It happened again, Fort Hood Female Soldier found dead

Female soldier found dead at Fort Hood, the same Army base in Texas where Vanessa Guillén was murdered

NBC News
By Marlene Lenthang
March 17, 2023

“For the Army to say no foul play presumes facts that have not yet been brought forth. For the Army to say no foul play would also indicate a tone deafness to the concerns of the father and the mother of Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz who stated that she had been the target of alleged sexual harassment — repeated and consistent sexual harassment by other service members up to and including an immediate superior to who she reported,” David Cruz, the Communications Director of LULAC, said.

Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz.Courtesy Basaldua Ruiz family

A female soldier died earlier this week at Fort Hood, the same Army base in Texas where Vanessa Guillén was murdered three years ago, officials said.

Combat engineer Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz died Monday at the base, Fort Hood said in a news release.

Basaldua Ruiz, 20, who was from Long Beach, California, joined the Army in July 2021 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division since December that year.
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Fort Hood soldier shot to death, jeep set on fire

Fort Hood soldier found shot dead near burning Jeep

Army Times
Kyle Rempfer
May 22, 2020

Texas police and Army CID agents are investigating the death of a Fort Hood soldier as a homicide after he was found dead from a gunshot wound roughly 13 miles from post on Monday.

Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans, 27, was identifed as the victim by local police and post officials. (Army)

Harker Heights police officers identified 27-year-old Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans as the victim in their murder investigation and also the owner of an orange 2016 Jeep Renegade that was found along with the deceased.

The vehicle was on fire when it was first reported to police, officers said, and it was later confirmed to belong to Rosecrans. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Harker Heights fire marshal, police said.
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Abrams tank burst into flames on Fort Hood

The Army is investigating why an M1 Abrams tank burst into flames on Fort Hood

Task and Purpose
JAMES CLARK
MAR 23, 2020

"We can report that no injuries occurred as a result of the fire." Maj. Paul M. Oliver

The tank appears to have caught fire just outside the unit's motor pool on Fort Hood.(Reddit)

An M1 Abrams main battle tank belonging to 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment caught fire on Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas.

A photo of the flaming tank, which appears to have been taken just outside the unit's motor pool, began making the rounds on the r/Army subreddit on Friday, though the post has since been deleted.

Multiple videos, shot by several different soldiers, were sent U.S. Army WTF Moments, a popular online military community, which provided the footage to Task and Purpose.
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Soldiers given housing rights after deplorable living conditions

DoD adds key provisions to tenant bill of rights

Army News Service
By Devon Suits
March 12, 2020

The tenant bill of rights included inputs from close to 200,000 households. Within the original provisions, Soldiers are given the right to reside in a house and community that meets health and environmental standards.

The Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights was signed by DoD senior leaders on Feb. 25, ensuring that service members and their families receive fair treatment. The bill of rights may soon include three more key provisions to help rebuild trust about privatized housing, officials told the House Appropriations Committee. Sentinel file photo

WASHINGTON — The tenant bill of rights, signed by Department of Defense senior leaders last week, may soon include three more key provisions to help rebuild trust about privatized housing, officials said March 3.

The document has 15 provisions to ensure service members and their families receive fair treatment under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. It was signed Feb. 25 by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and the other service secretaries.

The three additional provisions propose to provide military tenants a dispute resolution process, the right to withhold rent until a dispute is resolved, and access to a building’s maintenance history before the move-in date, officials told the House Committee on Appropriations’ Military Subcommittee.

“Since early last year, the DoD has been working to address the concerns of our military families,” said Pete Potochney, the acting assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, in written testimony to the Capitol Hill hearing.

“We recognize and acknowledge that our oversight of the program had not been up to the standards established at the outset,” which includes leadership engagement, he added.
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Missing Fort Hood Soldier month away from discharge listed as AWOL

Family and friends searching for missing Fort Hood soldier

KWTX News
By Brandon Hamilton
Aug 24, 2019

FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) Family and friends of a missing Fort Hood soldier are actively searching, hoping for his safe return.

Gregory Wedel-Morales, according to his family, was last seen Monday night.

His family says they have filed missing persons reports with Fort Hood and the Killeen Police Department.

