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I've been deployed to Iraq for the past four months, and I've figured out how to cope with the stress that comes from being thousands of miles away from my family.

But I wasn't prepared for what happens when violence intrudes on my loved ones, who are supposed to be safe at home while I am in a combat zone. It flipped all of my attitudes toward deployment upside down. And the aftermath of the attacks at Fort Hood, allegedly committed by a fellow Muslim, also raised a different set of concerns -- not just about my family's safety, but about the perceptions of my faith.

I was working late on Thursday and decided to call my wife, at home on post in Fort Hood, Tex., to check in. She didn't answer. I tried again.

The story continues here.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is pushing back a trip to Capitol Hill aimed at discussing the proposed health care overhaul with lawmakers.

Obama had planned to head to the Capitol on Friday. Now the White House schedule shows Obama planning to visit the Capitol on Saturday.

On Friday afternoon, Obama plans to visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama spent nearly two hours visiting wounded U.S. soldiers Friday afternoon.

The president met with 19 soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, as well as the families of three soldiers in intensive care, and hospital staff. He also awarded two Purple Hearts.

The president's visit came a day after an Army psychiatrist who once trained at Walter Reed hospital allegedly killed 13 people at Fort Hood. The White House says the hospital visit was planned before the shootings.

Friday's visit was Obama's first to Walter Reed since taking office, though he visited as a presidential candidate.

Obama will attend a memorial service that will be scheduled at the convenience of the victims' families, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Gibbs added that a memorial service is keeping Obama's schedule next week in flux. The president is scheduled to leave for Asia on Wednesday but wants to attend a memorial before starting the 10-day trip. Gibbs says the White House would not rule out delaying the trip because of the service.

With families of fallen soldiers living throughout the United States, the logistics of the mission could prove complicated.

However, it appears the effort to simplify may be under way:

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft will arrive at Dover Air Force Base the night of Nov. 6 with the remains of 12 U.S. Army soldiers and one U.S. Army civilian employee killed Nov. 5 during a gunman's rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

Upon arrival the bodies will be transported to the Air Force Mortuary Operations Center.

The families of the Fort Hood servicemen have not authorized media coverage and media access to the base will be restricted.

A forensic investigation, including a complete autopsy, will be performed by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology's Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. The autopsy results will be made available to the appropriate federal agencies active in the ongoing investigation into the shooting.

Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations is working closely with affected families to determine their wishes regarding final preparation of their loved ones remains.

Transportation to Dover is not standard protocol for military members killed in the United States.

Previously: Aftermath

From a story on one of the soldiers wounded at Ft Hood: "Lunsford is in stable condition at the hospital in Temple, Tex., where hundreds waited in line to give blood for the wounded."

Staff Sgt. Joy Clark, 27, was standing in line when shots rang out, says her father, Jerry Nelson of Des Moines.

"She heard some noise and the soldier in front of her went down," he says. She tore off her jacket and knelt to apply it to his wound.

"That's when she got shot," Nelson says. The bullet tore through her left forearm and broke two bones. A soldier for seven years who was a medic before becoming an occupational therapist, his daughter reacted instinctively, Nelson says.

She was about to deploy to Afghanistan. Clark's husband, Josh Clark, drove all night to Temple, Texas, where his wife is hospitalized, Nelson says. He and his wife, Danise, are flying to Texas today.

"I'm glad that she's alive ... and very disappointed for those who lost their lives," Nelson says.

Cpl. Nathan Hewitt was hit by two bullets as he led other soldiers out of the Fort Hood building during the rampage, says his uncle Rex Deaton, who spoke with him two hours after the shooting.

Deaton told USA TODAY that Hewitt described one bullet grazing his hip and another hitting his calf.

In an interview with CBS' "The Early Show", Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said soldiers caught in the hail of bullets at an on-base medical facility were "really remarkable in terms of their reaction."

Witnesses told Cone that the suspected gunman, military psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, walked into the Soldier Readiness Center and opened fire in a "very calm, measured approach." Thirteen people - 12 of them military personnel - were killed and at least 30 were injured.

One soldier, who was wounded four times, told Cone that when he was on the ground, he "made the mistake of moving," and was shot again.

But the carnage could have been worse if not for soldiers' reactions.

"As the shooter would change directions, the soldiers would scramble on the ground and try to help each other to carry each other outside the building," Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith.
<...>
After realizing some of the soldiers were escaping, Cone said the gunman followed them outside where he continued to fire at them. He was eventually brought down by civilian police officer Kimberly Munley, who was the first responder on the scene. She shot the suspect four times while sustaining a gunshot wound herself, though she was in stable condition.

The toll may still rise:

W. Roy Smythe, head of surgery at Scott & White, said six of the wounded at the hospital remain in intensive care, while four have been moved to regular rooms. Smythe said the patients were shot in various parts of the body, and several had multiple gunshot wounds. Of the six still in intensive care, he said, two require additional surgery.

Although all the patients are stable at the moment, Smythe said, it was possible that the death toll could mount.

"I don't think there is an excellent chance that everyone will recover," he said. Several of the patients are "not at all out of the woods."

Names have not been officially released, but around the country family members have been notified. And the story isn't just about Ft Hood, it's about a cross-section of Americans - men, women, old, young - united by service to the country in which they fell. The youngest was 19, the oldest, 62. Many were health care professionals. One, 51-year old Russell Seager, was described by his uncle as a man who "joined the Army a few years back because he was a psychiatrist who wanted to help returning veterans adapt back to civilian life."

Their stories follow.

A woman from Chicago was one of the 13 people killed in a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday.

Pfc. Francheska Velez, 21, had just returned from Iraq because she was three months pregnant, according to her family. She had served in the Army for three years.

Chicago:

An Army private first class from southwest suburban Bolingbrook was one of the 13 people killed in the rampage at Fort Hood, his family said.

Michael Pearson, 21, joined the Army slightly more than a year ago and was training to deactivate bombs, said his mother, Sheryll.
<...>
About 10 p.m., an Army surgeon called to say that Mike hadn't made it. He said doctors had brought Mike back to life twice on the operating table but were unsuccessful the third time.
<...>
She said she last talked to her son two days ago about him coming home for Christmas. She told him she had already gotten his room ready. She was particularly excited because she hadn't seen her son in a year. He had been training for a year in the Mojave Desert.

"He was always upbeat and looking forward to coming home," she said.
<...>
"He was the poster child of what any mother wanted in a son."

At Pearson's Bolingbrook family home on Friday, a yellow ribbon was tied to a porch light and a sticker stamped with American flags on the front door read, "United we stand."

"He was a genius as far as we were concerned," Kristopher Craig told CNN affiliate WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, late Thursday, reeling from the news that his 21-year-old "little kid brother" was among the 12 soldiers and one civilian killed in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

Pearson grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois, with two brothers and a sister. "He was really living his life playing guitar," Craig said. "When he picked up a guitar, we all understood that he was expressing himself."

Pearson enlisted in the Army more than a year ago so he could some day go to college to study music theory, his brother said. Basic training toughened him up and matured him, Craig said, adding, "Even though it's hard and it hurts, he loved every minute of it."

Pearson was scheduled to return home in a week or two to catch up with family and friends before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan in January, his brother said.

"He was accepting the possibility of what might happen over there, but we were completely blindsided by this," Craig told WGN. "He didn't even get the chance to leave."

Utah:

A 19-year-old Utah man was killed in Thursday's massacre at Fort Hood, Texas.

Aaron Thomas Nemelka is among the dead, relatives at his family's West Jordan home confirmed.
<...>
Ogden native Joey Foster, 21, was shot in the hip, but is expected to recover.

In a prepared statement, Michael and Teena Nemelka said they were "devastated" by their son's death but "so proud to have him serve our country in the military."

Nemelka is the youngest of four children. His aunt, Alesa Forrest, told the Deseret News that Nemelka was supposed to come home on leave during Christmas and planned to propose to his girlfriend before being deployed to Afghanistan in January.

"His family was everything to him," Forrest said.

The yard of Nemelka's West Jordan home was covered with at least two dozen American flags Friday morning. Numerous vehicles were parked in the driveway and along the street, including one with U.S. government license plates.

