By Ayumi Davis, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — The Children’s Advocacy Center of Central Texas opened a new satellite office in a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 5, here.

The satellite office is the first Children’s Advocacy Center on a military installation. It stems from a partnership cultivated since April 2023, when the Office of Special Trial Counsel began collaborating with the advocacy center, known as CACCT, which grew to include the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.

“Together, this partnership is making Fort Cavazos, better known as The Great Place, an even greater place by working to protect its most vulnerable: our children,” said Debra Longley, executive director of CACCT. “We recognize that the well-being of children and families is essential to troop readiness and to the mission of protecting our nation — when families are safe and supported and service member can focus on their duties with peace of mind.”

CACCT, a nonprofit, first served abused children in Bell County, Texas, in 1997, helping 189 children in its inaugural year. Since then, CACCT has served over 10,000 children and their families in Texas’ Bell, Coryell and Milam County.

The center uses a multidisciplinary team — with professionals from law enforcement, child protection, mental health, medical and legal fields — to assist victims in a child-friendly space.

“This satellite office will provide forensic interviews, and that’s a specialized scientific method on how to interview children,” Longley said. “We provide a neutral setting … we do it in such a way that we allow the child to tell … how the events happened and so that we can get a case and ensure the case is solid.

“Then we have family advocacy services here, in which our family advocates will sit down with the families, provide resources (and) get them the assistance they need to start the recovery process,” she continued. “We will also have mental health services here to help heal from the trauma, and we will do that for both children and adults because we know if the parents aren’t healed, the children won’t be healed.”

Maj. Tara Goble, incoming officer in charge, Fort Cavazos Field Office of Special Trial Counsel, said having CACCT on the installation will allow more military families to use their resources.

“Bringing a child advocacy center on post is crucial to assisting in our prosecutorial mission,” she said in her remarks. “But, just as important, this landmark change is opening doors to military families and children (who) need therapy, but do not have the resources to drive off post to seek that treatment. My hope is that this center will be able to change the lives of many military families affected by trauma by providing much needed therapy close to home.”

Goble added the collaboration ensures the best possible outcome for cases.

“Ultimately, as military prosecutors, our mission is to ensure that those who violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice are held accountable in order to ensure the safety of our Soldiers, families and children and to maintain good order and discipline,” Goble concluded. “We look forward to working with the Children’s Advocacy Center in this mission and to continuing to grow relationships with all of our community partners, showing the rest of the Army that the Cavazos way should be the Army way.”

Click here for broll of the ceremony