FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The U.S. military is investigating the death of a soldier at a Texas Army post that in recent years has struggled with homicide, suicide and sexual assault among its troops.
Fort Hood officials said Wednesday that Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz, a combat engineer who spent 15 months with the 1st Cavalry Division, died on Monday. Officials at the military instillation 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Dallas did not release further information about Basaldua Ruiz or the circumstances surrounding her death. They said in a statement that her family would be provided with support and “all releasable information.”
Fort Hood was the site of the 2020 killing of Vanessa Guillén. A fellow soldier suspected in her killing died by suicide on the day that Guillén’s remains were found. That soldier’s girlfriend later pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making a false statement Guillén’s family claimed that she was harassed and assaulted at Fort Hood, sparking a social media movement of former and active service members who came forward about their own experiences using the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen.
State and federal lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 honoring Guillen, removing some authority from commanders and giving survivors more options to report abuse.
