept Victim Services and those same types of extremely brutal rapes are happening in Austin today on a regular basis as well. Almost all of which never make the news either. 

[bolverk 29,727]

On 8/21/2020 at 7:35 PM, FartingMonk said:

Commanding General was promoted and was going to take a better spot at Fort Bliss.  His transfer has since been delayed and seeing if his command led to the toxic culture at Hood.  Basically he's going to get retired.

He gone.

 

[Helobious 9,466]

https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/09/08/congress-investigates-fort-hood-following-soldier-deaths/
 

Congress launches investigation of Fort Hood. Apparently there’s been 28 soldier deaths there so far in 2020, most of any US military installation.

[El Diablo 4,232]

2 hours ago, Helobious said:

https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/09/08/congress-investigates-fort-hood-following-soldier-deaths/
 

Congress launches investigation of Fort Hood. Apparently there’s been 28 soldier deaths there so far in 2020, most of any US military installation.

It's the largest military installation in the free world so not surprising that they have "the most". 

[Helobious 9,466]

50 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

It's the largest military installation in the free world so not surprising that they have "the most". 

The military seems to disagree with your assertion that everything is normal, i believe this inquiry has more to do with recent uptick instead of total numbers. 
 

Quote

Between March and June, the deaths of five soldiers have become suspected homicides, more than the past four years combined. At least two veterans who had separated from the Army at Fort Hood within the previous six months were slain. Additionally, two soldiers are alleged to have committed murder. In the previous four years, only two soldiers’ deaths were considered homicides, according to data from the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office. Both died in 2017.

In addition to the increase in homicides at Fort Hood, the number of violent crimes committed by soldiers at the post this year — and since 2015 — is alarming. The two issues raise questions: Why this post? Why now?

“The numbers are high here. They are the highest in most cases for sexual assault, harassment, murders, for our entire formation in the U.S. Army,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said when he visited Fort Hood in early August.

The Army Public Affairs office this week released the numbers McCarthy cited that day, which compare Fort Hood’s violent and nonviolent felony data from 2015 through 2019 to that of two installations of comparable size: Fort Bragg, N.C., and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Fort Hood averaged 129 violent felonies committed by soldiers per year. Fort Bragg had an average of 90, and Lewis-McChord had 109. Violent felonies include crimes such as homicide, violent sex crimes, kidnapping, robbery and aggravated assault.

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Helobious

[Hpara759 1,780]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

It's the largest military installation in the free world so not surprising that they have "the most". 

 

[El Diablo 4,232]

3 hours ago, Helobious said:

The military seems to disagree with your assertion that everything is normal, i believe this inquiry has more to do with recent uptick instead of total numbers. 
 

 

Are you then of the opinion such that you would expect a smaller base to have more deaths? My post spoke to one specific aspect of your post, not something that you imagine it did. Jeezus.

[bolverk 29,727]

UPDATE

Army Finds ‘Major Flaws’ at Fort Hood; 14 Officials Disciplined
More than a dozen Army officials have been fired or suspended as part of an investigation into the culture at Fort Hood in Texas. Specialist Vanessa Guillen was killed this year after reporting harassment.

DALLAS — More than a dozen Army officials have been fired or suspended as part of a sweeping investigation into the climate and culture at Fort Hood, a major military base in Texas that has been rocked by complaints of sexual harassment, bullying and violence, Army officials announced on Tuesday.

The investigation found “major flaws” at Fort Hood and a command climate “that was permissive of sexual harassment and sexual assault,” said Ryan D. McCarthy, the secretary of the Army.

He ordered that 14 officials up and down the ranks, including several high-ranking leaders, be fired or relieved of command and vowed sweeping reform that would extend far beyond Fort Hood to affect more than 1 million soldiers and Army civilians nationwide.

“This report, without a doubt, will cause the Army to change our culture,” Mr. McCarthy said at a news conference announcing the results of the investigation.

Spoiler

 

The investigation came in response to the slaying of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old Army specialist who told friends and fellow soldiers that she had been sexually harassed before she disappeared in April. Her remains, burned and dismembered, were found in June, and the authorities said she was killed on base by a fellow soldier who later took his own life.

The horror of her killing left the Army reeling and drew attention to the unusually high number of homicides, suicides and accidents that have turned Fort Hood, one of the nation’s largest military bases, into one of the most troubled.

For the 36,500 soldiers at Fort Hood, the homeland has been deadlier than the battlefront. Since January 2016, there have been more than 150 noncombat deaths of Fort Hood soldiers, including at least seven homicides and 71 suicides.

Both male and female troops have described a culture of sexual harassment and bullying at the base in Killeen, Texas.

