EL PASO, Texas — To fight the record-setting surge of coronavirus in the Borderland, Fort Bliss has instituted a curfew to match the one implemented in El Paso County. The Fort Bliss curfew runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, just like the one imposed by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Sunday.
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AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is asking the federal government to use William Beaumont Army Medical Center as a way to help El Paso fight its recent record-breaking surge of coronavirus cases. It comes after he was lobbied to do so by El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. Abbott
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FORT HOOD, Texas — The death of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen occurred “in the line of duty,” Fort Hood officials announced Tuesday. The designation paves the way for Guillen’s family to be entitled to certain Army benefits. “Typically, these benefits include compensation to immediately help the family with expenses, funeral with full military honors, the
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EL PASO, Texas – New court documents obtained by ABC-7 show jealousy as a possible motive in the murder of a Fort Bliss Army captain who was rammed by another car and died in a fiery crash on Oct. 11. Army Capt. Clevy Muchette Nelson-Royster and Richard Mustapha Sennessie were arrested last week in the
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EL PASO, Texas — A fellow Army officer who is the former girlfriend of a murdered Fort Bliss captain became the second person arrested on charges stemming from his death in fiery car crash earlier this week, El Paso police announced Friday. 27–year old Clevy Muchette Nelson-Royster was booked into the downtown jail Thursday night
Continue Reading FORT BLISS, Texas — Maj. Gen. Sean Bernabe, in one of his first major acts as the new commander of Fort Bliss, announced Friday evening that the military post would implement Covid-19 restrictions similar to those being imposed by the city of El Paso. El Paso reported yet another day of record numbers of active
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — “I am going to die!” Those were the exact words told to a 911 dispatch operator moments before a Fort Bliss Army captain had his car rear-ended and died in a fiery crash in east El Paso, according to court documents obtained by ABC-7. Those documents detail the final moments of
Continue Reading UPDATE Oct. 13: Police said Tuesday that a man killed in a fiery crash two days earlier in far east El Paso was the victim of murder, and officials confirmed to ABC-7 that the victim was a U.S. Army logistics officer stationed at Fort Bliss. 27–year-old Army Capt. Malcolm Xavier Perry died of injuries he
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — A writer, author, educator and former warrior living in Las Cruces is getting some well deserved national recognition for sharing his experiences fighting in Vietnam. Retired Lt. Col. Bob Worthington’s book, ‘Under Fire with ARVN Infantry’ has earned him the Gold Medal for Excellence in Literature award from the Military
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico – The Army ROTC Bataan Battalion at New Mexico State University has a new commander. Lt. Col. Mark McClellan, from Macon, Ga., took over as the ROTC battalion’s leader this summer. Prior to that, McClellan served as the commander of the 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment at Fort Bliss. McClellan has
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FORT HOOD, Texas — Maria Valentine says she was just months into her training at the Fort Hood Army base in 2006 when a sergeant with a history of alleged harassment toward other soldiers wrote her up after she complained that she didn’t want him touching her during body mass measurements. She said authorities promised
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WASHINGTON, DC — The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps has tested positive for the coronavirus, days after he and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were in a Pentagon meeting with a Coast Guard leader who was infected with the virus. The Marine Corps says Gen. Gary L. Thomas tested positive for Covid-19.