Frantic over her brother as the night drew on, Ashlee Brewer sent a note to friends on Facebook. "We sit and stress and they can't tell us anything," Brewer wrote. "I guess I can take comfort in the fact he cannot possibly be injured because then I would know where he is."

She was right...

The West Jordan teenager, an Eagle Scout and the youngest of four children, had enlisted in the Army after graduating from West Jordan High School last year. He was a member of the 510th Engineering Company, 20th Infantry Battalion, 36th Engineering Brigade. He told his family and friends that he wanted to go to war so that he could help dismantle the powerful roadside bombs that have accounted for so many fellow soldiers' deaths.

His first combat tour was scheduled to begin in January. In December, family members said, he was planning to return home to propose to his girlfriend. "He was excited," said Lindsey Nemelka, his sister-in-law. "He had the ring."

Wisconsin:

A second Wisconsin resident died in the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas, according to a family member.

Russell Seager, 51, of Racine was killed in the shootings, according to a person answering Seager's phone who said he was a relative. The family member declined to answer other questions and referred all other questions to public affairs officials with the military.

Family members of Amy Krueger of Kiel say she was also killed. The Army said 13 people were killed by a shooter on the Texas base Thursday afternoon.

State records indicate Seager was licensed as a registered nurse and advanced practice nurse prescriber.

Seager's family received a call at around 12:00 a.m. Friday.

He was listed in the Army reserves as a mental health specialist, serving as a nurse who treated veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Milwaukee.

His uncle says the 51-year old Seager "joined the Army a few years back because he was a psychiatrist who wanted to help returning veterans adapt back to civilian life."

Also killed was 29-year-old Amy Krueger of Kiel. The injured included 23-year-old Army Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon of Lodi and 19-year-old Amber Bahr of Random Lake.

Krueger, a sergeant with the Army Reserve's Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment, died in the shooting that left 12 other people dead and about 30 injured, including Random Lake native Amber Bahr, who was shot in the back, and 23-year-old Army Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon of Lodi who was shot in the leg.

Krueger was a 1998 graduate of Kiel High School and joined the military soon thereafter, principal Dario J. Talerico said.
<...>
Flags still stood at full staff at Kiel Veterans Memorial on a nearby bridge over the Sheboygan River.

A drive through Kiel's neighborhoods paints a picture of its patriotism: military banners flew beneath Old Glory outside a number of homes.

Talerico said Krueger's years of service alone showed her love of country. And sentiment was evident from neighbors on a signboard outside the 11th Frame Sports bar in nearby New Holstein that read, "In memory of Amy Krueger."

"She was very proud to serve in the military," Talerico said.

Friends share memories of Kiel woman killed at Fort Hood:

Krueger, a sergeant with the Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment, had arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday and was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in December, said her mother, Jeri Krueger. She had previously spent three months in Afghanistan in 2002.

Amy Krueger and a friend, Kristin Thayer, went to a recruiter to enlist together the day after Sept. 11, 2001, Thayer said.

Oklahoma

A Tipton soldier killed Thursday during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, was a quiet boy who thought the military would help him grow into a man, his family said Friday.

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, was one of 12 soldiers killed when a gunman opened fire at a soldier readiness center on the post.
<...>
"He never gave his mother one minute of heartache in his whole school life," Smith said. "He was a good student. He was so embarrassed if someone thought he did something wrong."

Hunt was married two months ago, Smith said. His wife, Jenna, was finishing a class in Oklahoma City and planned to move to Fort Hood, where Hunt recently bought a home.

Leila Willingham, Hunt's sister, said one of the family's fondest memories was when Hunt's mother, Gale Hunt, had to drive to the high school and give her permission for him to sit out of a cat dissection for a science class because he didn't feel right about it.

Willingham recalled her brother once likened his feelings for his military family to the love a parent feels for their children.

"He said, 'I would die for your children.' He said, 'I would die for a stranger to save them.' And he said he would dive in front of a bullet for a soldier."

Hunt, who was stationed in Fort Stewart in Georgia after high school, transferred to Fort Hood to be closer to his family.

Texas:

A Cameron man was among the 13 fatalities from yesterday's shooting at Fort Hood. Mike Cahill, who worked as a physician's assistant for Dr. Sid Richardson from 1997 until 2000, and who stilled lived in Cameron, was killed during the Thursday afternoon incident.

The alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, is blamed for the deaths of 13 soldiers and one civilian, military officials said.

Another 30 people were wounded in the incident. About half of them required surgery, and all were in stable condition Friday morning, said Col. Steven Braverman, hospital commander at Fort Hood.

If early reports are correct, Michael Grant Cahill, a 62-year old physician's assistant, was the only civilian killed in the murder spree. Cahill was formerly a resident of Spokane, and leaves behind his wife, Joleen, three children, Keely, Kerry, and Jaime, and a grandson, Brody.

...and Washington:

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A Spokane native was among those killed during a rampage at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

Michael Grant Cahill, 62, was a physician assistant who worked at the base as a contracted civilian.

His daughter, Keely Cahill Vanacker, said Cahill was among 13 killed in the shooting spree.

Michael Cahill graduated from Spokane's Rogers High School in the 1960s and Eastern Washington University in 1973.

Cahill suffered a heart attack two weeks ago, but had already returned to work. He and his wife, Joleen, had been married 37 years.

The family's typical Thanksgiving dinners ended with board games and long conversations over the table, said Vanacker, whose voice often cracked with emotion as she remembered her father. "Now, who I am going to talk to?"

California:

SAN DIEGO -- A county government employee who recently deployed with the Army was among those killed Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas.

John Gaffaney, a supervisor in the county's Adult Protective Services department, was one of 13 people killed when Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire in a crowded medical building. Thirty others were injured, making it the nation's worst-ever attack on a stateside military base.

Gaffaney was 56 and lived in Serra Mesa.

Capt. John Gaffaney, US Army Reserve, was a North Dakota native who had also served in the Navy and the California National Guard.

Minnesota:

A young St. Paul man who loved fishing in the St. Croix River with his brother was one of the 13 people shot and killed Thursday in the attacks at Fort Hood.

Specialist Kham Xiong, 23, had been at Fort Hood for five months preparing for a New-Year's deployment, according to his family.

His relatives said he was in line waiting for a physical.

His wife Shoua texted him a message saying, "Come home for lunch and go back later."

But he wrote back, "No, I'll stay. It's almost my turn."

Moments later he was shot.

Xiong's father Chor Xiong is upset none of the soldiers were armed. Only police are allowed to carry weapons on base.

Chor Xiong said, "The sad part is he had been taught and trained to protect and fight, yet it's a tragedy he didn't have the chance to protect himself at the base."

The Xiongs have a history of serving the U.S. in war.

Kham Xiong's 18-year-old brother Nelson is a marine in Afghanistan.

Chor Xiong is from Laos and fought the Vietnamese alongside the CIA in 1972.

Kham is survived by his wife, three children and ten siblings.

Pennsylvania:

Juanita Warman, 55, a military physicians's assistant, was among the 13 people who have died so far, said her sister, Margaret Yaggie of Roaring Branch, Pa.

Ms. Warman attended Pittsburgh Langley High School and put herself through school at the University of Pittsburgh, her sister said. She had spent most of her career in the military. The family was notified of her death early this morning.

Ms. Warman had two daughters and six grandchildren, her sister said.

According to this story Warman was "originally from Pittsburgh, but she lived in Maryland in the Havre De Grace area for the last ten years."

Indiana:

The family of an Indiana soldier said they were told Friday that their son was among 13 people killed in the shootings at Fort Hood.

The father of Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, 32, of Plymouth, told WSBT-TV in South Bend that representatives from the Army visited the family on Friday to tell them of DeCrow's death.

...last month, Thompson said, DeCrow was told to report to work at Fort Hood until the paperwork for his medical discharge came through.

After anxious hours of trying to call her son and sending him text messages, Thompson received a call early Friday from her sobbing daughter-in-law. Justin had been shot. No, he wasn't one of the people in the hospital.

His wife said Friday night that she wanted everyone to know what a loving man he was. She paused frequently during a phone interview, crying as she talked about him.

"He was well loved by everyone," MaryKay DeCrow said. "He was a loving father and husband, and he will be missed by all."

DeCrow had been stationed at Fort Hood since returning from a year stationed in Korea, said his father, Daniel DeCrow of Fulton, Ind. Before that, DeCrow was stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., where he and his wife and daughter had a home, his father said.

