My name is Vanessa Guillen. I knew I wanted to join the US Army to proudly serve my country as soon as I graduated from high school. I loved the US Army until I got to Fort Hood.

I disappeared from Fort Hood, Texas on April 22, 2020.

Three weeks before I disappeared, my mom asked me why I seemed different. My mom knows me better than anyone else. She noticed I had become withdrawn and that I wasn’t able to sleep like I used to.

I finally told my mom that I was being sexually harassed by one of my sergeants on Fort Hood. My mom tried tried to convince me to give her the name of the person who was harassing me, but I didn’t want to get in trouble. My mom told me that she would report it for me, but I told her that I knew of other female soldiers that had reported sexual harassment and that the US Army didn’t believe them. I told my mom how the same sergeant that sexually harassed me would follow me whenever I would run and exercise and how uncomfortable it made me feel. My mom told me she would put a stop to it, but I told her I would take care of it myself. I felt I could put a stop to it myself. All I had to do was do something, say something. I was ready to take care of it.

But I have been missing ever since. I didn’t get a chance to give my mom a name. I didn’t get a chance to report it to anyone.

Please don’t forget about me.