In August, the body of Sgt. Elder N. Fernandes, 23, was found hanging from a tree about 30 miles from Fort Hood. His family said he had reported sexual assault by a superior and that he had been retaliated against after having spoken out.

The case of Specialist Guillen drew particular attention, spurring artistic murals, makeshift memorial sites and attention from Congress and the White House.

Specialist Guillen, who was Latina, grew up in Houston and had dreamed of joining the military since childhood, when she would play with her brother’s toy pistol, family members said. Young and athletic, she enlisted in the Army at 18.

She later told friends and fellow soldiers that she had been sexually harassed, though officials said she had not made any formal complaints.

She went missing on April 22, and her dismembered and burned remains were found in June. Federal investigators said that a soldier in her unit, Specialist Aaron D. Robinson, struck her in the head with a hammer and that he and his girlfriend dismembered and burned her body.

Specialist Robinson later killed himself as the police approached him, the authorities said. His girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, faces a charge of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

 

 

[Hate 20,146]

Good. I hope they get it fixed.

[TwiceHorn 31,539]

On the one hand, it's harsh as hell, on the other, you have to admire the military's dedication to "it happened on your watch" without regard to actual knowledge or evidence of culpability.

[Hate 20,146]

I think they are sending a message that there needs to be a massive cultural shift and it needs to happen now. It’s a shame that it took the death of a young woman to do it, but it needs to happen. This is not the same military of 20, 30, or 40 years ago when these kinds of things could get swept under the rug. If they want to keep kids signing up for service, they need to be able to promise the parents that their kids will at the very least be safe on base.

[Brisketexan 105,383]

4 minutes ago, Hate said:

I think they are sending a message that there needs to be a massive cultural shift and it needs to happen now. It’s a shame that it took the death of a young woman to do it, but it needs to happen. This is not the same military of 20, 30, or 40 years ago when these kinds of things could get swept under the rug. If they want to keep kids signing up for service, they need to be able to promise the parents that their kids will at the very least be safe on base.

The more folks I've talked to about Killeen, particularly Killeen as a Ft. Hood-adjacent community, the more they have convinced me that it may be the single shittiest place in Texas.  The culture of low-tier enlisted soldiers (many of whom aren't that bright, and don't make great decisions), and a town full of predatory businesses and people (including women, and I guess men) who prey on them.....it's utterly toxic and destructive.

[cattail 112]

The more folks I've talked to about Killeen, particularly Killeen as a Ft. Hood-adjacent community, the more they have convinced me that it may be the single shittiest place in Texas.  The culture of low-tier enlisted soldiers (many of whom aren't that bright, and don't make great decisions), and a town full of predatory businesses and people (including women, and I guess men) who prey on them.....it's utterly toxic and destructive.

This is absolutely correct...

[956 Worldwide 34,788]

45 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

The more folks I've talked to about Killeen, particularly Killeen as a Ft. Hood-adjacent community, the more they have convinced me that it may be the single shittiest place in Texas.  The culture of low-tier enlisted soldiers (many of whom aren't that bright, and don't make great decisions), and a town full of predatory businesses and people (including women, and I guess men) who prey on them.....it's utterly toxic and destructive.

Agree that many people in base towns prey on enlisted, but it’s not the shittiest place in Texas.  There are plenty of neighborhoods where it is far more dangerous and shitty to be a young woman (or man) than in Killeen or Ft. Hood.  Places where you are viewed as a a non-renewable resource.

I also think that your college sophomore pool makes equally shitty decisions and has equally shitty thought processes, the difference being an entire structure from family to admins that treat you like the still developing semi-child you are, biologically speaking and is holding your hand and intervening when things get tough. Along with, let’s be real— some money that can make problems go away. As opposed to the military, where you’re a grown-up with a gun and no one to hold your hand, and if you screw it up— tough titty.  The biggest fuck up I knew lasted a lot longer and had a lot more understanding when we went to undergrad together than he later got at boot camp (he lasted four weeks there, over a year in college).

Not an excuse, just an observation— I imagine the average frat bro would not be markedly more responsible than your average Corporal given the same responsibilities and resources.

 

 

 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

5 hours ago, Hate said:

I think they are sending a message that there needs to be a massive cultural shift and it needs to happen now. It’s a shame that it took the death of a young woman to do it, but it needs to happen. This is not the same military of 20, 30, or 40 years ago when these kinds of things could get swept under the rug. If they want to keep kids signing up for service, they need to be able to promise the parents that their kids will at the very least be safe on base.