The family planned to live in Georgia after his discharge.

Tragically, more to follow

Hasan was born in Arlington to Palestinian immigrants from near Jerusalem who later settled in Vinton.

Neighbors on Vinton's Ramada Road remembered him as a "studious" boy who went by "Michael."

While his brother Eyad -- "Eddie" -- would play football with Zachary Garlick, 21, who lived across the street, Michael didn't come out to play much.

"Michael was more school and less play," said Zachary Garlick. "He'd get home and he'd have his book bag, and he'd go straight inside."

That quiet demeanor and apparent social awkwardness would follow Hasan into adulthood.

Hasan's family settled in an apartment on Lancelot Lane off Cove Road in Northwest Roanoke, the 1987 Roanoke City Directory shows.

Hasan's father, Malik Awadallah Hasan, immigrated from Palestine to Virginia in 1962, when he was 16, stories in the Times' archives show. He moved to Roanoke in 1985, with his wife, Hanan Ismail "Nora" Hasan, following in 1986. Neighbors on Ramada Road said they moved to the Vinton neighborhood in the early 1990s.

The Hasans ran the infamous Capitol Restaurant on the Roanoke City Market from 1987 to 1995. It was a dive beer hall and diner with a bad reputation and a lot of down-and-out regulars. The Hasans closed the Capitol to open the short-lived, Mediterranean-themed Mount Olive on Jefferson Street.

Other details of his later years are emerging.

Great comment here: "To me, this is just a guy that, for whatever reason, decided to cut ranks and join the other side." I agree.

And this appears to be the now-frequently mentioned message board comment - allegedly from the Major - that supposedly brought him to the attention of authorities:

There was a grenade thrown amongs a group of American soldiers. One of the soldiers, feeling that it was to late for everyone to flee jumped on the grave with the intention of saving his comrades. Indeed he saved them. He inentionally took his life (suicide) for a noble cause i.e. saving the lives of his soldier. To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause. Scholars have paralled this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers. If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory. Their intention is not to die because of some despair. The same can be said for the Kamikazees in Japan. They died (via crashing their planes into ships) to kill the enemies for the homeland. You can call them crazy i you want but their act was not one of suicide that is despised by Islam. So the scholars main point is that "IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOUR INTENTION IS THE MAIN ISSUE" and Allah (SWT) knows best.

If you live in the Ft Hood area, blood donors are needed.

Blood donations are being accepted at Scott & White Blood Center until 6 p.m. today and all blood types are needed at this time. No appointment is necessary. Currently the wait is approximately 30-45 minutes.

Remember to bring a photo ID when donating and please make sure you have eaten a good meal prior to donation.

The hospital reports "10 people were transported to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple yesterday after a shooting incident at the base."

According to local news "victims were being transported to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center where they were triaged and sent on to other hospitals. Victims were flown to Scott & White Hospital in Temple and to Seton Hospital in Round Rock. Other victims were also taken to Metroplex Hospital in Killeen."
]]> tag:www.mudvillegazette.com,2009://3.32859 2009-11-06T16:03:51Z 2009-11-06T16:13:16Z

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The hero cop who ended the bloody rampage at Fort Hood had been directing traffic moments before she confronted the gunman and pumped four bullets into him despite being shot herself.

Civilian police Sgt. Kimberly Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire Thursday afternoon, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said Friday.

Colonel Steven Braverman, commander of the base hospital and Major Hasan's supervisor, said that Sergeant Munley was in a stable condition in a nearby community hospital.

Her Twitter biography reads: "I live a good life ... a hard one, but I go to sleep peacefully @ night knowing that I may have made a difference in someone's life."

More - a slightly different version of the story:

The police officer who brought down a gunman after he went on a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army base here was on the way to have her car repaired when she responded to a police radio report of gunfire at a center where soldiers are processed before being sent overseas, the authorities said Friday.

An incredible story - read the whole thing.

In other news:

The news of the mass shooting at Fort Hood Thursday hit close to home for some Utahns. One man says his daughter heard the shooter exclaim "Allah Akbar" as he opened fire.

