REPORT OF THE FORT HOOD INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
The 136-page Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee offers findings and recommendations intended to benefit Fort Hood and the entire Army. In response, the former Secretary McCarthy had taken significant measures to hold leaders accountable at Fort Hood, instituted a new policy on missing Soldiers and formed the People First Task Force to map out a plan to tackle issues identified in the report.
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SUMMARY OF ARMY-WIDE ACTIONS REPORT
The Army has made substantial changes to its policies, structures, and processes while addressing all 70 recommendations in the report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee. We have compiled a report to document the Army's actions to address the nine findings and 70 recommendations. The Army has systems in place to ensure this progress endures. Our objective is to prevent future harmful behaviors and build cohesive teams that are highly trained, disciplined, and fit.
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We must also eliminate harmful behaviors that undermine readiness. There is no place in our Army for sexual harassment and assault, domestic violence, extremism or racism.
— HON Christine E. Wormuth, Secretary of the Army
OVERVIEW
The Army has made substantial changes to its policies, structures and processes while implementing actions that address all 70 recommendations in the report of the Fort Hood Independent Review. We are compiling a report to document the Army's actions to address the nine findings and 70 recommendations. The Army has systems in place to ensure the progress we have made endures. Our objective is to prevent harmful behaviors and build cohesive teams that are highly trained, disciplined and fit.
Background
Former Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee unveiled the results of a three-month examination of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community on Dec. 8, 2020.
The independent review, which was directed by former Secretary McCarthy, arose from the questions and concerns voiced by family members, Congress and various Hispanic advocacy groups during the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén.
The committee examined the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community to determine whether they reflect the Army's commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity and freedom from sexual harassment.
Committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White conducted a two-week fact-finding mission to the Texas base, meeting with unit leaders, Soldiers, members of the Guillén family, local officials, law enforcement and community groups.
FHIRC COMPOSITION
With broad expertise in organizational dynamics, the law and government investigations, the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Members have a combined 75 years of experience as active-duty military and law-enforcement personnel. The members’ divergent yet complementary backgrounds enabled the committee to inform this review by bringing to bear disparate viewpoints from vantage points advantageous to the undertaking.
See Committee Member Bios
Committee Members
- Led by Attorney and Risk Consultant Chris Swecker, who retired after 24 years as an FBI Special Agent and head of the FBI’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). Chris has conducted independent reviews of Fortune 500 companies, law enforcement agencies, universities and nuclear facilities. During his FBI career Chris was designated a FBI Inspector for 18 months during which time he inspected various FBI Field Offices.
- Jonathan P. Harmon, a West Point graduate and First Calvary Division Officer who now serves as Chairman of McGuireWoods, an Am Law 50 firm providing legal and business solutions to clients worldwide. Jon is a nationally recognized trial attorney skilled in litigating high-stakes cases that require deep investigation of complex facts.
- Carrie F. Ricci brings with her an abiding dedication to this nation and our Army. Carrie is a retired Army JAG Officer who served three years at Fort Hood, including as a trial counsel, and is now a senior executive serving as an associate general counsel for the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
- Queta Rodriguez, a native Texan who spent over two decades as an intelligence analyst and manpower operations officer in the U. S. Marine Corps. Queta has served as Director, Veterans' Services, Bexar County, TX and currently serves as a Regional Director for FourBlock, a national nonprofit that helps veterans transition into civilian careers.
- Jack L. White is a West Point graduate and former Armor Officer who has been an attorney both in government and in the private sector. After clerking at the U. S. Supreme Court, Jack joined the law firm of FH+H PLLC, where he has served as a Partner and demonstrated expertise in government investigations, civil rights claims and a wide variety of constitutional and civil matters requiring the development of intricate facts.
As a team, the FHIRC was augmented by five former FBI Special Agents (FBISA), representing over 100 years of investigative experience. These FBISAs were decorated and accomplished in their field. They were chosen for their experience, professionalism and judgment. Two served in the U. S. Army prior to entering the FBI; one graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. These team members are former six year US Army Ranger and FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Supervisory Special Agents (West Point), and former Newark Assistant SAC (ASAC).
A key to a winning team is a positive climate — one of professionalism that treats people with dignity and respect. It's doing the work to create and maintain a positive climate that will mitigate against harmful behaviors and show our People how important they are to us.
— Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville
ARMY-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION STATUS
As of October 20, 2022, 70 of 70 Fort Hood Independent Review Committee recommendations have been addressed by the U.S. Army's People First Task Force. Fifty six of the committee's recommendations have been implemented Army-wide. Ten have been transferred in support of ongoing OSD IRC efforts. While four have been superseded by OSD IRC recommendations.
The chart below provides additional details on the Army-wide implementation and schedule.
Army-wide Implementation Status Chart 1
Army-wide Implementation Status Chart 2
Major Accomplishments:
Army senior leaders stood up the People First Task Force to aggressively address the results of the FHIRC report and drive transformational change to ensure an Army-wide culture of dignity and respect. The task force has developed multiple plans to combat sexual harassment, sexual assault, violent crimes and other harmful behaviors that exist in our ranks across the Army.
