emergency response officials at Fort Cavazos will conduct a full-scale exercise at various locations on post will involve first responders and local law enforcement as they rehearse response and recovery operations Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight manned his Lemonade Stand on West Stan Schleuter Loop on Sunday with the help of family and friends talks about where the proceeds from her Lemonade Stand "Sweet Kitty Lemonade" will go From lemons to strawberries to blueberries and beyond Fort Cavazos Lemonade Day was a successful business venture for many young people who took the time to follow through and deliver their delicious concoctions Saturday and Sunday the colorful stand created by Roman Zuniga was set up Sunday in the Stallion Center on West Stan Schlueter Loop Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content janak@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7551 Email notifications are only sent once a day there are no recent results for popular commented articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Sign up to receive a daily list of Obituary notifications Signup today for the Harker Heights Herald Would you like to receive sports news from all the schools we cover Would you like to receive news about the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Would you like to receive news about the Belton Tigers Would you like to receive news about the Ellison Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Florence Buffaloes Would you like to receive news about the Gatesville Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Harker Heights knights Would you like to receive news about the Killeen Kangaroos Would you like to receive news about the Lampasas Badger Would you like to receive news about the Lometa Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Midway Panthers Would you like to receive news about the Salado Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Shoemaker Grey Wolves Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Anthony McCollough sat in his third-floor barracks room on a Sunday morning in October 2022 listening to music a new female soldier assigned to his air defense artillery company had texted him to find out what he was doing He responded but never heard back from her a figure flashed past his shaded window screaming for help McCollough dressed and ran outside to see a man in dark clothing running from their building two soldiers exhausted from chasing him and another woman blocking the door to her ground-floor room naked except for a belt attached to her waist like a leash She was seeking refuge from an armed robbery sexual assault and attempted kidnapping at the hands of a sergeant who she had met only days earlier That testimony from McCollough on Tuesday was part of the second day of Sgt Greville Clarke’s court-martial at the central Texas Army base is accused of attacking this woman and four other female soldiers living in and around Clarke’s own barracks building between March 16 the prosecutor on the case for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel he turned their barracks rooms into crime scenes,” she said Clarke used various methods to break into the rooms including a key that he had kept from living in one of the buildings a known trick of opening a window to reach a locked doorknob and his clout as a noncommissioned officer to convince new soldiers to open their doors in the middle of the night He would then wield a knife or pistol to demand their money strangle a woman to near death with a lamp cord Clarke has pleaded not guilty to the 37 counts against him including charges of attempted premeditated murder attempted unlawful use of an access device who was apprehended in the hours after his October 2022 attack that McCollough described confessed to his crimes during an interview with the Army Criminal Investigation Division Excerpts from a recording of the interview were played Tuesday in court where Clarke’s case is being tried by a military judge Clarke described attacks against other women which investigators at that time had not formally linked together assistant special agent in charge of the CID office at Fort Cavazos Casper interviewed Clarke for hours that night getting him to speak first of his difficult childhood and then of his attacks against fellow soldiers As the crimes were unfolding in the barracks during the course of a year Only people in CID or people told of them by the victims would have known about what had happened Clarke even brought up an assault that CID was not initially tracking because it had been handled by Fort Cavazos police instead of CID a gray tank top and the same white Converse sneakers that left footprints in one of the barracks rooms Clarke said he found the door to the room propped open by the deadbolt that morning He wore a medical mask and sunglasses to hide his face Stars and Stripes does not name people who identify as victims of sexual assault She came into the bathroom,” Clarke said in the interview He said he pointed his Walther brand firearm at her — one of at least six guns that he owned and stored at other people’s homes because personally