An assault of a female Fort Bliss soldier by several male Afghan refugees at the Army's Doña Ana Complex camp is now under investigation by the FBI.
Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-Santa Fe) took to Twitter to support the soldier and again question the refugee vetting process.
"My prayers are with the courageous soldier and her family," Herrell wrote. "This is yet another tragic failure in the vetting process for Afghan nationals. The American people deserve answers."
Lt. Col. Allie Payne, director of Public Affairs for Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division stated that the assault happened on Sept. 19 by a handful of male evacuees, according to KVIA.
“We can confirm a female service member supporting Operation Allies Welcome reported being assaulted on Sept. 19 by a small group of male evacuees at the Doña Ana Complex in New Mexico," Payne said.
The soldier who was allegedly assaulted did receive first aid, along with counseling, KVIA reports. The woman, who has since recovered, was not assaulted in a sexual manner and did not receive treatment at a hospital.
“Since that date, we reiterated the established buddy-system, installed security cameras and monitoring systems with staff, increased lighting, and increased our health and safety patrols in the village,” Payne said.
Fort Bliss is one of eight military bases across the country expected to house roughly 50,000 Afghan refugees after the U.S. withdrawal from the country in August, Army Times reports.
