Fort Hood shootings (1 Viewer)

[Rob]

I just wanted to pass on my thoughts and sympathies to all those in the US today who have been affected by the awful incident there yesterday.

Rob

 

[Currahee Chris]

Thanks Rob- that means a lot. I wish to extend my sincerest condolences to those families. I am absolutely stunned this happened. I cannot imagine the horror of this incident. Lot of odd circumstances around it all. My dad was a 91G- Drug and Alcohol counselor in the army- He worked in the behavioral sciences wings at most of the major posts. He retired when this alleged perp was a butter bar. To see something like this allegedely perpetrated by someone who was in the same field as my dad is unsettling.

I was on my way to Hood in 93 when I was at Ft Polk and we deactivated the 5th ID. That base is just collossal. It is one of the premier training facilities in the US.

I guess another thing I find odd with all this is that the guy was a Virginia Tech alum- seems so strange given the violence that school has seen in the last couple years.

Cheers
C

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Guys,

I spent a long time at Hood and this event really had me worried since i have a few friends still in the area, so far no one I know there was involved. But it is shocking to see this sort of thing happen at a place you know well.

My prayers go out to the families and victims.

Dave

 

[Scott]

Here's the website for Fort Hood. It has information on helping the families of the soldiers.

http://pao.hood.army.mil/

 

[damian]

Being on an international forum like this has is very good.
A few years ago a tragedy like this would have seemed far away to me.
But knowing you guys on the forum makes the whole thing very much closer to home for me.
So my condolences to all the victims and be assured that the victims are in people's thoughts and prayers all over the world.

 

[glossman]

*
I just watched the news about the Fort Hood incident.

My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

And my hope the wounded will make a speedy recovery.

Sincerely, Raymond.

 

[glossman]

*
Here is a link to more infomation on Fort Hood: Home of America's Armored Corps

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fort-hood.htm

 

[Currahee Chris]

Really nice piece on the victims on this tragedy on msn.com
I was reminded when looking at the pictures of the 13 (I however count 14 as the one soldier was pregnant) just how amazing our military is- you see so many different ethnicities coming together to get the job done- this is just a terrible terrible tragedy.

While I was out today, I was wondering if in fact this scumbag would face a firing squad?? I know it only happened once in WW2. I know we have some attorneys out here- anyone knowledgeable on the UCMJ?? We are technically at war. Could this be construed as an act of treason (in the legal sense)?? I cannot think of a more fitting retribution.

 

[maddadicus]

Question for those who have been to Fort Hood or any military base...Where were the M.P.s and any other base security in this whole event..Why did it take a civilian police officer to confront the killer? Michael

 

[Mister Dave]

Question for those who have been to Fort Hood or any military base...Where were the M.P.s and any other base security in this whole event..Why did it take a civilian police officer to confront the killer? Michael

Most on post security is contracted out to civilian police officers these days. M.P.'s are a rare sighting in my experience.

MD

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Michael,

There are still MPs doing duty on Post but as was mentioned many are deployed because its a pretty small group of soldiers. They have contracted Law enforcement officers on the posts now and they are really on the ball. The fact that they were able to respond as quickly as they were is a testimate to their quick reaction. It could well have been much worse.

As for Chris's question I will ask the Lawyer I know on post if they could try him as a traitor and put his butt against the wall. It would be a very fitting end to this story.

Dave

 

[Currahee Chris]

.....M.P.'s are a rare sighting in my experience.

MD

I WISH!! , seemed like everywhere I went they were always within a K-Bar smack of me!!

Hey Michael- These gentlemen are all correct- if you get a chance to drive out towards the Gap, you will see that there are a lot of post auxiliary out there cruising around. You will see vehicles marked "Federal Police" or stuff like that. Not only police functions but fire fighters as well- as well as other neccesary positions- like Gut Truck operator

Another thing to remember is the size of Ft. Hood- it is MASSIVE- easily covers a land area the size of the greater Harrisburg area. If you look at it from that perspective, I could easily see a gunman squeezing off 40-60 rounds at the MLK building downtown before some of Harrisburg's Finest put him down. From what I am hearing, this shooting took place in a rather populated area (around one of the clinics)- unfortunately the victims were rather grouped tightly which makes for a high casualty rate like that which played out.

Still though, I gotta imagine this scenario will affect post security for years to come- new training for MPs.

 

[Gideon]

I just don't understand any of it. A Major did this. That is a high rank and absolutely frightening.

I've been listening to interviews on NPR with some Muslim priests (forgive my ignorance for calling them priests) who said that he was nothing like this. They said that he was once counciled while looking for a wife, that he was looking for a woman who was spiritual but not overly religious and had to understand that he "serves his country and will be deployed", that he was loyal to his nation and agreed and truly felt he was an American.