We want to stress that no government or military officials are reporting that and there is no way for us to independently confirm that it is true.
<...>
"A person behind counter stood up, and he said, 'Allah Akbar!' And just opened up on everybody," the father told us.

Again, that's what the man tells us his daughter said, but no one else is saying that and we cannot confirm whether it's true. He, himself a military veteran, says at first his daughter thought it was some sort of drill but quickly discovered it wasn't.

"It was within a second or two she realized it was real because the person right next to her was shot and killed instantly," he said.

Earliest report:

"I was here for a 2 p.m. graduation,"Retired Army Col. Greg Schannep said. "A I drove up, I heard some shots. A soldier came running past me and said 'sir there is someone shooting.'

"As he ran past me I saw blood on his back. I don't think he even knew he had been shot. He has since been treated and should be OK," he said.

"I can tell you there are casualties," Schannep said.

"I heard three or four volleys of shots with eight to 12 shots in each volley. Initially, I thought it was a training exercise," he said.

Just as the tragedy was unfolding at Fort Hood, officials from a veterans group based in Austin were meeting in Washington with the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee to plead for more mental health counselors for U.S. soldiers coming home from war.

"We warned the military about this. We warned the military about the need to increase the number of mental health care providers. We warned the military about lowering recruiting standards, about the medical exams for soldiers coming back from the war and needing mental health care and brain injury exams."

Later they would learn the killer was a mental health care provider - one who had never deployed. Other than that, we'll acknowledge that lowered recruiting standards could have been a factor, but there's an obvious lesson about jumping to conclusions without facts here.

What name did this veterans group chose for itself? "Veterans for Common Sense".

But as ridiculous as that seems in hindsight, this defense of the Ft Hood killer (part of a longer piece explaining that the soldiers got what they deserved) might be the most ignorant bit of typing I've ever seen:

"There are also reports that he had recently been the victim of a hate crime: His car was vandalized, with the word "Allah" scratched into the paint, and he was reportedly extremely upset by it."

But it's early; plenty of people will have the chance to top it, and many are trying their very best.

It shouldn't have to be emphasized that not every Muslim is a murderous fundamentalist, or that not all mass murderers are Muslims, but common sense ain't so common anymore - as the very old saying goes.

Sure, the Major was a Muslim. Sure, the Major was "anti-war" (at least at the time of the shootings). Sure, he was a psychiatric medical professional. Sure, he set his sites upon and fired his weapons into the bodies of United States military troops. And this all leads up to... what again? Nothing more than what has been previously stated. He was a crazed lunatic of a military psychiatrist who was an anti-war religious guy. That's it -- unless and until we learn there is more to the story. Until anything more is confirmed, let's try to refrain from becoming bigotted racists, shall we?

I agree that his actions reflect on him, and no more on other Muslims than on other soldiers.

More: Know your mass murderer: Nidal Malik Hasan

White House officials tell ABC News that President Obama will visit with wounded soldiers tomorrow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The trip was scheduled before the incident today at Fort Hood, officials said. President Obama visited wounded troops at Walter Reed as president-elect in January and has visited wounded troops at Bethesda Naval Hospital as senator. Last week the president made a secret late-night journey to Dover Air Force Base to participate in the dignified transfer of troops and DEA agents killed in Afghanistan. He is in the midst of making up his mind about a new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which administration sources say will likely include sending more troops.

Barack Obama stopped by Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saturday to visit wounded war veterans, a group that he has said endures substandard care under the Bush administration.

The presumed Democratic nominee, who was in Washington to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, slipped into the facility shortly after 9 a.m. without stopping to speak to the small group of reporters who follow him. The visit wasn't on his public schedule.

A day after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama began Monday with an unscheduled stop at Walter Reed, where he is meeting with those wounded during their military service.

Monday is the federal holiday commemorating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and Obama is leading a day of community service Monday, asking the nation to honor King's legacy by making a renewed commitment to service.

One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition, "Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit."

The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."

"The last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through weather this is political or not or getting caught in the crossfire of the campaigns," Mr. Obama said then. "So rather than go forward and get potentially caught up in what might have been seen as a political controversy of some sort, what we decided was that we would not make a visit and instead I would call some of the troops."

The president's visit to Landstuhl in June 2009 was much more low-key, with no reporters present. Here's the White House announcement issued a week prior to alert the media the visit:

The President will visit wounded warriors and their families at Landstuhl Regional Medical Facility in Germany on June 5, 2009. Landstuhl supports our service men and women stationed in Europe, and serves a leading and vital role in the care and recovery of personnel medically evacuated from Afghanistan, Iraq, and other forward-deployed posts within the U.S. European Command, Central Command and Africa Command areas of responsibility.

President Obama took time during his remarks at the Closing of the Tribal Nations Conference yesterday to note the events at Ft Hood. The president was criticized last summer after failing to issue any statement in the wake of the shooting of two soldiers in Arkansas by an Islamic fundamentalist.

According to the New York Times, the event ABC refers to as the president's "secret late-night journey to Dover Air Force Base" last month was "intended by the White House to convey to the nation that Mr. Obama was not making his Afghanistan decision lightly or in haste."

"There are also reports that he had recently been the victim of a hate crime: His car was vandalized, with the word "Allah" scratched into the paint, and he was reportedly extremely upset by it."

But it's early; plenty of people will have the chance to top it, and many are trying their very best.

Footnote: The definition of a "hate crime" was expanded to include crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity last month. The measure was passed as part of the 2010 defense spending bill. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said the approach put "radical social policy" on the "back of our soldiers."

Six November update: In stories like this one, erroneous news reports are the norm. In the military we call it the fog of war. First reports are always wrong - and reporters eager to get a scoop are generally willing to pass on anything as news, the more sensational the better. As an example, in the earliest reports of this event CNN presented a live phone call with someone claiming to be in the hospital on Ft Hood. The first thing this individual related to CNN was that they didn't know anything about what was happening except for what they had seen on TV - then the interview continued.

Here's what happened yesterday: the global war on terror continued, with a battle on American soil. That's twice this year. Here's what matters at this point:

Hotline for relatives of Fort Hood personnel: (254) 288-7570 or (866) 836-2751 for information about loved ones.

As of a 7:30 CST press conference, officials at Ft Hood were unable to confirm if all next-of-kin notifications had been completed.

Video from Ft Hood:

Latest -

8:15 CST: Single gunman, in custody, hospitalized, not dead. Death toll is 12 or 13 (for now).

First report - 2:28 CST - Developing story:

At least seven people are dead and 12 wounded in a shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, the base's public affairs office told NBC News on Thursday.
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One gunman was reportedly in custody and another was on the loose, NBC News said.

There are unconfirmed reports that one of the shooters is surrounded by police in the 42006 building on Fort Hood. That source tells KCEN the shooter has a high-powered rifle and is aiming to kill.

Early reports are often wrong... but that would be the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic. However, other reports say the Commissary.

CNN reporter Barbara Starr at the Pentagon says "US military officials" have not confirmed multiple shooters. CNN is also running the "soldiers are psychos, and there are more of them on Ft Hood than anywhere" storyline.

Local news from the area:

Two and possibly three gunmen were involved and only one is confirmed to be in custody.

A military statement confirmed seven dead and 20 injured.

There are also confirmed reports that a police officer was shot in a post exchange, but other details weren't available.

CNN reported that the president was advised of the shootings at about 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

Live local news broadcast here. Reports Killeen City police say three shooters, one captured, one "holed up" in a building, one location unknown.

Local report:

So far there are 7 people reported dead, and 20 wounded.

There are also reports of two different crime scenes: the SPC and Howve Theater on Battalion Ave.

One person is in custody.

Police surrounded the 42006 building, said to be used for traumatic brain injuries, on Fort Hood and fired shots at a male suspect in an Army uniform with a Major rank. The suspect was injured, but has now run in to another building.

Reports say the shooter had a high-powered rifle and was aiming to kill.

Killeen ISD says all Fort Hood schools are on lockdown.

Two suspects now reported caught.

