October 17, 2020

Vanessa Guillen's Killing Gives Way to Claims of Sexual Harassment, Abuse in the Military, and Hope for Change

The disappearance of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillén began badly and ended horribly worse.

The private first class vanished on an April Sunday, in broad daylight, from Fort Hood, the third-largest Army base in the country. Her family would later say she spoke of being sexually harassed at the Texas installation, and of being afraid to report it.

The vanishing of a young woman from a massive military base went largely unreported in the national media until her relatives, and their attorney, began holding press conferences, accusing Army officials of dragging their feet and deliberately misleading them. National marches and demonstrations followed. Politicians, celebrities and women's advocates took up her cause. They demanded she be found.

Watch Kayla Williams' full interview on Inside Edition.

  • Commentary
    • Defense One
    • November 22, 2024
    To Improve Recruiting, Make Medical Standards Match Retention Ones

    Standards exist for a reason, but excluding people who could thrive in the military unnecessarily impairs readiness....

    By Kareen Hart & Taren Sylvester

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • November 20, 2024
    Sharper: Trump 2.0

    Donald Trump's return to the White House is widely expected to reshape America's global priorities. With personnel choices and policy agendas that mark a significant break fro...

    By Charles Horn & Gwendolyn Nowaczyk

  • Podcast
    • October 24, 2024
    Episode 7: Kate Kuzminski, CNAS

    Kate Kuzminski is Deputy Director of Studies and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She is an expert on ...

    By Katherine L. Kuzminski

  • Commentary
    • USA Today
    • August 16, 2021
    US waited too long to withdraw from Afghanistan

    There was no good way for the United States to exit the failed war in Afghanistan....

    By Paul Scharre

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia