Washington (CNN) -- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is expected to announce a sweeping review of military procedures and policies that could help avoid another Fort Hood-type incident, a senior Pentagon official has confirmed to CNN.
The official emphasized the secretary is still working though final details of how the review will be structured, and the announcement could still be delayed. The official said former military and civilian leaders officials could be called in to lead the review.
The Pentagon has been struggling for several days over how to shape the scope of the review, which will look at "systems and processes," such as whether there strict enough policies on weapons being brought onto military bases.
Another focus of the review would look at situations in which adverse information is learned about a military person, and whether there are adequate procedures for sharing that information with those who kneed to know it.
This is expected to be a broad Department of Defense review that Gates will announce, and the official said "there will be many components to it," adding that the Army's so-called "hard look" at itself in the wake of the Fort Hood shootings is expected to be part of the overall review.
It is expected that there will be some sort of a short-term deadline, the official said, noting that Gates wants some immediate feedback as well as a longer-term review.
The official asked not to be named because the announcement had not been made.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan has been accused in the deaths of 13 people during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5.
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