LULAC & HVLA Meeting with US Army Leadership
On 10 July 2020, LULAC and HVLA leaders traveled to the Pentagon for a historic meeting with senior US Army leaders, including: Ryan McCarthy, Secretary of the Army; James McPherson, Undersecretary of the Army; General James McConville, US Army Chief of Staff; General Joseph Martin, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and other senior staff. Also in attendance were members of Congress Gilbert Cisneros (CA-39), and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss 4 major topics: a) the ongoing investigation regarding the tragic death of Pvt Vanessa Guillen b) Renaming certain Army bases named after Confederate soldiers c) Pathway to citizenship for Green Card soldiers d) Developing Hispanic senior leaders, including General officers.
After initial introductions in Secretary McCarthy’s office, we made our way through the Pentagon hallways to the Executive Dining Room where we would spend the next two hours or so having lunch and discussing all four topics. As we entered the dining room, Gen McConville, Army Chief of Staff, was waiting for us via video-teleconference. He was on travel in the Pacific but graciously welcomed all of us then quickly transitioned to his personal perspective on the Guillen case. Bottomline, he set the stage for the entire visit by stating that parents entrusted the Army with their young sons and daughters and rightfully expected they would be protected and safe, especially at home on an Army base. However, he acknowledged the Army failed in their mission to protect Vanessa and that we had to fully investigate every aspect of the case, learn from it and make changes to ensure our sons and daughters safety and security.
LULAC and HVLA made it clear that we were going to hold the Army fully accountable for the tragic deaths of not just Pvt Vanessa Guillen but also Pvt Gregory Wedel-Morales, and that we would leave no stone unturned. We also made it clear that we expected the Army to fully address all other concerns, to include renaming Army bases, improving the process for Green Card citizenship, supporting certain deported veterans, and improving how they develop Hispanic soldiers for key leadership positions including senior officers such as Generals. Stay tuned for future updates on these critical topics.