owned guns are not allowed in the barracks As Montgomery described the attack in her opening statement had left her door propped open that morning as she walked to the laundry room and back The barracks buildings in that area are motel-style with doors that open to an outdoor hallway The woman had begun to clean her toilet when Clarke attacked pushing her to the ground and putting the weapon to the side of her head removed all her clothing except for her shirt took her phone and began demanding her password and banking information “He turns from her money to her body,” Montgomery said After sexually assaulting the woman with his hands fully undressed her and forced the woman to shower to his specifications He then affixed the belt from her Army uniform around her waist He tells her to stop making sense,” Montgomery said Clarke then told the woman that he wanted to take her to a room where he’s prepared to kill her He then went into the room’s walk-in closet and began to empty a large plastic “tough box” of the woman’s items Her blindfold had lifted enough at this point to see that Clarke was no longer watching her opens the door and runs screaming,” Montgomery said Clarke told Casper in the interview that he pointed his gun at the woman as she ran “I never wanted to hurt anyone,” Clarke told the CID agent which had a photo of his yellow and white Yamaha motorcycle as the lock screen image This allowed investigators to quickly identify him as a suspect according to information discussed in court who has been in pretrial confinement at Bell County Jail since he was arrested Oct has been absent from his own trial this week because he refused to be transferred from a holding facility on post to the courthouse Speaking to the judge Monday through a video feed from the facility Clarke said he was under constant observation because he was deemed a risk to himself and could not sleep or shower The lights were always kept on in his cell and he was not allowed privacy during a shower “I don’t plan to participate in my current capacity,” Clarke told the judge The judge ruled he had ample opportunity for personal hygiene but was not taking it She ruled the court-martial could proceed without his presence because he was waiving his right to be there “She is well within her right to do that,” said Sherry Bunn a former Army attorney who now represents accused service members in military court “You can forfeit your right to be present because you don’t want to be there or you can do something for the judge to kick you out,” Bunn said The judge only has to determine that waiting would create an unreasonable delay in the trial Prosecutors presented evidence Monday that if Clarke did attend the trial he could become violent and a danger to others a confinement liaison officer for Fort Cavazos testified Monday that he has transported Clarke to the base from Bell County Jail for more than two years he has seen Clarke have outbursts and refuse to comply when he feels he does not have control Clarke on Monday asked guards to brush his teeth Clarke tore the lockers from the walls of the restroom and headbutted them he said everyone in the courtroom could be at risk of harm Clarke’s defense team did not object to his absence from court Texas (KXXV) — A Killeen man and three other individuals were sentenced to prison and probation on Thursday for buying and stealing United States Army equipment that was stolen from Fort Cavazos "Alvarado and his co-conspirators engaged in a massive scheme to steal store and sell millions of dollars' worth of U.S military equipment—not only taking advantage of our government but placing personal profit over national security and military readiness," said Acting U.S Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas Army soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos and had participated in at least seven thefts of U.S they coordinated with Alvarado throughout the scheme through telecommunications and text messages" Investigators traced several transactions through online sellers was discovered to be selling multiple M-50 gas masks similar to what had been reported stolen Alvarado was also selling other miscellaneous sensitive property being transported in interstate and foreign commerce with a value of $5,000 or more "Executed search warrants resulted in the recovery of more than 24,000 individual items stolen from the U.S and Level Ill and Level IV body armor — the recovered properties were valued at approximately $2.75 million," the United States Attorney's Office said Another search warrant led to the recovery of another $100,000 worth of military property at a Killeen storage building Alvarado participated in the sale and transfer of a Joint Chemical Agent Detector M4A1 to a buyer in China through an intermediary in Delaware." Alvarado stated he had purchased 90 percent of the 24,000 items seized from Bryant and Alston Taylor later confessed that he had participated as the lookout in a July 2021 robbery on Fort Cavazos while other members of the conspiracy retrieved the items Alston stated that he had conducted seven or eight theft operations with Bryant and the others Alvarado transferred a cashier's check for $52,890.55 to a title company for a residence in Killeen — on July 7 Alvarado transferred a personal check for $50,000 to a licensed automobile dealer for the purchase of a 2013 McLaren MP4 — following the April 2022 indictment 2023 to one count of theft of government property conspiracy one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of smuggling goods from the United States Alvarado was sentenced to 120 months custody in federal prison Wallas and Taylor were also sentenced with Alvarado — Alston and Wallas were each sentenced to 30 months in federal prison Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation Bryant was sentenced to five years of probation and incurred a $2,000 fine on March 24 and Bryant were ordered to pay $618,750 in restitution Alvarado was ordered to pay a restitution of $2,367,780.12 "This case highlights the partnership and commitment between Homeland Security Investigations and Army CID in securing the Homeland by targeting malicious actors stealing and exporting sensitive military equipment," said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Texas — A Fort Cavazos sergeant was convicted Tuesday of attempted murder for strangling a woman with a lamp cord in her barracks room and for raping her and another woman among dozens of other crimes that he committed against fellow soldiers including assault with the intent to commit rape indecent visual recording and obstruction of justice The court-martial is expected to conclude this week he held a woman for three to four hours before he strangled her with the cord of her Army-issued lamp He only stopped because he thought she was dead The woman remained unconscious for more than a day Doctors later determined she had experienced seizures because of the loss of oxygen “She barely made it out alive,” the attorney said Stars and Stripes does not name sexual assault victims Montgomery spent nearly four hours Monday describing in detail how Clarke committed his crimes — often using the soldier’s own words when he confessed to an investigator with the Army Criminal Investigation Division on the October 2022 day that he was caught he broke into a woman’s room using the window and woke her showing her a pre-typed message on his cellphone: “You’re being robbed She saw his knife as he ordered her to the ground to be tied up the woman and her girlfriend had both fallen asleep during a video chat and the girlfriend woke up to the noise of the attack and began to ask questions “He admitted that she was on Facetime with a woman who said things to him that made him panic,” Montgomery said Clarke entered the room with a key that he had from living in that barracks building forced her to undress and then ordered her to tell him where to find specific lingerie and high heels in her room She told the court that he seemed to know what he was looking for he held her by the throat and rubbed his clothed body against her naked one Then he told the woman that they had the entire weekend together before he would kill her She “had a physical reaction to being so repulsed by him” and began to have a panic attack Clarke banged on the woman’s barracks room door at about 2 a.m The young private answered because she saw a sergeant at her door in uniform But her roommate spoke up and frightened him away where he held a woman captive at gunpoint for hours took explicit photos and forced her into the shower first trying to pour water on her blindfolded face to calm her down It escalated her volume as she began to choke He then took the lamp cord and wrapped it twice around her neck attempting to strangle her He was acquitted of two charges — a second attempted premeditated murder count and a charge of attempted fraudulent use of an access device Both related to his fifth and final attack in October 2022 He used the woman’s cellphone to try and move $14,000 from her bank accounts to his He hid in the woman’s shower while she was in the barracks laundry room she escaped while he was emptying a large plastic bin that he said he planned to use to move her to another location and kill her he pointed his pistol at her but never fired a shot He was caught that day because he dropped one of his cellphones as soldiers chased him from the building he still had access to his second cellphone and created a cartoon version of himself smiling behind a shower curtain has been absent from court since the trial began April 7 He waived his right to be present and the judge accepted successfully argued Clarke should not be convicted of premeditated murder in this attack because he did not have a plan to kill this woman he’s often confused about what he intends to do,” she said Monday in her closing argument The Bernie Beck Gate sign is seen near the Fort Cavazos main gate FORT CAVAZOS — Prosecutors called in more Army Criminal Investigation Division agents as witnesses Friday to confirm evidence against a Fort Cavazos sergeant accused of several break-ins and sexual assaults on post between 2021 and 2022 Maureen Kohn admitted more than 20 items were admitted into evidence Friday as prosecutors make the case that Clarke had a “careful calculated” plan to rape