Fort Hood confirmed to News 10 that Morales has been placed on Absent Without Leave status since Aug. 20.

"His chain of command is in touch with his family seeking his whereabouts," officials said.

His mother, Kim Wedel, posted on Facebook that he just purchased a black 2018 Kia Rio.

"He is scheduled to process out of the military in September so going AWOL just doesn’t make sense," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact local authorities.
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Should military execute death row inmates again?

Resuming federal executions unlikely to affect military death row

STARS AND STRIPES
By NANCY MONTGOMERY
Published: August 12, 2019

The Trump administration’s plan to begin executing federal death row inmates for the first time in 16 years will have little effect on the four soldiers sentenced to death, military lawyers and the Army said.

Master Sgt. Timothy Hennis and his wife, Angela Hennis, walk to the Fort Bragg, N.C., courthouse for his murder trial Thursday, April 8, 2010. Hennis was found guilty of the May 9, 1985, murder of Kathryn Eastburn and her two children. STEPHANIE BRUCE, THE FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVE/AP

They include Ronald Gray, a former cook who was convicted three decades ago of multiple rapes and four murders near Fort Bragg, N.C., and was scheduled to be executed in 2008. The case remains ongoing in Kansas federal district court, with no clear end in sight.

Also on death row is former Sgt. Hasan Akbar, convicted in 2005 of killing two officers and wounding 14 other soldiers two years earlier in Kuwait; Timothy Hennis, a master sergeant convicted in 2010 of the 1985 rape and murder of a woman and murder of her two children; and Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist convicted in 2013 of killing 13 people and wounding numerous others on Ft. Hood in 2009.

All “are in various stages of legal action,” Army spokesman William Sharp said in an email. When and how those actions might conclude is unknown.

Presidents must approve the execution of those sentenced to death at court-martial, after receiving a recommendation from the secretary of the associated service branch. The Navy has not executed any of its members since 1849.
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Florida veteran survived Iraq, Fort Hood massacre and attempted suicide by cop

A Suicide-by-Cop Attempt Prompts a Plan to Use Marijuana to Save Veterans

Miami New Times
CARLOS MILLER
JUNE 14, 2019

“Seeing that one of my own service members, a major that I’m supposed to look up to, couldn’t handle his own PTSD and decided to shoot up a soldier-reprocessing site made me feel absolutely terrible," Ortiz says. “I had survivor’s guilt, and I still have survivor’s guilt.”

Having failed at a previous suicide attempt, South Florida Army veteran J.C. Ortiz was determined to succeed the second time.

It was 2009 and he had just returned from his second tour of Iraq, where he had experienced a grueling 15 months of continual combat. Four years earlier, after another 18 months of war, he'd begun suffering from PTSD. He would become addicted to opioids.

Now the plan was to lock himself with bottles of rum and pills in the bathroom of his home on the Fort Hood military base in Texas. Through the door, he would tell his wife he was going to take his own life, knowing she would call military police.

Florida is home to 17 percent of the nation’s homeless, according to the U.S. Census. And the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates veterans make up 11 percent of the nation's homeless population. Ortiz says there are 3,500 homeless veterans in South Florida.
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Fort Hood "Hug Lady" greeted troops at terminal they want named after her

Tens of Thousands Sign Petition to Rename Terminal for Fort Hood's 'Hug Lady'

Military.com
By Richard Sisk
June 2, 2019

For 12 years, she was there for Fort Hood, Texas, troops going to and coming from deployments to combat zones with her engaging smile, words of comfort and, always, that great big hug -- maybe a half million of them.

FILE -- A soldier from the 1-112th Cavalry Regiment, 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, receives a hug from Elizabeth Laird before boarding a plane at Robert Gray Army Airfield on Sep. 13, 2015 in this file photo. Laird was commonly known as “The Hug Lady” at Fort Hood. (Randy Stillinger/U.S. Army)
Now, an online petition has been started requesting the Defense Department to rename the place that served as her second home -- the Fort Hood Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group terminal (A/DACG) -- for Elizabeth Corrine Laird, aka the "Hug Lady."