As part of our redesign of the SHARP program the Army launched the fusion directorate pilots this past April at Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Irwin, California; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and a virtual pilot established with the 99th Readiness Division at Fort Dix, New Jersey. These multi-disciplinary sexual harassment and assault fusion directorates offer an alternate reporting capability and coordinated medical, investigative, legal and support services that remain independent of the immediate command while increasing accountability, transparency and efficiency to maximize efforts and ensure timely, comprehensive, compassionate response to victims.
III Corps at Fort Hood established the People First Center as a centralized training facility to train our units to be cohesive teams and provide resources and information for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response, family advocacy, equal opportunity, resilience training, substance abuse, suicide awareness and spiritual readiness.
The Army is reforming military justice through structural changes which include establishment of an independent Office of Special Trial Counsel which reports directly to the Secretary of the Army. The Army published an execution order to facilitate the standup of the OSTC which details a phased approach to staff, train and equip the office across the enterprise.
We restructured Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) separating it from the Office of the Provost Marshal General and appointing a new civilian director for the organization that reports directly to the Secretary of the Army. We increased the number of civilians across the Army by over 600 to better balance our force and increase tenured civilian investigative leadership, continuity and experience.
The Army recognized a need to update the response to a Soldier reported as missing. As a result, the Army established protocols for Soldiers who fail to report to their appointed place of duty, specifically highlighting the critical first 24 hours and ensuring robust response at the unit and military police levels. The directive increases the sense of urgency of these cases by establishing a strict set of timelines and actions assigned to stakeholders including leadership, law enforcement and public affairs.
The Army is employing teams of experienced leaders and subject matter experts to conduct organizational climate assessments and provide commanders at brigade and below an assessment of their unit’s trust and cohesion. To date, we have deployed eight Cohesion Assessment Teams (CATs) to eight different installations and they have identified issues for our units to address from culture and climate, how to build better teams and how to address processes like training schedules or providing more predictability for Soldiers.
This is a bottom-up effort to build cohesive and self-correcting teams, where soldiers hold each other to higher standards and aren't afraid to take an active role in preventing bad conduct, especially sexual harassment and assault, discrimination and other issues that hurt the team's performance.
— Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston
TIMELINE
December 2022
- Dec. 5
Congress Confirms the Army's first Lead Special Trial Counsel
The Army will assign over 150 civilian and military personnel, who specialize in litigation, to staff the Office of the Special Trial Council.
- Dec. 5
October 2022
- Oct. 20
Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Implementation Status
The People First Task Force addressed 70 of 70 Fort Hood Independent Review Committee recommendations. - Oct. 17
Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Implementation Status
The People First Task Force implemented 66 recommendations Army-wide.
- Oct. 20
August 2022
- Aug. 2
Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Implementation Status
The People First Task Force implemented 47 recommendations Army-wide. Fort Hood implemented 52 recommendations.
- Aug. 2
November 2021
- Nov. 18
Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Implementation Status
The People First Task Force implemented 31 recommendations Army-wide. Fort Hood implemented 44 recommendations.
- Nov. 18
October 2021
- Oct. 6
Army launches fusion directorate pilot
The one-year fusion directorate pilot was part of the planned redesign of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program to improve services for sexual assault victims.
- Oct. 6
September 2021
- Sept. 17
First civilian director takes helm of U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
Special Agent Gregory D. Ford assumes responsibility as the first civilian director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division which follows the CID restructure recommendation from the FHIRC.
- Sept. 17
August 2021
- Aug. 17
Army announces new CID director
- Aug. 17
May 2021
- May 6
Army announces CID restructure and SHARP policy improvements
The Army announces hiring a civilian member of the Senior Executive Service with criminal investigative experience to lead the restructured U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the release of Army Directive 2021-16 to improve the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program by better protecting and informing victims of sexual assault.
- May 6
April 2021
- April 30
U.S. Army Forces Command Completes Investigation of Fort Hood Leader Actions
Fort Hood AR 15-6 Investigation Executive Summary
Investigación del Fuerte Hood bajo la Regulación AR 15-6: Resumen Ejecutivo
Army Regulation (AR) 15-6 Findings and Recommendations
- April 16
Army outlines actions taken across the force to implement Fort Hood Independent Review Committee recommendations
The Army provides the details about the five recommendations implemented across the force and 16 recommendations implemented at Fort Hood.
- April 30
December 2020
- Dec. 8
Secretary of the Army announces missing Soldier policy, forms People First Task Force to implement Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (FHIRC) recommendations
Secretary McCarthy holds Fort Hood Leaders Accountable, Announces New Investigations
Army Senior Leader Message to the Force - Fort Hood
Army Leaders and Committee Members Brief Reporters on Findings and Recommendations of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Executive Summary
Senior leaders announce results of Fort Hood review
- Dec. 8
November 2020
- Nov. 18
Secretary of the Army's message about sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Army
- Nov. 17
Army Directive 2020-16 (Determination and Reporting of Missing, Absent-Unknown, Absent Without Leave, and Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown Soldiers)
- Nov. 18
October 2020
- Oct. 13
Army Senior Leaders: Action Plan to Prioritize People and Teams
Army senior leaders announce the investment into significant resources and leadership to restore readiness and modernize our Army.