and murder at least four women at Fort Cavazos from March 2021 to October 2022 The government counsel called CID evidence custodian Danielle Parker to the stand to verify both the condition of evidence and the forms documenting their chain of custody 254-501-7554 | bjohnson@kdhnews.com The court-martial of an Army sergeant accused of a string of break-ins and rapes on Fort Cavazos that included a brutal attempted murder began… Texas — A sergeant who attacked young women who were alone and new to the Fort Cavazos barracks will spend the rest of his life in prison after at least two of his five victims asked the judge for no leniency “I want this man to suffer in fear for the rest of his life,” said the woman who was nearly strangled to death in July 2022 by Sgt “I want him to have a long life behind bars wondering when God will decide to give him his last breath.” was convicted of 29 separate crimes including attempted premeditated murder rape and kidnapping after a court-martial without a jury that lasted more than two weeks Maureen Kohn on Thursday announced his sentence — life in prison with the eligibility for parole for the attempted murder charge and more than 112 years for all the other crimes Clarke was also found guilty of assault with the intent to commit rape He would serve the 112-year sentence should he ever be approved for parole according to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel Kohn acquitted Clarke of just two crimes — a second count of attempted premeditated murder and attempted fraudulent use of an access device forfeited all pay and allowances and will receive a dishonorable discharge though he has been in confinement at Bell County Jail since his arrest Oct Clarke’s crime spree began in March 2021 when he broke into a woman’s barracks room while she slept escalating his violence and concealing his crimes by wearing gloves Clarke was scared away from the woman’s room when he heard her roommate speak “I am incredibly proud of the five survivors of Sgt Clarke’s violence for standing strong against him during trial It has been my honor to walk with them on the journey to receive justice for the heinous acts the accused carried out against them,” Maj prosecutor with the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel “May they now begin their lifelong paths of healing and vindication knowing their voices have ensured the accused is held accountable for his crimes.” Clarke’s lawyers presented evidence this week to show there were factors from Clarke’s life that deserved leniency and an opportunity for parole such as an abusive childhood and lack of stability growing up Attorneys also presented family members who testified they were willing to support Clarke The fifth and final woman attacked by Clarke spoke Wednesday saying the pain and panic of that day have never really left her Stars and Stripes does not name victims of sexual assault Clarke hid behind her shower curtain on a Sunday morning in October 2022 and surprised her while she cleaned the toilet In the roughly three hours that Clarke held her hostage in her own barracks room forced her to shower to his specifications and then began a plan to take her from the room in a large plastic bin to kill her in another location the woman ran from the room naked and screaming for help she sobbed and dry heaved before an ambulance arrived “Surviving is not the same as healing,” she said cries without warning and flinches anytime someone around her moves too quickly she’ll spend days cleaning every tile in the bathroom “to keep dark thoughts from taking over.” the woman said she’s been able to achieve far more than she ever thought possible getting married and completing extreme physical challenges she addressed the court wearing her Army dress uniform and glasses that she removed to wipe tears from her eyes as she moved to the memories and trauma that still “echo” in her mind “I carry the weight of leadership and what you did to me,” she said addressing Clarke directly He waived his right attend any portion of the court-martial “I screamed from a mountaintop in Alaska .. because I don’t know how to hold all this pain that was caused,” she said “My wife wants to help but sometimes she doesn’t know how to reach me when I shut down The woman Clarke attacked three months earlier and nearly strangled to death was not able to continue her service in the Army because she became afraid of every man she saw in uniform The Army was the only career that she had ever planned or imagined for herself “I don’t know what to do anymore,” she said On the July 2022 night that Clarke came to her room and she only answered because she saw his sergeant rank He then forced his way in with a pistol and proceeded for the next four hours to undress her waterboard her and then strangle her with a lamp cord until she was unconscious “There are nights where I sit on the bathroom floor crying Why did his attempt to take my life fail?” two relatives of Clarke’s answered questions for Maj said her brother is known to his family as Patrick He found their mother dead in the bathtub when he was 2 years old who was later deported back to Jamaica for drug charges Their