Nov 6, 2009
By Lisa Daniel, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (Nov. 5, 2009) -- U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is believed to be the lone shooter of some 43 people on Fort Hood, Texas, and he survived being shot by a civilian police officer, the base commander said.
In a televised press briefing tonight, Army Lt Gen. Robert Cone corrected earlier reports that said Hasan and the police officer, who shot him several times, were killed. Rather, he said, both are recovering at a nearby hospital.
All but two of the victims are Soldiers, Cone said.
Cone confirmed the identity of Hasan, reportedly a psychiatrist on the base who was scheduled soon to deploy, but would not say more about the suspect. Hasan has been in the company of a Criminal Investigative Division officer since the midday shooting, he said.
In answer to a reporter's question, Cone said of the suspect, "I would say his death is not imminent." Hasan is not yet talking to investigators.
Three other Soldiers were initially detained for questioning, but later released. After interviewing more than 100 people at the scene, Cone said, investigators determined there was only one shooter.
While investigators haven't ruled out terrorism in the case, Cone said, the evidence doesn't suggest it.
The shooting began about 1:30 Central Time at Hood's Soldier Family Readiness Center where Cone said Soldiers from multiple units were crowded into the center for a scheduled weekly "make up time" for medical and dental appointments.
Casualties were high due to the enclosed location, but would have been much worse were it not for the training and quick reaction of the Soldiers, Cone said, adding that he was on the scene quickly after the shooting began.
"Suffice it to say...the American Soldier did a great job," he said.
From the reports of eyewitnesses, he said, the Soldiers - "many of them combat lifesavers" -- reacted instantaneously, ripping off parts of their own clothing to treat the wounded.
"I credit the first responders," he said. "God bless these Soldiers and Department of Army civilians. As horrible as this was, it could have been much worse."
Some 600 people attending a college graduation of 138 Soldiers in an adjacent building were unharmed because first responders secured the building, he said.
The suspect is believed to have used two handguns in the shooting, one a semiautomatic, Cone said. And in responding to a question, "As a matter of practice, we do not carry weapons on Fort Hood," he said. "This is our home."
However, Cone said, "We will increase our security presence here in the coming days."
The FBI is working the investigation, along with military and other law enforcement, he said. The base was on lockdown until 7 p.m., a base spokesman said.
For now, Cone said, Fort Hood officials are focused on caring for the wounded, securing the base, notifying victims' families and providing grief counseling. A family hotline is available to obtain information at 254-288-7570.
Cone, who received a call from President Barack Obama soon after the shooting, said he was grateful for an outpouring of support. "It is truly overwhelming the offers of support we have had from around the nation," the general said. "Tomorrow at Fort Hood, we return to normalcy, schools will be open."
The Central Texas base is the military's largest, covering some 340 square miles and is home to 40,000 Soldiers. And, according to its Web site, is known as "The Great Place" for its quality of life for Soldiers and their families.
Please pray for those victims, families, friends, and soldiers at Fort Hood.
Weekly Address: Tragedy at Fort Hood
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 07, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST
The President condemns the "despicable" attacks at Fort Hood, honoring those who were killed and injured. He also commends those who stood up to help and console those affected: "even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America."
Fort Hood Releases Names of Casualties
Nov 7,
2009FORT HOOD, Texas -- Fort Hood announced today the death of twelve (12) Soldiers and one (1) civilian employee.
The following Soldiers and a civilian employee died Nov. 5 on Fort Hood of wounds suffered from small arms fire.
Lt. Col. Juanita L. Warman, 55, of Havre De Grace, Md. She was assigned to the 1908 th Medical Company, Independence, Mo.
Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52, of Woodbridge, Va. He was assigned to the 467 th Medical Detachment, Madison, Wis.
Capt. John P. Gaffaney, 54, of San Diego, Calif. He was assigned to the 1908 th Medical Company, Independence, Mo.
Capt. Russell Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis. He was assigned to the 467 th Medical Company, Madison, Wis.
Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32, of Plymouth, Ind. He was assigned to the 16 th Signal Company, 62nd Signal Battalion, 11 th Signal Brigade, Fort Hood,
Texas.
Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis. She was assigned to the 467 th Medical Company, Madison, Wis.
Spc. Jason Hunt, 22, of Tillman, Okla. He was assigned to the 1 st Brigade, 1 st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tenn. He was assigned to the 510 th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, Utah. He was assigned to the 510 th Engineer Company, 20 th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22, of Bolinbrook, Ill. He was assigned to the 510 th Engineer Company, 20 th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minn. He was assigned to the Forward Support Company, 20 th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, of Chicago, Ill. She was assigned to the 15 th Combat Support Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer retired Michael Cahill of Cameron, Texas. He was a civilian employee on Fort Hood.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
"With Gratitude for the Lives They Led"
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 10, 2009 at 04:28 PM EST
Today the President and the First Lady travelled to Killeen, Texas. They met with families of the fallen and with wounded soldiers and their families at III Corps Headquarters, Fort Hood.
