Officials said that a female soldier was killed at Fort Hood this week, the same Texas Army base where Vanessa Guillen was assassinated three years ago.
Combat engineer Pvt. Ana Basalduaruiz, combat engineer Pvt.
Basalduaruiz (20), a 20-year-old from Long Beach, California joined the Army in June 2021. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division starting December 2021.
Officials didn’t reveal the cause of her death, but they said that an investigation was underway.
According to the base, the chain of command was in contact with Basalduaruiz and is providing support and resources for her family as well as those who worked alongside her.
“We are deeply sorry for the loss of PV2 Ana Basalduaruiz and extend our sympathy to her mother, father, and sister,” stated Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan of the 91st Engineer Battalion. “Our thoughts, prayers and support are with them during this difficult period. She was an outstanding teammate and will be deeply missed.”
Fort Hood posted an update on Thursday. It stated that the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division had confirmed that the “at this stage in the investigation into the murder of Pvt. Ana Basalduaruiz is not suspected of foul play and will continue to be investigated.
“Army CID will continue to conduct an extensive investigation and gather all evidence to prove what happened. The base stated that any information regarding harassment will be investigated thoroughly.
Fort Hood came under intense scrutiny after Guillen, a soldier aged 20, disappeared from the Bell County military base on April 22, 2020.
Her family organized rallies at the base and launched a #FindVanessaGuillen hashtag on social media.
Two months later, partial remains of human beings were discovered along the Leon Riverin Belton. They were identified as Guillen.
According to authorities, Guillen’s soldier of death was Spc. Police attempted to arrest Aaron Robinson but he shot himself. Authorities claim that Cecily Aguilar was Robinson’s girlfriend. She pleaded guilty to federal charges last Nov.
Guillen told her family that she was sexually harassed and abused by her supervisor before she disappeared.
Her story inspired another social media campaign, with survivors of sexual abuse in military and harassment sharing their stories online under the #IAmVanessaGuillen hashtag, and calling for change.
After Guillen’s death, an independent review found that Fort Hood’s command environment created a “permissive climate for sexual assault and harassment.” Guillen’s passing triggered several investigations that led to the dismissal of 14 base leaders by December 2020.
Her death inspired legal reforms to protect and assist victims of sexual assault in military units.
The I Am Vanessa Guillen Act was passed in 2021. It included criminalizing sex harassment under the Uniform Cod of Military Justice. This Act also improved the response of certain officials to sex-related offenses via independent investigations. Furthermore, it removed the decision to prosecute cases of sexual misconduct from the chain of command.