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON, DC — The Pentagon said Tuesday that top military leaders are under self-quarantine after a senior U.S. Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus. While the Pentagon didn’t identify those affected, two U.S. officials said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, was among them. The officials spoke on
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EL PASO, Texas — It’s at her dinning room table where 7th grader Payton Mitchell sits down to hand-write letters to soldiers at Fort Bliss. “Let this note bring you joy. Thank you for all you have sacrificed, you are appreciated, the world needs more people like you,” is only some of what’s written on
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EL PASO, Texas – The United Service Organizations celebrated military families safely with a drive-through carnival on Saturday. The event allowed them “to relax and come out and spend time together in the car and have fun,” said Yolanda Castillo, the director of the USO El Paso. ‘Warrior Autumn’ is comprised of six weeks of
Continue Reading ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — New Mexico activists held a rally to support a proposal that would change how active duty service members file sexual harassment and assault claims. The “I am Vanessa Guillen Act Rally” on Saturday in Albuquerque sought to put pressure on the state’s congressional delegation to endorse the measure. Under the proposal, the active duty
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UPDATE: U.S. Army officials say a motorcyclist killed in an El Paso traffic crash earlier in the week was a decorated soldier at Fort Bliss who had previously deployed overseas in the war on terror. Spc. Samuel Birmingham, a 21-year-old California native, was a unit supply specialist assigned to 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 2nd
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EL PASO , Texas — A veteran of the U.S. Navy and Army National Guard who served a tour of duty during the Persian Gulf war finally came home to his family earlier this month after surviving a much different kind of struggle which lasted for 20 years. Frank De La Cruz has considered himself
Continue Reading FORT BLISS, Texas – Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division now have a new commander general. Brig. Gen. Sean Bernabe, who was the deputy commander general for U.S. Army Europe, took over as the top officer at Fort Bliss on Wednesday during a change of command ceremony. “I tell you what, I cannot tell
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IMPERIAL COUNTY, California — A Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet crashed in California after clipping the wing of a Marine KC-130 refueling tanker during a mid-air refueling on Tuesday, according to a Marine Corps statement. The F-35 pilot was able to eject safely and the KC-130 was able to carry out a safe emergency landing. The pilot was
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EL PASO, Texas — The family of a missing Fort Bliss soldier, Pvt. Richard Halliday, rallied outside the base for several hours Saturday hoping to spread awareness to find the missing 21-year-old. The family made their way from Sarasota, Florida to El Paso for the first time since Halliday was listed AWOL on July 23.
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EL PASO, Texas — More than 200 Fort Bliss soldiers and some volunteers combed through the trails of the Franklin Mountains State Park Wednesday looking for a missing soldier, Private Richard Halliday, who has been classified as absent without leave since July. Fort Bliss continues to classify Halliday, who is assigned to the 32nd Army Air
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UPDATE: Fort Bliss officials are now organizing a community search effort for a missing soldier. Those wishing to participate in the effort can meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Franklin Mountains State Park to look for Pvt. Richard Halliday, officials said. ORIGINAL REPORT: El Paso, Texas – Fort Bliss officials are asking for the public’s
Continue ReadingEL PASO, Texas – Starting Monday, the El Paso Veterans Affairs Health Care System will start seeing up to 50 percent of its pre-pandemic patient load in-person. As a reminder, all veterans must wear a face mask and have an appointment. They can bring their spouse or one caregiver with them to their in-person appointment.
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — Lawmakers met on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning to present the “I Am Vanessa Guillen” bill, hoping it could be the start of change in the U.S. military five months after the Texas soldier was murdered at Fort Hood, reports ABC affiliate KTRK. Congresswoman Jackie Speier announced that Speaker of the House Nancy
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FORT BLISS, Texas — Military Police shot and wounded a soldier causing a disturbance early Tuesday on post at Fort Bliss, Army officials said. The incident took place just after midnight. Fort Bliss authorities said the 20-year-old wounded soldier, who was an active duty infantryman assigned to the 1st Armored Division, was being treated for
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Jon Stewart, the former host of “The Daily Show,” is back in Washington, DC, pushing a bill to help sick veterans. Stewart joined Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz of California, former VA Secretary David Shulkin, and John Feal, a veterans advocate, at a news conference on Tuesday to speak
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON, DC — The personal information of some 46,000 veterans nationwide was compromised in a breach that targeted private financial data as some health care payments were redirected to fraudulent accounts, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday. Officials found payments that were intended for veteran treatment at multiple community health centers had been
Continue Reading FORT HOOD, Texas — Ryan McCarthy, secretary of the U.S. Army, doesn’t know if there will ever be justice for Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, but he says “it’s clear” that the Army let her family down. “We have to find answers and we will hold people accountable,” McCarthy told ABC News’ “20/20.” Guillen was a 20-year-old Houston
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EL PASO, Texas – Experts say with the Covid-19 pandemic still impacting the world, it is more important than ever to get a flu shot this year. To make that more convenient for veterans, the El Paso Veterans Affairs Health Care System will offer a drive-thru flu shot clinic, starting Monday, at the main VA
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