Temple (Texas) Daily News:

FORT HOOD -- Rescue crews have been dispatched to Fort Hood for what is being described as a mass casualty event. Fort Hood officials are meeting media representatives to escort them onto post.
The base is closed amid reports that several people have been shot and killed at the post, The Associated Press is reporting.
At 2 p.m. it was reported that Soldier's Dome was not safe as a staging area for emergency responders who were enroute.
" I was here for a 2 p.m. graduation,"Retired Army Col. Greg Schannep said. "A I drove up, I heard some shots. A soldier came running past me and said 'sir there is someone shooting.'
"As he ran past me I saw blood on his back. I don't think he even knew he had been shot. He has since been treated and should be OK," he said.
"I can tell you there are casualties," Schannep said.
"I heard three or four volleys of shots with eight to 12 shots in each volley. Initially, I thought it was a training exercise," he said.
John Fisher, Bell County commission for the precinct that includes Killeen, said the shooters were wearing military clothing, but was not sure if they were military.

The paper's web site is now just a text version of that story - the site for the Killeen Daily Herald appears to be inaccessible this afternoon.

Report: As many as nine people are dead and as many as 30 more are injured after two or more gunmen in military uniforms opened fire Thursday afternoon in a deployment processing center at Fort Hood. Schools on and around the post are locked down and hospitals report receiving mass casualties.

News conference, 3:50 CST, Lieutenant General Robert Cone, recently assigned Commanding General: "One shooter killed - he was a soldier. Two other soldiers apprehended, they are suspects. (Eyewitnesses indicate more than one shooter, all soldiers.) Twelve dead, 31 wounded. All casualties took place in initial incident at 13:30 CST. 'Primary shooter' had two hand guns."

4:12 CST: ABC News: Shooter: Major Malik Nadal Hasan. ABC does not name a source for this information.

04:31 CST: Independent sources confirm a soldier by that name is stationed at Hood.

He was a Psychiatrist.

04:53 CST:

A law enforcement official says a shooting suspect at Fort Hood has been identified as Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan.

The official said Hasan, believed to be in his late 30s, was killed after opening fire at the base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

The official says investigators are trying to determine if Hasan was his birth name, or if he changed his name and converted to the Islamic faith at some point in his life.

8:15 CST: Hasan Single gunman, in custody, hospitalized, not dead. Death toll is 12 or 13 (for now). Other two suspects reportedly questioned and released.

Repeat: early reports are often wrong. What is certain is several good people are dead, a lot of families are grieving, and many more are wondering - and very uneasy right now, to say the least.

Hotline for relatives of Fort Hood personnel: (254) 288-7570 or (866) 836-2751 for information about loved ones.

Statements:

Secretary Gates: "I am deeply saddened by the tragic events today at Fort Hood. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen, the wounded, and all those touched by this incident. There is little we can say at this point to alleviate the pain or answer the many questions this event raises, but I can pledge that the Department of Defense will do everything in its power to help the Fort Hood community get through these difficult times."

Army Secretary John M. McHugh: "This is a terrible tragedy that we will know more about in the coming days. For now our focus is squarely on taking care of our soldiers and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who have been killed and wounded. The leadership at Fort Hood is marshaling the medical support and counselors necessary to take care of our soldiers and their families and to notify the next of kin."

President Obama:

My understanding is, is that you had an extremely productive conference. I want to thank all of you for coming and for your efforts, and I want to give you my solemn guarantee that this is not the end of a process but a beginning of a process, and that we are going to follow up. (Applause.) We are going to follow up. Every single member of my team understands that this is a top priority for us. I want you to know that, as I said this morning, this is not something that we just give lip service to. And we are going to keep on working with you to make sure that the first Americans get the best possible chances in life in a way that's consistent with your extraordinary traditions and culture and values.

Now, I have to say, though, that beyond that, I plan to make some broader remarks about the challenges that lay ahead for Native Americans, as well as collaboration with our administration, but as some of you might have heard, there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. We don't yet know all the details at this moment; we will share them as we get them. What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen, and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood. These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis. It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

I've spoken to Secretary Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in. We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government.

In the meantime, I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers. We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident. And I want all of you to know that as Commander-in-Chief, there's no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.

So we are going to stay on this. But I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy, and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers.

Again, thank you for your participation here today. I am confident that this is going to be resulting in terrific work between this government and your governments in the weeks, the months, and years to come. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

I entered Kabul in the input window, but couldn't get a prediction on Afghanistan from Obama.

The site has some other interesting features, though. (Warning: link may be NSFW - depending on where you work.)