So, now there is all this talk about him having done this attached to his religion when he isn't even talking yet, etc.

I have to wonder if this was just one person who snapped as happens with people of any background or if this was something developed as a plan with guidance from an outside source.

I am uncomfortable thinking this way. Muslims die for our country, they have been killed by IED's. I hate to think I am biased in any way, you know? But I have to wonder, I suppose like the rest of America and like the families of those killed and injured.

It's all just horrifying.

 

[theBaron]

I just don't understand any of it. A Major did this. That is a high rank and absolutely frightening.

I've been listening to interviews on NPR with some Muslim priests (forgive my ignorance for calling them priests) who said that he was nothing like this. They said that he was once counciled while looking for a wife, that he was looking for a woman who was spiritual but not overly religious and had to understand that he "serves his country and will be deployed", that he was loyal to his nation and agreed and truly felt he was an American.

So, now there is all this talk about him having done this attached to his religion when he isn't even talking yet, etc.

I have to wonder if this was just one person who snapped as happens with people of any background or if this was something developed as a plan with guidance from an outside source.

I am uncomfortable thinking this way. Muslims die for our country, they have been killed by IED's. I hate to think I am biased in any way, you know? But I have to wonder, I suppose like the rest of America and like the families of those killed and injured.

It's all just horrifying.

Actually, there are details indicating that red flags should have been raised about this individual for several years, and that he should at least have been reviewed more closely, but that there may have been reluctance to investigate him or give him criticism or bad reviews, because of fear of a politically correct backlash.

I don't think this is a person who snapped, but a person with a particular worldview, which includes justification for individual acts of war, and the explanation cannot be found by looking through the lens of Western culture.

I just read a similar analysis in Prange's "Pearl Harbor: Verdict of History". In the aftermath of the attack, some sought to explain the attack by applying our way of looking at things to the Japanese, and in doing so, they ignored the culture and worldview that motivated them. I think this is a similar phenomenon.

 

[Gideon]

I had read a little on the emails that were allowed to go unchecked. But still, the interview with the Muslim cleric who counciled him in Texas had a totally different version of the shooter. And, I believe what the cleric was saying.

Though, there's very little information about what was in those emails - no details which makes me very suspicious.

Do you have a good source for the investigation?

 

[theBaron]

I had read a little on the emails that were allowed to go unchecked. But still, the interview with the Muslim cleric who counciled him in Texas had a totally different version of the shooter. And, I believe what the cleric was saying.

Though, there's very little information about what was in those emails - no details which makes me very suspicious.

Do you have a good source for the investigation?

Sorry, but I'm skeptical of the cleric. His observations are of the same order of the mother of an assault suspect, who would say, "He never hurt anyone". That is to say, he may be too close to the subject, to be trusted as an objective observer. And he himself may have something to hide.

I think the reports that he gave away his possessions over the days leading up to the murders, the fact that he harangued a grand rounds lecture audience on Islam, instead of the assigned topic, the fact that he tried to contact people he thought had ties to Al Quaida, that he made statements supporting suicide bombings, all indicate that he had a disposition to agree with violence in support of his worldview, and that he would eventually decide to commit violence himself in support of that worldview. It's questionnable that he should even have been on active duty.

As to sources, only what I've heard on the radio and on TV. For disclosure, those source come from both sides of the aisle, so they include CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, but also Drudge, who usually scoops the networks, and AP reports that have been carried by every network I've listened to.

As I said, I think it's questionnable that he was on active duty. It sounds like the indications were there, but no one was willing or able to raise questions.

 

[Gideon]

I have been hearing vague reports of things he's said and written but nothing concrete. I really want to see what the evidence is and how it is presented.

No doubt the guy was in no condition to serve. At this point, I am more interested in what he is being charged with/as. As in, was this a person who snapped as many others have or was this motivated and encouraged as part of a terrorist act? Some people snap and kill someone in the name Christ, God, Allah, Buddha, etc. I think we really need to be careful with this.

Anybody can reach out to bad people and claim it as influence or encouragement. In this case, the report on the emails to anti-American cleric were innocent and had to do with "how Muslim soldiers would react in war". Was it appropriate to email that cleric - no. But I am not sure that there was anything else in there that would have raised suspicions.

I am really curious to see how this guy is charged. As an unstable individual or as a terrorist. Will he be charged as a sane person or as a religious zealot who acted in concert with others guidance to carry this out? Mental illness or sanity.

 

[Mister Dave]

I WISH!! , seemed like everywhere I went they were always within a K-Bar smack of me!!

You were clearly a special case at the time Chris.