Found Deceased TX - PFC Vanessa Guillen, 20, Fort Hood military base, items left behind, 22 Apr 2020

[Fleur-de-lis]

Well it seems to me that after this they ought to tighten procedures. This isn't just at Ft. Hood. When I wanted to meet my husband for lunch at various NASA facilities, I'd just take his car with the sticker and drive right in. How different this case might be if there had been stricter procedures and cameras! JMO. I do realize it would slow people down trying to get in and out if it were stricter.

 

[MntnHiker]

So if it IS someone she knows, it could be that she was in a (secret) relationship with someone OR that this other person wanted a relationship/sex with her and she turned them down. MOO

 

[Laughing]

It is not that hard to get in especially if a driver has a military ID, then they do not ask for passenger's ID. I never tried to give them my DL so not sure how it works. And on most gates you just scan your ID to get in. As to leaving - absolutely no checkpoint.

Different on the post near me. I've been a front seat passenger with my colleague, a military spouse.

At this post, the MP took both her spousal ID, scanned it, and my driver's license. The MP ducked low enough to see me & compare to the picture on my driver's license.

When I use a contractor's pass, the MP takes the pas into their hand, scans it, hands it back.

One day I had 2 MPs in my lane, turns out one was training. The verbal prompts between the trainer & trainee went something like this:

Trainee: accepted pass, looked at me, looked at pass, looked at trainer "visual OK, pass current"
Trainer: "what day is it?"
Trainee: "Tuesday, sir; 7 day pass, within time frame."
Trainer: "Good job."
Trainee: "Welcome to [this military facility,] Ma'am."
Me: "Thank you both!"

JMHO YMMV LRR

 

[Lusitana]

I expected her to have been found by now. Her poor family...

 

[carbuff]

...
What if she did have some of those things on her and lets say someone did abduct her. What if (an abductor) put her keys, etc. back in the arms room? If they belonged there, or had an excuse to be there, would anyone have noticed?
...

snipped by me

This is the question I keep coming back to.

 

[Boxer]

snipped by me

This is the question I keep coming back to.

Only if running can I see her leaving her things like that even if locked in locker the arms room.
And even if running a regular soldier is going to have their ID card on them.

 

[humblegroundxx]

One thing that I think people don't realize that it's in fact, very easy to get on base. They don't check every person in the car- only the driver. It could have been someone that brought another person on base, and then took their chance. It would've been much easier for a driver to drive up, and then someone jump out and grab her. My gut tells me it was just someone that she knew and maybe even trusted, and they asked her to get in the car.

Snipped respectfully - I can let you know that's not the case at Ft. Hood, I've always been checked as a passenger - on another base I've been to recently they actually always check me as a passenger and were more concerned about me than the driver. So it is unlikely that any passengers were not at least ID'd

 

[carbuff]

Different on the post near me. I've been a front seat passenger with my colleague, a military spouse.

At this post, the MP took both her spousal ID, scanned it, and my driver's license. The MP ducked low enough to see me & compare to the picture on my driver's license.

When I use a contractor's pass, the MP takes the pas into their hand, scans it, hands it back.

One day I had 2 MPs in my lane, turns out one was training. The verbal prompts between the trainer & trainee went something like this:

Trainee: accepted pass, looked at me, looked at pass, looked at trainer "visual OK, pass current"
Trainer: "what day is it?"
Trainee: "Tuesday, sir; 7 day pass, within time frame."
Trainer: "Good job."
Trainee: "Welcome to [this military facility,] Ma'am."
Me: "Thank you both!"

JMHO YMMV LRR

One of the Carbuff offspring is a contractor at a military base in Europe, and this is the procedure that's always followed when we go on base with him. We need to get a pass, and it's checked ever time for all of us. Even offspring's kid is checked every time.

Going off--usually we just drive out, but occasionally if the alert level is up we'll get spot checked exiting, too.

 

[NervousNellie]

Only if running can I see her leaving her things like that even if locked in locker the arms room.
And even if running a regular soldier is going to have their ID card on them.

WRT the BBM part, what do you mean by “regular soldier?” I don’t think it’s fair to speak in absolutes... I never carried my ID when running on base when I was active duty Army (and, yes, it was policy to have your ID at all times.). I didn’t even carry a key - left my house unlocked. I would not do that now, but it was 25 years ago so I’ve gotten a lot smarter, or maybe just a lot more paranoid, since then.

Even now, as a civilian, I don’t carry an ID or phone to walk the dog, but I do lock the house and use the garage code to get back in.

 

[insearchoflight]

Early on, it was stated that due to covid19, the checkpoints are currently automated machines, not a person.

