Three soldiers at Fort Cavazos died by suicide last month, the latest in a string of mysterious deaths at military bases across the country.
Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood, is investigating all three and one other death, the cause of which has yet to be confirmed, an Army spokesman said.
The base is where Vanessa Guillen disappeared on April 22, 2020, before being found dismembered and buried nearby two months later.
More recently, a soldier here went into hiding for ten days and then resurfaced the day after his transgender wife was found dead in their home.
The deaths also came after it was revealed that 17 soldiers have died so far at a USAF base in Oklahoma, with 11 attributed to “natural causes” and six still undetermined.
Before the fourth Fort Cavazos soldier died last week, a spokesman said: “All early indications point to these tragedies being suicides.” Their names were not released.
Three soldiers stationed at the Fort Cavazos base have committed suicide at least last month, in a series of mysterious deaths at American military bases
Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, the commander of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, expressed sadness over the deaths in a statement.
“In the wake of these losses, our leaders are working with the families of those who died to ensure they have the information and resources they need,” he said.
“Our leaders are also working hard to protect the privacy of these families as they grieve the loss of a loved one.”
The post announced that they would be expanding suicide prevention and mental health programs in response.
GIs and their supervisors held a “call to action” on August 16, where they claimed to have spoken honestly about mental health issues.
“This training was supported by behavioral health professionals, chaplains and other non-clinical consultants from across the Fort Cavazos installation,” Fort Cavazos officials said in a statement.
Fort Hood officially changed its name to Fort Cavazos in May as part of the U.S. Army’s ongoing effort to rename a handful of bases that currently bear the names of Confederate officers.
The base has struggled in recent years with a series of murders and deaths – including the brutal beating of soldier Guillen – that occurred on its grounds.
Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, the commander of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, expressed sorrow over the deaths in a statement
The post announced that they would be expanding suicide prevention and mental health programs in response
Earlier this year, the Army opened an investigation into the death of 21-year-old Fort Hood engineer Ana Basalduaruiz, who told her mother that she was sexually harassed by her superior officer.
Perhaps no scandal has shocked the grassroots and the nation as much as Guillen’s death.
After Guillen’s death, her family’s claims of sexual harassment on the Texas base sparked a movement on social media from former and active military members who shared their experiences at military bases across the country using the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen.
Then-Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy said during a visit to the base in Texas that it had one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army.
He added that the patterns of violence were a direct result of leadership failures. ‘
State and federal lawmakers passed a law honoring Guillen in 2021, stripping some powers from commanders and giving survivors more opportunities to report abuse and harassment.
Army officials disciplined 21 officers and noncommissioned officers in connection with Guillen’s death.
Two more soldiers died on the base this summer, one in a car accident, and the cause of another’s death is not yet known.
Police said 20-year-old Guillen was bludgeoned to death and her remains were buried by Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, who was assisted by Aguilar
Guillen, 20, (pictured) was last seen on April 22, 2020 at Fort Hood in the parking lot of her barracks. She disappeared after telling her family that she had been sexually harassed
Craig Chamberlain was found on May 26, one day after his wife was found dead and ten days after he disappeared from home and fled Fort Cavazos. Cam Chamberlain reported her husband missing on May 15th. She was found dead in the couple’s home on May 25
It comes just weeks after the Air Force announced that 11 of 17 deaths at an Oklahoma air base this year were from natural causes – but six were still under investigation.
Tinker Air Force Base has been in the spotlight since Military.com confirmed there have been 17 fatalities this year at the base, which is home to more than 30,000 military personnel, government employees, contractors and civilians.
Most of the 17 people who died were civilians, said Col. Abigail Ruscetta, commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing.
A source told Military.com that some of the deaths were potential suicides and some were related to Covid-19.
According to the USO, the number of military suicides is at an all-time high. In 2021 alone, 30,177 active duty soldiers and veterans who served in the military after 9/11 died by suicide.