Fort Hood report shows readiness trumped SHARP program
John Robinson
December 16, 2020
A T-shirt worn by a soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on April 17, 2020, represents efforts to prevent sexual harassment and assault in today’s Army. (Sgt. Uriah Walker/Army)
One name loomed large over the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee report released on Dec. 8 by the secretary of the Army, a name found nowhere in its sprawling 152 pages, but that hung like a shadow over its damning conclusions: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley.
The godfather of military readiness took a direct hit in the report, which concluded, “Across the installation, and especially in the Combat Brigades and their supporting elements, readiness was the primary focus of all activities, while the [Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention] program and the general well-being of Soldiers was a distant second. Mission readiness completely overshadowed the SHARP Program.”