The petition, launched last Saturday on the Change.org for-profit petition platform, had gathered more than 63,000 signatures through mid-morning Thursday.

Laird, an Air Force veteran who enlisted in 1950, was a volunteer with the Salvation Army and began coming to the A/DACG in 2003 during the big deployments to Iraq. She continued until her death in 2015 at age 83, after a long battle with breast cancer.

At first, she offered handshakes, but that quickly progressed to hugs from “Miss Elizabeth,” of Copperas Cove, Texas. She would also hand out cards printed with Psalm 91, which says in part: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day."
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Army family heading to Fort Hood lost everything to thieves in Tulsa

Army soldier, family say thieves stole nearly everything they own during move to Fort Hood

KTUL ABC 8 Tulsa
by Amy Jenson
April 27th 2019

They are celebrating Sturm’s sister’s wedding, but the celebration is a little muted by what happened overnight.

“I am still kind of in shock,” Sturm said. “Why would somebody do this?”

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- An Army soldier and his family are starting back at zero.

They stopped in Tulsa for a wedding on their way to Fort Hood, and in less than 24 hours, thieves stole nearly everything they own.

Shattered glass, that’s all that is left from the U-Haul and SUV that was parked here Friday night.

“My first thought was oh maybe she parked on the other side of the building,” Jesse Sturm said.

Army Sergeant Jesse Sturm and his wife Wendy and their two kids are on a 1,700 mile trek to Fort Hood in Texas.

They stopped in Tulsa on Friday night to stay at Homewood Suites near 71st and Garnett.
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Fort Hood Soldiers Mentor at Good Grief Camp

Soldiers supporting child survivors

Fort Hood Sentinel
By Ariana-Jasmine Castrellon, Sentinel Staff
March 21, 2019

“I just found so much joy in being able to be present for somebody who’s grieving,” Wright said.

During the Good Grief Camp, March 15-17, 131 service members and veterans from around the Fort Hood area volunteered to mentor 123 child survivors at Duncan Elementary School. Each child was given his or her own mentor during the camp.

Training for volunteers was held on Friday, prior to the Good Grief Camp kick off Saturday morning, where child survivors were greeted by their mentors and broken up into seven different groups depending on their age.

The camp, hosted by Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors with support from the Fort Hood Survivor Outreach Services, offered classes and activities for adult and child survivors.

Sgt. Sarah Vanterpool, attached to Golf Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, shared that although she is married and does not have kids, she volunteered as a mentor as a way to give back to children in the community.

“At the end of the day, they just get to have their voices heard,” Vanterpool said.

Vanterpool said that although she was “voluntold” her first year to be a Good Grief Camp mentor, she came back for the second time this year on her own.

“It was the best experience ever,” Vanterpool said. “It makes me feel great – like amazing.”

TAPS has been a private non-profit organization since 1994. TAPS’ mission is to provide assistance, programs and resources to Family members, children, spouses, friends and fiancés after the loss of a loved one who died as a result of his, or her service. TAPS provides support 24/7.
For more information on visit TAPS
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Fort Wainwright and Fort Hood in the news

In other news

Fort Wainwright

Fort Wainwright soldier found dead on base

A Fort Wainwright soldier was found dead last week in an armory on base, U.S. Army Alaska officials said Tuesday, with his death still under investigation.

Spc. Ashvin James Slaughter, assigned to Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was discovered Friday in a company arms room.

“According to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, at this point in the investigation they do not suspect foul play, although they have not completely ruled it out while they conduct a thorough death investigation,” Army officials wrote in a statement. read story here

Diving team recovers body after canoe accident on Lake Belton

Fort Hood

Three men, two of whom were soldiers, took two motorized canoes out on Lake Belton Monday night. Both canoes turned over, and two people were missing for hours, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. read story here

Heartwarming reunion, a military couple

Video: Military couple reunites after 8 months apart

WTHR 13 News
January 18, 2019

HOUSTON (WTHR) — In a heartwarming reunion, a military couple saw each other for the first time in 8 months.

Second Lt. Jordan Pruitt, an Army Medical Specialist Corps officer, got an unexpected surprise during his classroom training.

