The April 2020 horrific murder of Vanessa Guillen at the Army base, coupled with headlines of other missing soldiers, left Fort Hood's reputation deeply battered. At the time, leadership didn't proactively engage with the public on social media or effectively handle the coverage from traditional media outlets.
That vacuum and lack of transparency left mystery and speculation to fill the void.
As ABC13 continued their coverage of the missing soldier from Houston, Fort Hood leadership declined multiple and repeated requests for interviews. Simply put, they would not sit down for any one-on-one interviews. They consistently said the Vanessa Guillen's death remained an active investigation preventing their ability to do so.
Fast forward to July 2021. Fort Hood sat down exclusively with ABC13 reporter Steve Campion. Colonel Myles B Caggins III said Fort Hood leadership is learning from last year's events, focused on improving their outreach, and determined to make long lasting change.
You can watch the full interview with Colonel Caggins in the video above.