Work with Ft. Hood suspect may draw action

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Army officers did not act on information the accused Fort Hood, Texas, gunman had behavioral issues in prior years, a Pentagon report said.

As a result, five to eight U.S. Army officers were expected to be disciplined for failing to take action against Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan on a number of behavioral and professional problems in the years leading up to the November shooting spree, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Defense Department officials planned to discuss portions of the review during a Pentagon briefing Friday.

The review also said the Defense Department does not adequately share information about personnel internally and found its policies on internal threats were outdated, officials familiar with the review told the Times.

The review found Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, repeatedly did not meet basic standards for physical fitness, appearance and work ethic, but his medical career still advanced.

"Had those failings been properly adjudicated, he wouldn't have progressed," and possibly would have been forced out of the armed services, one official said.

The officers who could face disciplinary action have ranks of colonel and below, and could be given letters of reprimand, an official said.

The review also concludes the military should redouble efforts to identify threats posed by military personnel as well as employees. The document also examined the military's weapons policy, recommending a unified policy instead of one that differs by service branch or military installation.

How the Army Medical Corp trains and reviews its officers also was examined in the review, the Times said. While finding that Hasan was promoted because he was an adequate doctor, investigators found he was an inadequate officer and should have been subject to corrective action.