Soldiers and Department of the Army police will not be checking identification cards at this time. All entry onto the installation will by through automated installation entry machine ID card scanning only.
Some services on Fort Hood limited due to COVID-19

 

[Beltonian]

Well the Gate I am going through does not have machines (it is remote) and you have to present your ID to a person. Same was yesterday, guys just wore masks and gloves...
And when I am in the car with my husband, who is driving, they do not check my ID though I always have it handy just in case.

 

[humblegroundxx]

Beltonian, I am wondering if they have let up on the machine usage since the article was posted? It was done back in March but we're almost two months after it was originally posted. Especially with everything opening up more around here.

( love the username by the way )

 

[Proud Country Gal]

It’s easy to get out of though, yeah? Just drive out exit lanes with no ID checks or scans upon departure from the base?

Yes but there are cameras recording the vehicles leaving the gates. There are cameras around the base. (We stay at the Hotel on Base and usually try to stay on base to eat if possible.) So lots of driving around on the base. I will say there are areas of the base that are not used and lots of places that could be overlooked or not thought of looking for people who are missing.

 

[irridescentmoon]

Snipped respectfully - I can let you know that's not the case at Ft. Hood, I've always been checked as a passenger - on another base I've been to recently they actually always check me as a passenger and were more concerned about me than the driver. So it is unlikely that any passengers were not at least ID'd

that’s really good to hear. All the bases we’ve been to, that hasn’t been the case(Army and Air Force). I’m actually very shocked to hear that, but I’m glad that if they’re doing that at Ft Hood, then it should really help narrow down on who exactly was going on base that day.

 

[Boxer]

WRT the BBM part, what do you mean by “regular soldier?” I don’t think it’s fair to speak in absolutes... I never carried my ID when running on base when I was active duty Army (and, yes, it was policy to have your ID at all times.). I didn’t even carry a key - left my house unlocked. I would not do that now, but it was 25 years ago so I’ve gotten a lot smarter, or maybe just a lot more paranoid, since then.

Even now, as a civilian, I don’t carry an ID or phone to walk the dog, but I do lock the house and use the garage code to get back in.

I mean a soldier fearing negative actions on their record.
Maybe "by the book soldier" is better.

 

[California Sunset]

It is not that hard to get in especially if a driver has a military ID, then they do not ask for passenger's ID. I never tried to give them my DL so not sure how it works. And on most gates you just scan your ID to get in. As to leaving - absolutely no checkpoint.

You bring up, again, such a valid point. "As to leaving - absolutely no checkpoint."
You saying this reminds me, someone else said they're only looking for Vanessa on the base. Someone could have stashed her in the trunk, in the back of an SUV, van, etc. Someone could have taken her off the base in any number of ways. Who knows where she could be?
To me, it's stupid to place limitations on search options. Unless they already have a general idea of her location on the base. Do you think?????

 

[Beltonian]

California Sunset, it would be not hard to do at all. Vanessa is a petite girl. Fort Hood has many areas with no surveillance. Base is empty now , nobody is watching. I can easily see a perp hiding her unconscious in their vehicle and leaving Base with no problems at all.
And they were looking for her near a deep Stillhouse Lake , surrounded by woods with literally no people ever there....

 

[Steph8angels]

More than 3 weeks later, missing Fort Hood soldier's family awaits answers

It's been more than three weeks of agony for the family of U.S. Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, a soldier last seen at Fort Hood near Killeen.

Mayra Guillen, the soldier's older sister who lives in Houston, said she and her family have yet to receive any information regarding the disappearance.

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command officials last week declined to comment on the investigation, saying they had no new information to release.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Fort Hood has closed three of its gates to help control the spread of the virus and limit base access. However, neither Fort Hood nor U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command officials have yet to say whether tightened protocols sparked by the pandemic could have made it even more difficult for Vanessa Guillen to disappear unnoticed.

More @link
Find Vanessa
Let's not forget Vanessa

 

[carbuff]

You bring up, again, such a valid point. "As to leaving - absolutely no checkpoint."
You saying this reminds me, someone else said they're only looking for Vanessa on the base. Someone could have stashed her in the trunk, in the back of an SUV, van, etc. Someone could have taken her off the base in any number of ways. Who knows where she could be?
To me, it's stupid to place limitations on search options. Unless they already have a general idea of her location on the base. Do you think?????

Yeah, that's what I think--either the general location is known or surmised, or something about the last sighting gave them strong reason to suspect she didn't leave the base. Something along those lines. I don't think it's a general policy to isolate to the base. I don't recall that Erin Corwin's case had any issues searching the surrounding area.

 

[OnlyFacts]

I really thought this would be solved by now.