May 19, 2013
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- A group of soldiers and their families is pressing the Department of Defense to make victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage eligible for the Purple Heart and other benefits.
About 160 people affected by the shooting released a video this week describing the attack on the Texas Army post.
They say the only way Fort Hood victims will get the same benefits as troops killed or injured in combat is if the Defense Department designates the shooting a "terrorist attack."
Several government reports have described the rampage as an act of terrorism. But officials say only an official declaration by the defense secretary will get Fort Hood victims the benefits they seek.
Maj. Nidal Hasan, an American-born Muslim, faces the death penalty if convicted in the attack.
AP-WF-10-19-12 2136GMT
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