stepmother raised them until she died nine years later “I can’t remember a time he wasn’t beaten every day,” Jamickia Clarke said of living with their stepmother in Florida Her brother could only eat bread and water for dinner some nights and would be forced to stand for hours as punishment said she understood the impact that her brother’s actions had on the lives of the victims “I know these nights of terror will impact you for the rest of your life in ways I will never understand,” she said Greville Clarke’s aunt and a medically retired Army veteran also apologized to the women on behalf of her nephew “You did nothing wrong,” she said to the women FORT CAVAZOS — After less than eight months in operation Lucky’s Cafe has closed its location on Fort Cavazos The casual diner opened in September as the first expansion of a popular Dallas restaurant of the same name Welfare and Recreation shared on Wednesday in a post to Facebook that Lucky’s would be “closing its doors permanently” on May 1 citing the “internal business decisions” of its owners Rain showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight The Canady family receive awards for their work with Santa's Workshop at the Great Place at the Volunteer of the Year Awards at Phantom Warrior Center last Wednesday families and civilian employees from across Fort Cavazos gathered at the Phantom Warrior Center last Wednesday night to honor its highest-achieving community volunteers with its annual Volunteer of the Year Awards ceremony “We ask each brigade to submit their nominations for volunteer of the year,” said Fort Cavazos employment and volunteer services branch manager Marie DiCendio “This is to recognize all the work they’ve done throughout the calendar year Nedlewerkes is a full service cross stitch and embroidery shop located in Copperas Cove We have been in business for 2 and a half years and counting Please come see us for all your needlework needs. We have over 1,000 patterns in stock so you are sure to find whatever yo… salute the national colors alongside III Armored Corps commander Lt Andy Cox speaks to soldiers of III Armored Corps after becoming its deputy commander for support at the corps headquarters on Fort Cavazos Wednesday FORT CAVAZOS — Leaders of III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos bid farewell to their deputy commander for support in a ceremony outside the corps headquarters Wednesday wrapping up just an hour before a severe thunderstorm dumped hail on the area Ben Cattermole spent two years in the role which is typically filled by general officer on exchange from an allied military He has served in the British Army since 1996 when he commissioned into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards My’Kia Joyner during the "2024 Day of Kids" celebration by the Boys and Girls Club in downtown Killeen her “Under the Sea Lemonade” with a mermaid-inspired theme and colors did very well youth entrepreneurs have been learning how to start and operate their own lemonade stands in the Killeen–Fort Cavazos area the time has finally come and this Saturday and Sunday lemonade stands will be posted all across Harker Heights “Some youth entrepreneurs will be set up in front of their homes while others have asked permission of a local business to use their storefront and Copperas Cove allow Lemonade Day participants to set up in city parks as well,” said Ally Torres Olszynski city director of Lemonade Day Fort Cavazos Area participants are encouraged to spend a little Jholcomb@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7552 We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at webadmin@tdtnews.com or call us at 254-634-6666 Texas (KXXV) — A captain at Fort Cavazos set a Guinness World Record for the fastest one-mile run in a bomb suit Chewning-Kulick wore a 50-pound bomb suit for the challenge I was a little nervous,” said Chewning-Kulick but knowing what it feels like to have that helmet bouncing around on your head or the giant plate in the front is probably one of the most important things.” Chewning-Kulick’s run still needs official verification by Guinness World Records your Neighborhood Reporter for McGregor and Falls County Texas (KXXV) — Killeen police and the Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the death of 20-year-old Lucila Nieva found unconscious at Copper Mountain Apartments on March 21 BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:Killeen Police and the Army Criminal Investigation Division on Fort Cavazos are currently investigating the death of 20-year-old Lucila Nieva 25 News first found out about her death from a viewer on Sunday The post confirmed it is working with KPD to solve the case Killeen police confirmed officers found an unconscious 20-year-old woman on March 21 in an apartment in the 2500 block of Bacon Ranch Road She was later pronounced dead by a local justice of the peace 25 News stopped by Copper Mountain apartments and the assistant manager confirmed that the incident took place at the complex It definitely makes me feel a little less safe,” said one resident at the complex 25 News spent time speaking with several of our neighbors both on and off