Shocking Soldier On Soldier Violence At Ft Hood

The shocking events that occurred yesterday at Ft. Hood, Texas are a reminder that bad things can happen both at home and abroad.

At this early stage, it is not entirely clear what the motivation was for a man to commit such an act against his fellow soldiers.  The chief suspect, Major Nidal Hasan, is reportedly a psychiatrist that previously served at Walter Reed.  He appears to be a convert to Islam, and some reports say he shouted “Allahu Akbar!” as he began to open fire.  The words are Arabic for “God is Great!”.

Major Hasan was apparently a critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He may have been upset over new orders that would have had him deploy to serve in Afghanistan.

Some question how Hasan made the rank of Major, when he reportedly had a bad performance review.  In most cases, doctors and other professionals enter the military with the rank of Captain, following medical school.  Once they are board certified, they are almost automatically promoted to Major.  This is quite a bit different from how the members of the officer corps are promoted in combat arms.

Today, the Army held a world-wide moment of silence for their fallen comrades.  At least 13 are dead, and another 30 wounded as a result of this unfortunate incident.

Please take a moment to offer your own prayers for everyone effected by this tragic event.

Reference:

Fox News:

Army Chief of Staff: Fort Hood Massacre is a ‘Kick in the Gut’, as Investigators Search for Answers