Following the shooting Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 people, officials are attempting to uncover the motive behind the suspected gunman’s actions. Authorities are still trying to answer a lot of questions, but one thing they do know is that the suspect was scheduled to be deployed overseas. KSMU’s Adam Murphy spoke with a local soldier to see what goes through one’s mind before being sent into a combat zone.

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Staff Sergeant Robert McClinton has been deployed four times within his 14 years of service. He knows what it is like to bid farewell to loved ones and head off into a war zone, not knowing whether he’ll ever see them again. He says a soldier feels a range of emotions before setting out.

“Prior to deployments, are very busy, they’re very hectic. A lot of things have to happen before you go on deployment. So there’s a lot of anxiety involved the mood is very very tense,” he said.

McClinton says he can’t comment on the shooting at Fort Hood. But he can speak as a soldier who has experienced several times the difficulty of leaving his family and peaceful lifestyle behind in exchange for the environment of war.

“I’ve seen every aspect of deployments; I’ve seen the hard times, the good times and stuff like that. I’ve had to get my family ready several times. So, does it get easier, emotionally it doesn’t,” said McClinton.

Nationally, Army Chief of Staff George Casey has asked Army leaders across the country to review force protection measures after the shooting rampage. For KSMU News, I’m Adam Murphy.
 

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