- Oct. 13
September 2020
- Sept. 1
Army announcement on Fort Hood leadership
- Sept. 1
August 2020
- Aug. 31
Fort Hood Independent Review Committee members arrive at Fort Hood
- Aug. 17
Fort Hood independent review committee members sworn in
- Aug. 6
Secretary of the Army Press Briefing at Fort Hood
- Aug. 5
Secretary of the Army visits Fort Hood Community Leaders
- Aug. 31
July 2020
- July 30
Army announces panel for Fort Hood independent review
- July 29
Statement by Col. Patrick J. Wempe, U.S. Army Forces Command Inspector General
- July 24
Army leaders pledge culture shift to eradicate sexual harassment, assault
- July 22
Army Senior Leader Town Hall
Town hall with Army senior leaders to address frequently asked questions related to racial, gender and other social injustice issues as well as the murder of Vanessa Guillen. - July 10
Secretary of the Army announces independent review of Fort Hood
Secretary of the Army directed an independent, comprehensive review of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood, as well as the surrounding military community.
- July 30
Related News Stories
Command Climate & Culture
- How A Soldier In The U.S. Army Leverages Mentorships To Build Great Leaders
- Army Inspector General visits Alaska for New Soldier Experience
- Army Inspector General starts New Soldier Experience inspection
- Army announces initiatives to improve quality of life for Soldiers in Alaska
- Army makes new cohesion assessment teams permanent
- People First Center opens doors
- Fort Hood's novel "People First Center" officially opens its doors
- Mind Over Matter: 1ID holds Victory Mental Health Summit
- People First Task Force building more cohesive teams
- This Is My Squad: Forging leadership skills through the squad leader development course
Sharp Redesign
- Congress Confirms the Army’s first Lead Special Trial Counsel
- U.S. Army Undersecretary Visits Fort Riley SHARP Fusion Directorate pilot site
- New center focuses on providing services to victims of sexual assault, harassment
- Fort Sill introduces new program to raise Sexual Assault Awareness
- SHARP Fusion Directorate improves victim support, focuses on prevention
- Hawaii Army base brings help under one roof to victims of sexual assault and harassment
- Army launches fusion directorate pilot designed to improve services for sexual assault victims: Six installations and the Army Reserve will participate in the year-long pilot
- Army releases revised command policy
Missing Soldier Protocols
- Army Leaders more empowered to locate missing Soldiers
- Fellow soldier, teen charged with killing Fort Drum soldier found buried in snow during 'Santa ride'
- Secretary of the Army announces missing Soldier policy, forms People First Task Force to implement Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (FHIRC) recommendations
Prevention
- People First Summit on Fort Hood makes moves toward meaningful change
- Senior leader embraces behavioral health to overcome abuse, racism and trauma
- Army Establishes two new Initiatives to Combat Harmful Behaviors
- Army implements new suicide prevention initiative
CID Reform
- Fort Hood soldier arrested in connection with multiple sexual assaults, including one involving a gun
- First civilian director takes helm of US Army Criminal Investigation Division
Honor
- Fort Hood dedicates gate
- Remembering Vanessa Guillen
Resources
- The Army People Strategy
- Project Inclusion - Army Equity and Inclusion Agency
- This is My Squad – The Army NCO Strategy
- Building Cohesive Teams at the Squad Level: A Handbook for Junior Leaders
- Don't be a bystander, report suspicious activity
- Preventing Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
Army launches fusion directorate pilot designed to improve services for sexual assault victims: Six installations and the Army Reserve will participate in the year-long pilot. - Army Talent Management
- Quality of Life
DoD Safe Helpline is secure, confidential and anonymous crisis support for soldiers affected by sexual assault.
Visit www.safehelpline.org to learn more.
Policy changes
- Army Directive 2022-13Reforms To Counter Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault in the Army)
- ALARACT 027/2022 (CAC enabled)Additional Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program guidance: Expedited transfers, 24-month sexual assault response coordinator and victim advocate stabilization, and SHARP personnel incentives)
- Army General Order 2022-10Establishment of the United States Army Office of Special Trial Counsel
- Army Directive 2022-10Safe-to-report for victims of sexual assault
- Army General Order 2022-09 (CAC enabled)Redesignation and reassignment of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command
- Army Directive 2022-08 (CAC enabled)U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division Roles and Responsibilities
- Army Directive 2022-04 Sexual assault line of duty determinations and reporting
- Army Directive 2021-34Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division authorities and responsibilities
- Army Directive 2021-30Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention services for Department of the Army civilians
- Army Directive 2021-16Immediate actions to improve the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program
- Army Directive 2020-16Determination and reporting of missing, absent-unknown, absent without leave, and duty status-whereabouts unknown Soldiers