camera many of them telling us they had no clue about the incident “I definitely think people should’ve been made aware because I had no idea that that happened nearby,” said one resident We received this statement from Fort Cavazos The Killeen Police Department is investigating the death of Lucila Nieva The Army Criminal Investigation Division is working with the Killeen Police Department to solve this case as quickly as possible We are deeply saddened by the loss of an Army family member and will continue to support law enforcement and the Nieva family throughout this investigation 25 News reached out to Fort Cavazos to find out what connection Nieva has to anyone on post but we have not received a response to our inquiry they tell 25 News the death investigation is making them be a little more cautious you have to be really aware of the environment that your kids are in,” said one resident and authorities have not yet revealed the connection between Nieva and Fort Cavazos Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Killeen man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 120 months in prison for buying and selling U.S Army equipment that had been stolen by soldiers and former soldiers Prosecutors said the co-conspirators were U.S they coordinated with Alvarado throughout the scheme through telecommunications and text messages,” prosecutors said Investigators with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigations Division (Army CID) traced several transactions through online sellers was discovered to be selling multiple M-50 gas masks similar to what had been reported stolen from Fort Cavazos Alvarado was also selling filters for the masks night vision device image intensifier tubes and other miscellaneous sensitive property being transported in interstate and foreign commerce with a value of $5,000 or more Investigators executed search warrants that resulted in the recovery of more than 24,000 individual items stolen from the U.S The recovered properties were valued at approximately $2.75 million Alvarado participated in the sale and transfer of a Joint Chemical Agent Detector M4A1 to a buyer in China through an intermediary in Delaware who were assigned to the 553rd Combat Service Support Battalion Alvarado transferred a cashier’s check for $52,890.55 to a title company for a residence in Killeen Alvarado transferred a personal check for $50,000 to a licensed automobile dealer for the purchase of a 2013 McLaren MP4 “Alvarado and his co-conspirators engaged in a massive scheme to steal store and sell millions of dollars’ worth of U.S military equipment—not only taking advantage of our government but placing personal profit over national security and military readiness,” said Acting U.S “Thank you to all of the federal law enforcement agencies involved for provided their individual specialized investigative skills to this case and reinforcing the fact that criminals who engage in this illicit reckless behavior will be caught and prosecuted.” which helped lead the team to seize assets like his real estate There are no sports cars and lavish lifestyles for Alvarado in prison,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office As the law enforcement division of the IRS we follow the money to bring criminals to justice.” said their submitted work orders for broken air conditioning units were canceled before a solution was provided (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)An air conditioning problem that plagued the U.S Army’s Fort Cavazos barracks in early February continued for several weeks after being identified Soldiers said they experienced five to six weeks of unbearably hot temperatures in their rooms reporting the problems both on the dorm-reviewing app Hots&Cots and through statements provided to Military Times On Feb. 7, a Fort Cavazos spokesperson confirmed at least 10 buildings were affected by a mechanical failure with water pumps that controlled the AC units director of the Directorate of Public Works said in an emailed statement that the chillers were fixed and the air conditioning was restored as of Feb “The root problem was a manufacturer’s recall on one of our three chillers The Directorate of Public Works oversees the facility management of Fort Cavazos, according to the Army website Fort Cavazos worked to fix the problems in the previous weeks When Military Times reported on the issue Feb a spokesperson for the base did not provide a timeline for when the repairs would finally be completed “The Fort Cavazos Garrison Team is working closely with 1st Cavalry Division leadership to provide appropriate accommodations to impacted soldiers until successful repairs can be completed,” the statement read at the time Broken AC at Fort Cavazos leaves soldiers sweatingA mechanical failure at the Texas base has left soldiers dealing with room temperatures in the 80s this week.By Hots&Cots founder Rob Evans contacted Military Times last week flagging further complaints about the AC units on the review app He said the problems had affected 41 buildings claiming that the larger number was given to him by Fort Cavazos Fort Cavazos did not confirm that 41 buildings were