His significant other Jamie Douglas, who is also a second lieutenant, returned home from an 8-month deployment in Iraq. Douglas is a medical platoon leader/squadron medical officer who was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.

The reunion was captured on video and we'll warn you, you might want to grab the tissues.
read more here and watch the video...you'll be happy you did.

Army veteran died days after winning re-election as Mayor

Local mayor dies 17 days after winning runoff election

KWTX 10 News
By Brandon Hamilton
Dec 28, 2018

COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KWTX) Copperas Cove Mayor Frank Seffrood died unexpectedly Friday morning at his home following a brief illness, just more than two weeks after winning a second term in a runoff election on Dec. 11.

He was 79.

The Wisconsin native was a U.S. Army veteran who retired in 1979 after 23 years of service.

Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, III Corps and Fort Hood commander, issued a statement Friday expressing condolences to Seffrood’s family.

“Frank served our nation for 23 years in the Army and was always a good friend to Fort Hood with a passion for helping our soldiers and their families. He will be missed,” he said

Seffrood worked for Central Texas College from 1980 to 1986 and the U.S. Postal Service from 1986 to 2010.

He served on the Copperas Cove City Council for 6 ½ years before he was elected mayor in 2015.

He’s survived by his wife of 55 years, Rita, three children and three grandchildren.
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Desert Storm Veteran needs help for family

Fort Hood veteran in hospital with infection that could have killed him

KXXV ABC 25 News
Erin Heft
December 10, 2018

TEMPLE, TX (KXXV) -

A veteran out of Fort Hood lays in the hospital tonight with an infection that could have taken his life.

Kenny Kreiter served in the Army out of Fort Hood in the early 1990s. During his time spent serving our country, Kenny sustained knee trauma and ultimately left the military due to his sustained injuries.

The same knee injury that haunted him years ago, has now taken a turn for the worse.

On Nov. 19, he was admitted into the Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center, and he has been there ever since. He is fighting a staph infection that took hold in his bad knee.

As the breadwinner of his family, it has been hard financially on them during this time. Since he has not been able to work, Kenny's manager said he was gathering a $1,200 check to donate to the family to help make ends meet.

The manager had misled them.

It was that day that Kenny's fellow veteran friend started a GoFundMe campaign in Kenny's name, in hopes that it will help the family during this trying time.

KXXV Central Texas News Now

Missing veteran's body found at Fort Hood

Body found on Fort Hood identified

KWTX News

FORT HOOD, Texas - ​Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services personnel discovered a body in the vicinity of Belton Lake and Outdoor Recreation Area last Tuesday.

The man has been identified as Retired Navy Seaman Craig Nobel.

Nobel was registered at the BLORA Deer Park RV Lot and was reported missing by a family member. Law enforcement officials later found Nobel’s remains in a wooded area near the park.
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American Military News Does Not Understand Deployment Orders?

Fort Hood won’t participate at local vet suicide memorial despite leading nation’s bases in vet suicide

American Military News
Laura Widener
November 2, 2018

A memorial ceremony is slated to be held Saturday to honor veteran suicide, but rather than support the community, Fort Hood has decided not to participate.

Fort Hood loses an average of one or more soldiers to suicide each month, but has declined to be involved in a memorial to commemorate veteran suicide just ahead of the ninth anniversary of a shooting that killed 14 and injured 33 on base.

After initially agreeing to supply 12 soldiers for a one-hour ceremony on Saturday, Fort Hood later said it would not attend the event, citing “prepare-to-deploy” orders.
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“This is important because it could be me and my family struggling. It’s our responsibility as a military community and civilian community to support them after they come home from war.” Theresa Johnson

Well, that is what she said but as one of those struggling with PTSD in my family, as I have for over 3 decades, I have seen what failed and what worked far too many times. I cannot support something that does more harm than good.

Trying to count the number lost to suicide, and then pushing it as all there is to tell, has deadly consequences. It is a price we do not need to pay so that someone can do a display and then complain because Fort Hood will not participate.

These stunts have to stop. Why? These are the results.  

Military suicides have averaged 500 a year since 2012.

Veteran suicides, the ones they counted since anything other than "honorable" discharges are not counted by anyone, are worse.

Want to change the outcome? 

Then do what will prevent suicides! 

