12 US Soldiers Murdered "At Home"

Indeed! And Senator Joseph Lieberman has announced that he intends to conduct an investigation into why the numerous red flags weren’t heeded. For years, there have been warnings that political correctness was hindering security. Fort Hood might be grim vindication.

That’s probably the case.
Some news reports (who knows how accurate at this early time) say he was suspected of posting anti-war & US policy things on websites.

Now if your average officer had posted something, someone would have spoken to him, perhaps an investigation launched.
But in this climate of no “ethnic/religious profiling”, no one dared use common sense to find out the guys feelings or intentions.

Hopefully, some good will come out of this.

Frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t take him up on his desire too quit & pay back med school costs.
Usually, they let people out that don’t want to be there.

he obviously gave plenty of notice of his views

Indeed! And Senator Joseph Lieberman has announced that he intends to conduct an investigation into why the numerous red flags weren’t heeded. For years, there have been warnings that political correctness was hindering security. Fort Hood might be grim vindication.

Why not? Money! His entire medical training was paid by American taxpayers and he might have received some retention bonuses as well. If he left the Army before completing his obligated service, he might have had to repay some or all of those monies, probably totaling well into six figures.

I know it sounds crazy, going on a rampage and risk getting killed himself rather than pay up, but remember his circuits obviously are wired a bit differently.

Yes I was using a hint of irony,shame they could not have ‘RIFTED’ him out,its not as if the US forces have only just gone out there,no point in having a reluctant psycho serving,he obviously gave plenty of notice of his views…they should have retired him IMO.

Of course he could have just resigned his commission if he felt that strongly about it.

Why not? Money! His entire medical training was paid by American taxpayers and he might have received some retention bonuses as well. If he left the Army before completing his obligated service, he might have had to repay some or all of those monies, probably totaling well into six figures.

I know it sounds crazy, going on a rampage and risk getting killed himself rather than pay up, but remember his circuits obviously are wired a bit differently.

As a former TV guy let me assure you a moving picture is better than a still.
Makes sense, no? :rolleyes:
Of course it is. Even if it’s convenient he is in Mus gear. If they didn’t want to fuel a bit more hatred, they would have used a still.

CNN got the video directly from the store, it was not released or provided by authorities.
Who’s said anything about authorities? I am aiming my “Them” at CNN/Newsrooms.
Obama has already bent over backwards telling people not to rush to judgement, no one is trying to “fuel hatred”. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Just the opposite.
Who cares what that idiot says! I’m not interested in any public yadder yadder from a politician. “Middle America” doesn’t need to have the hatred fueled, but every little helps.

If anything, the military/government will downplay any political/religious motive.
Of course they will, but this is a news item from a “Bums on seats” culture news company.

Logic check: After 9-11 and with troops dying overseas, why would anyone see a need to fuel antagonism? :rolleyes:
Are you always this conspiracy minded, or just have problems with America? 🙂

I have no problems with America whatsoever and 100% support the removal of Saddo and the eventual removal of Bin Liner. And the future invasion of Iran.My conspirational opinions are better known as experience.
It’s you Jimmy that assumes that ppl are agin America. I love the place and love to visit. Not due there until May 2010, can’t wait.

In the text.

I dont know if anybody else read in the BBC report what his cousin is supposed to have said…” he tried everything to get out of it” (the deployment)
Of course he could have just resigned his commission :rolleyes: if he felt that strongly about it.
After this and the ‘police’ shooting the British soldiers the other day…trusting nearby muslim ‘colleagues’ must be at an all time low in British and US services.
Extremely sad for the victims families 🙁

Just to fuel the hatred a bit more and justify the ongoing conflict methinks.

As a former TV guy let me assure you a moving picture is better than a still.
Makes sense, no? :rolleyes:

CNN got the video directly from the store, it was not released or provided by authorities.

Obama has already bent over backwards telling people not to rush to judgement, no one is trying to “fuel hatred”. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Just the opposite.
If anything, the military/government will downplay any political/religious motive.

