The Army has ordered the removal of Fort Hood commander after the military installation was put on the spotlight over a string of deaths and disappearances of at least soldiers.
Major General Scott Efflandt had served as the post commander since his was predecessor deployed to Iraq a year ago.
He was then removed from his post and will no longer take command of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas as originally scheduled.
“With respect to Gen. Efflandt, he will stay at Fort Hood until the culmination of these investigations, and once the determinations are made, then we will know what is next for him,” announced Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on a press briefing.
Major General John Richardson IV was directed to formally assume the role of acting commander at Fort Hood starting Wednesday, the same day Efflandt will officially leave his post.
General John Murray of the Army Futures Command was appointed to lead an in-depth investigation for the disappearance of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, a Fort Hood soldier who was allegedly killed in an armory and then dismembered by a fellow soldier.
Murray’s Army Regulation 15-6 investigation, who will also investigate the post’s chain of command, is separate from an independent review of Fort Hood that started in August.
McCarthy said that Murray’s investigation will include “a comprehensive look” at the command’s action following Guillen’s disappearance on April 22, and the discovery of her remains in a shallow grave about 20 miles from the central Texas Army base months later.
“We’ve asked an awful lot out of Fort Hood and we’ve asked a lot out of the units. These units have been in continuous combat and operational rotations for the last 20 years,” said Army Chief of Staff General James McConville.
“There’s a lot … going on in organizations that we want to make sure that we understand and put the proper corrections in place.”