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Former sergeant blamed for Fort Hood accident that killed nine soldiers speaks out

It's been two years since the deadly training accident on Fort Hood that left nine soldiers dead. Following the incident, an accident investigation report placed the blame on several people including former platoon sergeant Caroline Hawkins Blaze.

BEAUMONT, Texas - It's been two years since the deadly training accident on Fort Hood that left nine soldiers dead.

Following the incident, an accident investigation report placed the blame on several people including former platoon sergeant Caroline Hawkins Blaze.

She spoke out about the report findings Wednesday night saying the blame was misplaced.

Blaze said she was on military leave on June 2, 2016, when she got a call that would change her life forever. She learned nine of her soldiers had died in a water training accident on Fort Hood.

"The first thing I said was what was a vehicle doing in a low water crossing and how did it get washed away," Blaze said.

Before she could properly grieve Blaze said she learned she was one of a few being blamed.

Aside from being on leave when the accident happened, Blaze also claims that she left behind a different training schedule for the soldiers that was ultimately not followed.

"I'm not sure who approved it or who changed it but that's not the training we were supposed to do," Blaze said.

Blaze said she even turned over her original training plan to investigators, still the accident investigation report names Blaze as being negligent and she received a memorandum of reprimand.

"I was shocked, I was hurt and it made me look at the army in a new light," Blaze said.

Blaze also said the situation caused her to fall into a deep depression for which she sought out counseling.

"At some point it made me question my abilities as a leader and how I do my job as a leader," Blaze said.

The accident report also blames Staff Sgt. Colonvazquez for leading the team into the training that day against a platoon leader's orders. However, a survivor of the accident, Kameron Robinson, claims the team told Colonvazquez they were not comfortable doing the training and that Colonvazquez relayed the message to that platoon leader in question. Robinson said Colonvazquez told them the platoon leader said the training had to go on.

Colonvazquez widow Ngo Pham said it's not fair to place the blame on someone who is not here to defend himself.

"I know that nothing will bring my husband and his fellow soldiers back, so the main goal is to bring the truth to light so that preventative measures can be put in place," Pham said.

Blaze said if she had been there that day she believes things would've been different.

"I know if I wasn't on leave and still here all my soldiers would still be here to this day because I would've made a decision for them not to do the training," Blaze said.

Blaze feels the blame should've been placed higher up the chain of command for failing to properly assess the situation and communicate a training change to prevent the accident. Blaze wants her name cleared and Colonvazquez's too, but ultimately hopes speaking out will prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

"I wish the army or installation would do the right thing and say they were at fault and these are the measures we are doing to fix it so it won't ever happen again," Blaze.

Following the incident Blaze retired from the military after a 20-year career.

Channel 6 reached out to the Army multiple times for a response to these claims, we've yet to hear back.

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