Fort Hood NCOs Prevented Soldiers from Reporting Crimes, Investigators Tell Congress

***Trigger Warning***

"Investigators tasked with analyzing chronic leadership failures at Fort Hood, Texas, pointed to noncommissioned officers perpetuating a culture of fear and preventing soldiers from reporting crimes.

"There was a serious risk there that should've been known by the leadership. The NCOs became the blockers. They did not facilitate or encourage reporting and were part of the shaming of victims," Chris Swecker, a North Carolina lawyer and former FBI inspector who led the review, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday."

""One of the most disturbing things we came across was within two days [investigators] were able to identify two or three serial offenders. … [Fort Hood] didn't have enough experienced agents on board to connect the dots and address that intelligence," Swecker said.

He added that it takes about six to seven years for investigators to "hit their stride," and most military investigators at Fort Hood had less than two years of experience."