Logic check: After 9-11 and with troops dying overseas, why would anyone see a need to fuel antagonism? :rolleyes:
Are you always this conspiracy minded, or just have problems with America? 🙂

They released a video of him (Rogue psycho psycholo). buying stuff in a shop.
Interesting, they could have just showed a mugshot of his face, but they showed a Vid of him in his Muslim outfit. Just to fuel the hatred a bit more and justify the ongoing conflict methinks.

Boys and Girls,

Not sure what the issues are in other countries, but, for reasons of OPSEC/PERSEC its going to be best not to give accurate details of what the routine readiness state, of those armed personnel guarding UK defence establishments, actually is.

Cheers

IIRC weapons are loaded, with live ammo,and cocked…the safety is placed on and the weapon pointed in a safe direction

or this is what i was lead to believe in my 8 years of visiting bases…i could be wrong

most if not all MOD bases in the UK have armed guard patrolling all day from what i understand

Yes, but said weapons are generally not loaded. If they do have live ammo, it will not be chambered. This means, if someone should turn batsh*t crazy, they have to spend valuable reaction time cocking their weapon and getting it ready to fire. This only take a few seconds, but if said lunatic has an SA80, M4 or any sort of automatic rifle at their disposal and is letting rip, they could drop you and your colleagues in half the time.

Barracks here in Sydney (Holsworthy) were subject of a apparent plot not dissimilar to what occured at ft.Hoot. While media kicked up a storm it appears military did not seem bothered too much. For example taxi cabs can still drive trough gates all the way to barracks.

Makes me wonder if this incident and what hapened in UK (Pizza delivery) will make some paper pushers at HQ rethink base security. For example there are no armed soldiers patroling base.. just hired private security.. and not many at that. Reality is that as in war time, soldiers should be allowed to carry sidearms when on base grounds.. alteast NCOs and Officers.

Did you actually read the article in the link?

These people were killed and injured by a serving US Army officer based at Fort Hood, not by a pizza delivery boy or a taxi driver.

It’s really not necessary. In my time as an officer, I never felt threatened. I feel more exposed at my civilian job now…working with nutty members of the public.

Some people think everyone in the military is armed all the time (and we all drive Jeeps everywhere), but it’s not the case. The only time I touched a firearm is when I had to requalify on the 9mm Barretta.

Tragic event. My hearts go out to all the families.
Wonder how it will be presented to (and in) the media?
They’ll downplay any possible religious/political motivation, I’d suspect.
Try to explain it on stress alone and an unhappy childhood or something else PC.
Sorry to be cynical…

You have a point.. I would also like a sidearm considering nutters I deal with in civ work.
But these days when in uniform ( reserves) I do feel like a possible target.. something that did not happen only 5-10 years ago. And you are totally right on the second point.. people have impression if you enter the base its filled with soldiers in full battle kit and tanks and APCs are rolling with live ammo all over the place. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Which is precisely why NCOs and Officers should be able to carry sidearm at all time while on base property.

It’s really not necessary. In my time as an officer, I never felt threatened.
I feel more exposed at my civilian job now…working with nutty members of the public.

Some people think everyone in the military is armed all the time (and drive Jeeps everywhere), but it’s not the case. The only time I touched a firearm is when I had to requalify on the 9mm Barretta.

Tragic event. My hearts go out to all the families.
Wonder how it will be presented to (and in) the media?
They’ll downplay any possible religious/political motivation, I’d suspect.

Sorry to be cynical…

There’s an interesting irony here… A number of years ago it was the shooting incident in Killeen that really got the concealed handgun movement some serious momentum after the Luby’s incident where a lawmaker’s parents were both killed as her gun sat in the car a few dozen yards away for legal purposes.
Now, probably there are two spots in Killeen that a gunman like this could get away with a large massacre – the schools, and the army base of all places! Seems you can’t defend yourself on a US military base unless you’re officially on armed guard duty.

It’s kind of close to home as I have an uncle who’s a contractor on base, family property nearby, and have had family members there in recent years.

Ryan

Which is precisely why NCOs and Officers should be able to carry sidearm at all time while on base property.

There’s an interesting irony here… A number of years ago it was the shooting incident in Killeen that really got the concealed handgun movement some serious momentum after the Luby’s incident where a lawmaker’s parents were both killed as her gun sat in the car a few dozen yards away for legal purposes.
Now, probably there are two spots in Killeen that a gunman like this could get away with a large massacre – the schools, and the army base of all places! Seems you can’t defend yourself on a US military base unless you’re officially on armed guard duty.

