Few people on the sprawling Fort Hood military installation were more qualified to answer the call for help during Thursday's shooting tragedy than civilian police Sgt. Kimberly Munley.

"She's a firearms instructor. She's a member of our SWAT team," said Chuck Medley of Fort Hood Emergency Services. "She's highly trained, highly physically fit, a weapons and marksman expert."

Munley wasted no time engaging the gunman as soon as she saw what was happening.

"The belief is that if you act aggressively to take the shooter out, you'll actually have less fatalities," explained III Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone.

Munley, 34, is married and hails from North Carolina. She was once a soldier, but now serves as a civilian police officer at Fort Hood.

Leanne McLaughlin says her friend is tough as nails.