Pentagon plans broad review of practices following shooting, looking at how signs were missed

By Pauline Jelinek, AP
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Review of missed signs will span entire Pentagon

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department will launch a broad investigation in light of the Fort Hood shootings that looks at how all the military services keep a watch on potential problems in their ranks.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Tuesday that the probe will hit all corners of the Pentagon. In an interview, he said it’s in the planning stages and that the issues raised by the case of accused shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan are larger than the Army.

He said Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants a unified look at procedures. The investigation also will involve questions that Morrell described as immediate, although he declined to be specific. Morrell said some questions will take longer to frame and sort through.

Another official said there will be a fast look at whether the military has missed red flags that might signal there are other potentially dangerous service members in uniform. That official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still being organized.

The Army also has been preparing to launch its own internal probe. The Pentagon review would supersede that, although it is not clear whether the Army will still go ahead separately.

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