Afterwards, the President spoke to the entire Fort Hood community during a memorial service for the soldiers and civilians killed on November 5th:
We come together filled with sorrow for the thirteen Americans that we have lost; with gratitude for the lives that they led; and with a determination to honor them through the work we carry on.
This is a time of war. And yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle. They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great American community. It is this fact that makes the tragedy even more painful and even more incomprehensible.
For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that has been left. We knew these men and women as soldiers and caregivers. You knew them as mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; sisters and brothers.
But here is what you must also know: your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life’s work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy.
Neither this country – nor the values that we were founded upon – could exist without men and women like these thirteen Americans. And that is why we must pay tribute to their stories.
From left; Fort Hood commander U.S. Army Lt. General Robert Cone, First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry attend the attend a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, for the victims of the Fort Hood shootings, Nov. 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pay their respects at the memorial service for victims of the Fort Hood shootings, Nov. 10, 2009, at Fort Hood, Texas. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Soldiers comfort each other at a memorial service for victims of the Fort Hood shootings, Nov. 10, 2009, at Fort Hood, Texas. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
President Barack Obama speaks at the memorial service for the victims of the shootings on the Fort Hood Army post in Fort Hood, Tx. November 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Public Donations to Fort Hood
FORT HOOD, TX - Officials at this sprawling Central Texas Army post have announced opportunities for the public to donate to various agencies on the installation honoring the Soldiers and family members affected by the mass shooting on post yesterday.
Checks can be mailed to:
Chaplain's Fund Office
Bldg 44, 761st Tank Battalion Ave.
Fort Hood, TX 76544-5000
Checks should be made payable to "CTOF" (Chapel's Tithes and Offerings Fund) with a note on the memo line stating "Nov. 5 Tragedy."
Contributions on behalf of Fort Hood Soldiers can also be made to:
Fisher House
Bldg 36015, Fisher Lane
Ft Hood Texas 76544
If you have questions about the Fisher House operation, phone (254)286-7927 or (254)286-7929.
Donations can be made to Red Cross:
Killeen Red Cross
208 W. Ave. A,
Killeen, Texas 76541
Phone (254) 200-4400 or visit their website: www.waco.redcross.org
And finally, donations can be made to the USO at the following:
USO Fort Hood
Building # 1871, 50th St.
Fort Hood, Texas, 76544
Phone: (254) 768-2771 or visit their website at www.uso.org
The President on Veterans Day
President Obama and Army Gen. Karl Horst at the Tomb of the Unknowns, White House Photo, Pete Souza, 11/11/09
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 11, 2009 at 01:45 PM EST
In a cold but light drizzle today, after breakfast with veterans in the East Room of the White House, the President and the First Lady along with the Vice President and Dr. Biden went to Arlington National Cemetery. The President took part in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, then spoke at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery.
The President began his remarks extending his thanks to VA Secretary Shinseki, and to the Bidens and their son Beau, who just returned from Iraq. He expressed humility to be speaking to the veterans in the audience, and spoke in awe of the “determination” he saw in the eyes of those grieving yesterday at Fort Hood. Noting that there have been times in the past when America did not stand by our veterans, the President pledged that this would never happen again:
That is my message to all veterans today. That is my message to all who serve in harm's way. To the husbands and wives back home doing the parenting of two. To the parents who watch their sons and daughters go off to war, and the children who wonder when mom and dad is coming home. To all our wounded warriors, and to the families who laid a loved one to rest. America will not let you down. We will take care of our own.
And to those who are serving in far-flung places today, when your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you just as you've been there for us. That is my promise -- our nation's promise -- to you.
Ninety-one years ago today, the battlefields of Europe fell quiet as World War I came to a close. But we don't mark this day each year as a celebration of victory, as proud of that victory as we are. We mark this day as a celebration of those who made victory possible. It's a day we keep in our minds the brave men and women of this young nation -- generations of them -- who above all else believed in and fought for a set of ideals. Because they did, our country still stands; our founding principles still shine; nations around the world that once knew nothing but fear now know the blessings of freedom.
That is why we fight -- in hopes of a day when we no longer need to. And that is why we gather at these solemn remembrances and reminders of war -- to recommit ourselves to the hard work of peace.
There will be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women step out of uniform. They will build families and lives of their own. God willing, they will grow old. And someday, their children, and their children's children, will gather here to honor them.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
President Barack Obama shares a 'thumbs-up" with a veteran at a Veteran's Day breakfast in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 11, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama addresses a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to mark Veterans Day Nov. 11, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama, second from left, and Gen. Karl Horst, right, stop to talk with visitors among the graves of soldiers from the Iraq and Afghan conflicts in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Nov. 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
President Barack Obama leaves a Presidential coin at the gravesite of 19-year-old Medal of Honor recipient, Specialist Ross McGinnis, who is one of two Medal of Honor recipients memorialized at the cemetery from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The President was at Arlington Cemetery to give remarks in commemoration of Veteran's Day. November 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
