Local Veterans React to Deadly Fort Hood Shooting

The good news came just three days ago, no U.S. military forces died last month in Afghanistan, marking the first such month in more than seven years. On Wednesday, things changed drastically. An American soldier opened fire on his own, killing three and injuring more than a dozen.

“You think at that area, you would feel your most safest,” Jeremy Bagley said. “I feel sorry for parents who have to go out and say to their children unfortunately something like that can happen with us. Sometimes the people that mom and dad work with have some issues that may cause them to do this.”

Veteran Jeremy Bagley is the Director of Veterans’ Affairs at Nazareth College. He is one of the numerous advocates in our area who help vets with challenges they face when returning home from war, challenges like PTSD and brain trauma.

“They are stigmas,” Bagley said. “They aren’t some kind of taint on someone. They’ve gone through a significant emotional event and while we are predicating some of this on combat. This could happen to anybody.”

Like Jeremy, retired major general Robert Mixon also supports vets, he’s the director of the Warrior Salute Program.

“The need across this country for supporting men and women who have the demons, the challenges, the invisible wounds of war, is not going to go away, it’s only going to grow and we’ve all got to pull together to do it,” Mixon said.

For people like, Bagley and Mixon, the fort hood shooting hits close to home.

“I was heartbroken,” Mixon said. “It’s tragic and that’s the only word i can think of. When soldiers do things with other soldiers to harm them, it really cuts deep.”

A tragedy that should have never happened, and hopefully will never again.