On the same day the new commander has taken over Fort Hood, yet another soldier has passed away at the military installation, marking the 28th death linked to the base this year.
25-year-old Pvt. Corlton L. Chee, who was originally from New Mexico, collapsed and died on Wednesday after engaging in physical fitness training according to Fort Hood officials.
The young soldier’s passing is under investigation and an autopsy will reportedly be carried out to determine the cause of death.
The incident struck the base on the same day Maj. Gen. John Richardson IV took over the role of Fort Hood’s commander following the dismissal of Major General Scott Efflandt.
Starting Wednesday, following the decision of Gen. Michael Garrett, Maj. Gen. John Richardson IV assumed the role of Fort Hood’s acting commander.
As the Army has also ordered, an “in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Spc. Vanessa Guillen” will be carried out by Gen. John Murray.
This investigation will be independent of several other investigations that are already taking place at the military base and will be “more complete and comprehensive” according to the Army.
Speaking of his action plan, Richardson announced the launch of Operation Phantom Action, a project that will encourage soldiers to open up about prevalent issues – such as sexual harassment – at the base.
As the new acting commander vowed, he will work on re-establishing trust between the public, soldiers, and leaders.
“Trust is strong in the army, but we have individual instances where they trust is broken and one break in that link is one too many,” Richardson said.
The decision to replace the acting commander of the military installation, which is one of the biggest in the country, follows after a series of troubling disappearances and deaths of Fort Hood soldiers.
According to the Associated Press, the data obtained from the base’s officials confirms at least 28 Fort Hood soldiers have died this year.
Replaced!