Disagree, it’s more of a PR move than anything that will help with safety IMO. Taking the heads of flag officers without showing that they were not enforcing the army standards wrt sexual harassment is all for show. The Army creates the standards, the commanders ensure those standards are trained and enforced. If the division commander ensured that SHARP was being trained property and on schedule, didn’t do anything to restrict or modify the reporting avenues available, and didn’t put their thumb on the scales when it comes to The UCMJ, I don’t know what else you can ask that commander to do. Soldiers and civilians receive SHARP training.  They are told that if you’re uncomfortable with reporting things through your chain of command there are other specific avenues for you take a report to.  
 

I think the completely unrelated deaths amplified the response. I think Guillen’s family amplified the response. I’m sure someone in her food chain deserved to get hammered over this if they sat on SH complaints (which I still haven’t seen any corroboration for outside of her family reporting it), but I don’t think it should have applied that far up the chain. Maybe the full report will provide some details on why I’m wrong, but from what I’ve read to date, this feels like public sacrifice to appease the torch and pitchfork mob. 

[atomheartbevo 89,810]

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

The more folks I've talked to about Killeen, particularly Killeen as a Ft. Hood-adjacent community, the more they have convinced me that it may be the single shittiest place in Texas.  The culture of low-tier enlisted soldiers (many of whom aren't that bright, and don't make great decisions), and a town full of predatory businesses and people (including women, and I guess men) who prey on them.....it's utterly toxic and destructive.

  A shit-ton of predatory businesses and people are almost always around large active-duty Army bases. I was at Bliss (albeit in the 90s, before things got really bad in Juarez). The problems we had as young enlisted in El Paso/Juarez were mainly getting paid and laid - people looking to rip us off, rob us of our pocket money, etc.   It didn't sound as bad as Killeen and other places, but that may have been the nature of El Paso more than anything else.

But with places like Killeen, people/businesses, it felt like people were looking at separating you from your entire paycheck, getting you in hock to them (and they had leverage - they would threaten to go to your superiors, etc.), selling you cars and other stuff you couldn't afford, not to mention the women looking to hook up/get pregnant.  It just sounded like it was on a completely different level.  Like in other places, you were chasing girls, but at Hood, they were chasing you.

 

[Hate 20,146]

19 minutes ago, TXSG8R said:

Disagree, it’s more of a PR move than anything that will help with safety IMO. Taking the heads of flag officers without showing that they were not enforcing the army standards wrt sexual harassment is all for show. The Army creates the standards, the commanders ensure those standards are trained and enforced. If the division commander ensured that SHARP was being trained property and on schedule, didn’t do anything to restrict or modify the reporting avenues available, and didn’t put their thumb on the scales when it comes to The UCMJ, I don’t know what else you can ask that commander to do. Soldiers and civilians receive SHARP training.  They are told that if you’re uncomfortable with reporting things through your chain of command there are other specific avenues for you take a report to.  
 

I think the completely unrelated deaths amplified the response. I think Guillen’s family amplified the response. I’m sure someone in her food chain deserved to get hammered over this if they sat on SH complaints (which I still haven’t seen any corroboration for outside of her family reporting it), but I don’t think it should have applied that far up the chain. Maybe the full report will provide some details on why I’m wrong, but from what I’ve read to date, this feels like public sacrifice to appease the torch and pitchfork mob. 

And that may very well be the case too.  Whichever it was, I hope that this is the last time we ever have to hear about something like this. 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

  A shit-ton of predatory businesses and people are almost always around large active-duty Army bases. I was at Bliss (albeit in the 90s, before things got really bad in Juarez). The problems we had as young enlisted in El Paso/Juarez were mainly getting paid and laid - people looking to rip us off, rob us of our pocket money, etc.   It didn't sound as bad as Killeen and other places, but that may have been the nature of El Paso more than anything else.

But with places like Killeen, people/businesses, it felt like people were looking at separating you from your entire paycheck, getting you in hock to them (and they had leverage - they would threaten to go to your superiors, etc.), selling you cars and other stuff you couldn't afford, not to mention the women looking to hook up/get pregnant.  It just sounded like it was on a completely different level.  Like in other places, you were chasing girls, but at Hood, they were chasing you.

 

Yea, like you said, that’s every army base. A lot of the predatory businesses are run by former/retired soldiers that know how to lock soldiers into shitty deals. Bragg had a standing order that no one below E5 could sign a car loan without an E5ks approval. You have kids with a guaranteed paycheck that is backed by Uncle Sam.  The gov’t will garnish his wages to pay off debt, so they just railroad these guys. They had kids getting bent over with 20+% car loans. 
 

I’ve been to most of the army bases, I think Bragg/Fayetnam is by far the most threatening place. Infantry is nuttier than squirrel shit, and you have all the SOC/former SOC guys hanging around town on top of that. Really dangerous guys to be around once they got some liquid courage into them.