Help them heal!!!!

Fort Hood Soldier victim of hit and run after trying to help some else

Woman killed, soldier injured after 2 consecutive hit-and-run crashes
WSMV 4 NBC News
Meredith Digial Staff
August 4, 2018

A Good Samaritan, Kalen Lawson, 20, of Fort Hood, Texas, who is also an active duty member of the U.S. Army, stopped to help the woman. As he was helping the woman, another vehicle traveling on N Galloway, hit and struck Lawson and the woman he was helping. The woman died at the scene of the crash.

LAKELAND, Fla. (Meredith/WFTS) -- A woman is dead and a Good Samaritan U.S. Army soldier coming to her aid was seriously injured after two consecutive hit-and-runs in Polk County on Thursday morning.

One of the drivers, 20-year-old Corey Wesley Jones of Lakeland, was arrested in the case. He is also known as "DB Da Kid," and is a rapper. He was driving a 2002 black GMC SUV and left the scene after hitting 40-year-old Kelli Black.

Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference on Thursday that he had spoken to Jones and Jones has promised to turn himself in. Now he has been taken into custody and charged with the leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury and reckless driving with serious bodily injury.
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Sarges Grill Closed, Employees Not Paid

Veteran-owned restaurant closes; employees say they haven't been paid
KKTV 11 News
By Danielle Kreutter
Jun 19, 2018

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KKTV) - Dozens of employees are out hundreds of dollars after the restaurant they worked at suddenly closed without notice. This happened at both locations of Sarges' Grill.

The restaurant is veteran-owned and aimed at serving veterans, active duty military members, first responders and law enforcement at their locations in Fountain and Colorado Springs.

Over the weekend, customers hoping to eat at Sarges' were met with locked doors and signs saying the business had closed.

It was a surprise to regulars. Several employees told 11 News they didn't get much notice either.

"I was supposed to get paid Wednesday and [a co-worker] was supposed to get paid Thursday, but nothing," said Michael Yamoaah, a former cook at the restaurant.

Yamoaah and the former kitchen manager, Nathan Mayfield, told 11 News the sudden closure happening so soon before rent and bills are due has left dozens of employees in a bad spot.

"[There's] 30-40 employees at least. He owes us each three weeks' pay. I know for me it's 120 hours, about $1,500. It doesn't seem like a lot but for people like us, we live check to check. I've got bills to pay right now," Mayfield said.
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Fort Campbell Soldier AWOL After Hazing

Maine man charged with military desertion was hazed by team leader, father says
MORNING SENTINEL
BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
March 23, 2018

Anthony Seeley of Farmington says his son Austin and a fellow recruit were driven to leave their base in Kentucky after being put in dangerous situations by their team leader.

Austin Seeley, 19, of Farmington, third from the right in this group shot, left his Army post at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was advised by his father to turn himself in to the Franklin County sheriff. Anthony Seeley, Austin's father, a combat veteran, said his son has been hazed and put in unnecessarily dangerous situations by his team leader. Contributed photo

The Farmington soldier who was charged with desertion was being hazed and put in dangerous situations by his team leader when he left his base without permission, his father said.

Pvt. Austin Seeley, 19, and his friend, Noah Fisher, 18, of Boise, Idaho, whose rank was unavailable but who also is enlisted in the Army, left their base, driving from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to Maine, and turned themselves in Monday at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office once the military issued a warrant for their arrests.

But that’s not the whole story, said Anthony Seeley, Austin’s father.

During an interview Thursday, Seeley said his son has undergone constant hazing – to the point of physical injury – from his unit’s team leader since he arrived at Fort Campbell in October.
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Two Fort Hood soldiers die days apart at home

Two Fort Hood soldiers die days apart, each found at his residence
Military Times
By: Nicole Bauke
1 hour ago

Two soldiers were reportedly found unresponsive at their Fort Hood residences just one day apart from each other.

Spc. Devon Michael Wulff, 23, was found unresponsive at his home on Feb. 28 and died three days later, and Pvt. 2 Colton Everett Vassar, 29, was discovered on March 1, according to two separate press releases from Fort Hood, Texas.

Both incidents are under investigation.

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