Walter Reed Hospital ( Archived) (9)

Was just listening to it on the radio last night and didn't catch all of it but so far if I am correct two Generals have been let go of and this morning that President Bush is going to have committee to check out all of the Army Hospitals.

what's it gonna take??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



impeach the idiot!!! already ouch!

In a letter Sunday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., asked for an independent commission, possibly headed by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, to investigate all post-combat medical facilities and recommend changes.

"To think that men and women are serving their country in the most honorable and courageous way possible and all we give them is a dilapidated, rat-infested, run-down building to recover is a disgrace," Schumer wrote. "My fear is that Walter Reed is just the tip of the iceberg, and merely highlights the pervasive and systemic mistreatment of our service members."

President Bush last week ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at the nation's network of military and veteran hospitals. They have been overwhelmed by injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House said the president would name a bipartisan commission to assess whether the problems at Walter Reed exist at other facilities. Last week, Gates created an outside panel to review the situation at Walter Reed and the other major military hospital in the Washington area, the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.

Gates also dismissed Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey, who had fired Weightman and replaced him with Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, the Army's surgeon general and a former commander of Walter Reed. Gates said Harvey's response was not aggressive enough.

The Army announced that Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker will be the new commander of Walter Reed, which is in Washington. In addition, the Army took disciplinary action against several lower-level soldiers at Walter Reed.

The moves came in response to a series of Washington Post reports about substandard conditions and bureaucratic problems affecting the care of injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to Walter Reed, one of the military's highest-profile and busiest medical facilities, and its outpatient facilities.

Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday the scandal is emblematic of the Bush administration's "lack of accountability" and "overoptimism" about the war in Iraq.

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

From what I heard on the radio last night with all our servicemen stratched out like they are if our country was attacked we would not be prepared. I was wondering if you heard the same story.

Would say not a story, but fact. The military was so structured in Active, Reserve and National Guard. The idea was if the active came into a bind, reserve got called up and if that got taken out...the guard remain in the states to protect it. Now however, the reserve is more or less an active command (AF anyway) and over 50 of the support I've seen down range come from the guard. So...do the math. We get hit hard right now we'd really have to pull back from wherever we are. Bringing back people like me retired isn't so cool either...just not as young as we used to be. Draft would be a nightmare, rushing folks through training to put in harms way...

Oh and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany is top notch but has way to less people to function as support of all of europe and downrange.

At the risk of seeming ignorant...

what's the difference, and so newsworthy... from these stories, and the same crap treatment in non-military hospitals?

Only that there is this perception military gets better than average treatment as opposed to regular hospitals...and I can assure you that is NOT correct. A lot of military will take out their own insurance and seek out civilian hospitals. Unfortunately there is red tape with that, as "property of the U.S. government" one has to have "permission" by going through military medical first. Not to mention that if you are in a battle zone, you more or less have to go to either Landstuhl in Germany first, or Walter Reed second...no choice.

My experience is the docs that can't make it on the outside come into the military. Not saying all military docs are that way, some are very good. But there are a few.

thank you...

I'm curious about something..and, it may not have anything to do with this...

In average hospitals, if citizens are broke..or, cannot pay... the hospitals have what they call a write off. They don't tell everyone about it. Essentially, what happens it they are allowed to write off many unpaid hospital bills...

Now, red tape in military, I can only guess is as terrible as it is with all government and federal paperwork...

If this average hospital can write it off.. then they pay no taxes..., or get a tax break... government/federal.

Why make seperate hospitals for veterans? If docs can't hack it in our horspitals they shouldn't be allowed to hack it anywhwere...

the government has it's hands in all medical hospitals... so, why does noone see it?

I'm rambling a bit...but, my head it connecting dots that seem to be there...?