dealing with an AC unit problem they confirmed that 41 facilities received chilled water for air conditioning Hots&Cots posts continued to complain of excessive heat at the Texas military base A review posted Feb. 15 showed a photo of a thermostat reading 80 degrees Fahrenheit, along with a caption that read, “STILL busted.” Two separate posts uploaded on Feb. 26 similarly showed high room temperatures, one at 78 and one at 89 degrees Fahrenheit “Leadership and garrison has ZERO care for single soldier Quality of Life.” Another post Feb 20 even showed a room dipping into cold temperatures with a photo of a 57.5 Fahrenheit thermometer reading When complaints first started flooding Hots&Cots soldiers accused the base of closing work orders immediately after they’d submitted them “There is no need for multiple open work orders for a problem that has already been identified,” a Fort Cavazos spokesperson said at the time To better understand soldiers’ living conditions visited a soldier’s room at the 1st Cavalry Division barracks at Fort Cavazos in February 2024 Army) Soldiers complain of lackluster responseA soldier stationed at Fort Cavazos spoke to Military Times on Feb 28 and described a lackluster response to the complaints about AC problems The soldier spoke on the condition of anonymity “I’ve called them about four or five times periodically ‘cause this AC thing has been an issue for the last five to six weeks,” the soldier said The soldier also described a problem-solving system in which electronically filed complaints were immediately canceled after submission “They refused to put in a work order because there were already work orders in,” the soldier said the soldier’s barracks room consistently reached high temperatures The Directorate of Public Works advised the soldier to buy a portable AC unit to help cool down the room without offering reassurance that any money spent on a unit would be reimbursed Barracks problems take center stage at military readiness hearing'I want Marines focused on bullets on bad guys, not managing HVAC systems.'By Plug-in fans were dispersed to soldiers at the building’s duty desk one day but a fan wasn’t enough to successfully combat the heat the soldier’s room was hovering at 77 degrees Fahrenheit creating doubts about whether the issue had been fully resolved The soldier believes the base’s broken AC units — and the response from leadership — were indicative of a more systemic problem “The AC situation is a symptom of the bigger issue of DPW not actually being held accountable to get stuff done,” the soldier said The Directorate of Public Works was slow to respond to work orders and sometimes the office didn’t respond at all orders for other issues submitted in the past had been canceled before any solution was provided The soldier described the overall quality of life at Fort Cavazos as poor with broken washing machines and dryers and mold in certain barracks which the soldier worried would be exacerbated by the intense heat from the AC problem “We take our responsibility to care for our single Soldiers who live in barracks on Fort Cavazos very seriously and respond to all work orders that we receive including reports of mold,” Dosa said in response to an inquiry about the complaints in 2020 were part of the Army's barracks modernization program which included refurbishing rooms and replacing building facades to battle mold and mildew issues Army)Dosa said a barracks renovation program had invested $835 million in upgrading 72 out of 100 barracks over the past 12 years referencing the makeover as an example of the base’s commitment to its soldiers’ wellbeing On April 8, 2021, the U.S. Army announced an “on-post housing overhaul” worth $420 million that would replace 600 homes at Fort Cavazos we are tracking 17 rooms in two permanent party barracks and one transient barrack with confirmed mold,” Dosa said “These rooms are under contract for remediation.” Dosa recommended soldiers submit a work order through ArMA or call (254) 287-2113 to report any suspected mold in their rooms Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation Texas — Five men were sentenced in federal court to prison time probation and fines for their participation in the theft of nearly $3 million worth of military equipment from Fort Cavazos Four of the men were soldiers at the time and stole nearly 24,000 pieces of equipment on at least seven different occasions from 2017 to 2021 They then sold the equipment to Benjamin Alvarado Jr. who was caught posting the items for sale online Gabriel Taylor and Kynyqus Bryant were soldiers assigned to Fort Cavazos in central Texas Their service records were not immediately available Alvarado received the steepest punishment for his involvement He was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $2.4 million in restitution to one count of theft of government property conspiracy two counts of money laundering and one count of smuggling goods from the United States Wallas and Taylor were also sentenced Wednesday Alston and Wallas were each sentenced to 2½ years in federal prison while Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation They owe a combined $618,750 in restitution Bryant was sentenced Monday to five years of probation and a $2,000 fine Alvarado began purchasing thousands of military items from the four soldiers including M-50 gas masks and the accompanying filters both sergeants in the 553rd Combat Service Support Battalion while Taylor admitted to serving as a lookout Alston told investigators that Taylor and Wallas were present during many of the robberies The two men’s ranks were not listed in court records Investigators found Alvarado selling the items online in August 2021 investigators learned he had participated in the sale and transfer of a Joint Chemical Agent Detector M4A1 to a buyer in China through an intermediary in Delaware Law enforcement officials recovered more than 24,000 individual items stolen from the government valued at about $2.75 million Another $100,000 worth of military property was recovered at a Killeen storage building Alvarado spent his earnings from the stolen property on a 2,250-square-foot home in Killeen and a 2013 McLaren MP4 sports car both of which were forfeited to the government This work, GAFPB: Effort, dedication, partnership, by PFC Patrick Connery, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight Military Spouse Appreciation Day is hitting our calendars on May 9th and our local H-E-B is celebrating in a big way The company are hosting a military spouse appreciation event on our special day at the Lonestar Conference center on Fort Cavazos Emma Tighe is a 13 year army spouse and homeschool mother of five. This is her second time at Fort Cavazos. She has written for Mission Milspouse, Army Family Magazine, and the PCS Homegirls. Have an idea for Milspouse Space? Have a question about Milspouse life or Fort Cavazos you would like answered? Contact her at elkat@hotmail.com Megan Hill is recognized by Fort Cavazos leadership for her volunteer efforts in the community on Tuesday night after being nominated for recognition by 166th Aviation Brigade an Army Reserve soldier nominated by the 7th General Aviation Support Battalion receives the Army Commendation Medal from III Corps commander Lt Kevin Admiral on Tuesday for his volunteer work in the past year families and civilian employees from across Fort Cavazos gathered at the Phantom Warrior Center Wednesday night to honor its highest-achieving community volunteers with its annual Volunteer of the Year Awards ceremony nominated from each organization and military unit on the post were awarded for their efforts and impact on the local community over the past year Watch for the full story in next Wednesday’s Fort Cavazos Herald soldiers and others stand outside a Fort Cavazos courthouse on Monday morning after it was temporarily evacuated FORT CAVAZOS — The court-martial trial of a 36th Engineer Brigade sergeant accused of committing a string of brutal sexual assaults kidnapping and attempted murder on Fort Cavazos began Monday at the post’s Lawrence Williams Judicial Center after an hour-long delay because the accused was being aggressive with base police officers Greville Clarke was formally arraigned on 27 different counts of nine different charges in a hearing at Fort Cavazos last October after being implicated by investigators in four violent break-ins of female soldiers’ barracks rooms in 2021 and 2022 He was originally arrested in 2022 following the last incident but the court proceedings were delayed several times He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications and elected to be tried by a judge alone rather than a jury-style panel of other soldiers FORT CAVAZOS — The court-martial of an Army Sgt Greville Clarke continued Wednesday at the Lawrence Williams Judicial Center on Fort Cavazos,… If Fort Cavazos is ordered to return to its old name of "Fort Hood," it could be renamed for one of these highly decorated soldiers Walter Lanier | Herald The Bernie Beck Gate shows updated text after the removal of the veil and installation Redesignation ceremony This story does not constitute an endorsement by the Herald of any efforts to rename Fort Cavazos Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has changed the names of two U.S working around a 2020 law against bases honoring Confederate Army soldiers by digging up lesser-known troops with similar names Fort Bragg and Fort Benning — known for two years as Fort Liberty and Fort Moore — are now named for Pfc Army fighting men who were decorated for combat valor during the World Wars and both just so happened to have the same surname as famous Confederate flag officers Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight A hearing for a former Fort Cavazos sergeant’s deadly conduct case was scheduled to take place on Thursday in a Travis County courtroom but a death in the family of an Austin police detective has led to the hearing being rescheduled to later in the month was convicted by a jury in 2023 of murdering a Black Lives Matter protestor in downtown Austin and was subsequently sentenced by a judge to 25 years in prison after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended the governor’s action based on Texas’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense laws