In a 26-page memo released today and signed Aug. 18, Gates ordered a series of procedural and policy changes that focus on identifying, responding to and preventing potential workplace violence.
On Nov. 5, 2009, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, allegedly shot and killed 13 people and wounded dozens more at the Texas base. Hasan, a psychiatrist, had been scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan.
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Nine months after the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, in which Nidal Malik Hasan, above, has been charged, the Defense Department has released a report saying the military needs to be more aware of signs of potential workplace violence.
The shooting rampage prompted a call for reviews and investigations, and sparked a dispute between the Pentagon and Congress over the release of information related to the massacre.
The changes include plans to educate military commanders on signs of potential workplace violence, increase commanders' access to personnel records and improve emergency notifications and the 911 system.
Many of the changes were contained in interim recommendations signed off on in April, but the final review expands and adds to those policies. The memo also recommends further studies into finding ways to spot potential indicators of violence through screening and other methods.
The memo makes clear that although changes that enhance physical security are important, the burden to prevent future attacks lies with military commanders.
"Force protection, although critical, is not a substitute for leadership," Gates wrote in the memo.