It’s kind of close to home as I have an uncle who’s a contractor on base, family property nearby, and have had family members there in recent years.

Ryan

An update:

Suspected Gunman in Custody After 12 Killed in Rampage at Fort Hood

Fox News

Thursday , November 05, 2009

An Army psychiatrist who reportedly feared an impending war deployment is in custody as the sole suspect in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas that left 12 dead and at least 30 wounded, an Army official said Thursday night.

The news that the suspect, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, was alive and in stable condition came as a sudden reversal of early reports that the gunman was among the dead.

“I would say his death is not imminent,” Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.

Two other soldiers who were taken into custody for questioning were later released, Cone said. A female first responder who shot at Hasan also survived, contrary to earlier reports that she had died.

The rampage was believed to be the deadliest at a U.S. military base in history. The exact motive wasn’t clear, though Hasan, a Virginia native and a Muslim, reportedly was against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and had been the target of harassment for his ethnicity.

Federal law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats. The officials said they are still trying to confirm that he was the author.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates homicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

“To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause,” said the Internet posting. “Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers.”

They say an official investigation was not opened.

Hasan was working with soldiers at Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood after being transferred in July from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he had worked for six years before recently receiving a poor review.

Cone said the shooter used two guns, including a semi-automatic weapon. He added there was no indication they were military weapons.

The shooting took place 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the post’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers undergo medical screening before being deployed or after returning from overseas.

“We have a terrible, tragic situation here,” said Cone. “Soldiers, family members and the civilians that work here are absolutely devastated.”

Cone said the injuries “vary significantly” among the victims wounded in the shooting.

The shooter’s cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News that their family is in shock.

“We are trying to make sense of all this,” Nader Hasan said. “He wasn’t even someone who enjoyed going to the firing range.”

He said his cousin, who was born and raised in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech University, turned against the wars after hearing the stories of those who came back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Nader Hasan said his cousin, who was raised a Muslim, wanted to go into the military against his parent’s wishes — but was taunted by others after the terror attacks of Sept. 11.

A former neighbor of Hasan’s in Silver Spring, Md., told Fox News he lived there for two years with his brother and had the word “Allah” on the door.

She said the FBI interviewed her Thursday afternoon, adding she used to see a woman and a 3-year-old girl coming and going.

Authorities provided little information Thursday about the victims of the rampage at Fort Hood.

George Stratton’s son, George Stratton III, was five feet away from the shooter at the Soldier Readiness Center and suffered a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

“He said he was there doing medical stuff and all of a sudden someone came through the door, walked behind the desk and just started shooting,” Stratton told FoxNews.com.

He said about 15 rounds went off and people started dropping to the floor.

“He peaked up over the desk and that’s when he was shot in the shoulder, and he just went down again. He said he saw one of his NCOs get badly shot,” Stratton told FoxNews.com after talking to his son in the hospital. “After he got shot he told me, ‘Dad, I got up, held my arm and took off running.'”

Stratton said his son was expected to be deployed to Afghanistan in January after going to basic training exactly a year ago.

“It’s pretty hard to believe something like this happened,” Stratton told FoxNews.com. “I think he’s probably had his fill of war already.”

President Obama called the shooting a “horrific outburst of violence” on members of the nation’s armed forces. “It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil,” he said

Obama said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.

A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations said they don’t know anything about Hasan, and condemned the shooting at Fort Hood.

The group issued a statement calling the shooting as a “cowardly attack.” They say no political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such violence.

The base and area schools were on lockdown after the mass shooting, and all those on the Army post were asked to gather for a head count, thought the lockdown was lifted Thursday night.

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, the sprawling base is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

FoxNews.com’s Michelle Maskaly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As do nearly all Military bases around the globe

Not ours mate. Holsworthy has no Armed soldiers. Only private contractors. Same about RAAF Albatros… its very very stupid and dangerous.

most if not all MOD bases in the UK have armed guard patrolling all day from what i understand

As do nearly all Military bases around the globe

most if not all MOD bases in the UK have armed guard patrolling all day from what i understand