Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Pentagon Moves into Damage Control Mode

by BooMan
Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 03:00:13 PM EST

It's a little bit of a confusing read, but the Army Times has an article up that reports on what can only be considered a massive damage control campaign in response to the recent revelations about Walter Reed Medical Center.

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media...
...Soldiers say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.
They were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.
The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant has been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said...
The Pentagon also clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending planned projects by CNN and the Discovery Channel, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed.

It looks like the Pentagon is determined not to get any more bad press about how they are treating our wounded veterans. I think it would be better if they put the same amount of effort toward making sure there is nothing negative to report.

Pentagon Moves into Damage Control Mode | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

The Problem for the Pentagon (none / 0)

is that there is ALWAYS something negative to report about the health care of returning veterans.

It's a matter of money. They don't want to pay for the human tragedies that their misbegotten grand failed schemes have wrought.

It's not just this administration, although these characters are particularly heartless in their approach.

The US government has been shafting its veterans ever since I have been one (I was discharged in March of 1970) and for a considerably longer time before that. Ask any veteran.

By the way, the hits just keep on coming for the VA. Check out the latest edition of Newsweek.

Soldiers are required to do their jobs when politicians fail to do theirs

by leftvet on Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 04:40:36 PM EST

Damage Control Mode (none / 0)

The diary you asked me to write on Obama is now available in the recommended diaries list. Let me know what you think.

Learn more about Bobby Jindal.

by louisianagirl (fantastic [dot] reality -at- hotmail [dot] com) on Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 04:47:03 PM EST

Re: Pentagon Moves into Damage Control Mode (none / 0)

Hey, leftvet! I'm not sure I agree with this:

They don't want to pay for the human tragedies that their misbegotten grand failed schemes have wrought.

I really don't think it is the Army that doesn't want to pay for the care of their wounded and sick. I think it is primarily the money squeeze by the Republican-Americans in Congress and the White House that is forcing a lot of this poor care, and the lack of medical personnel is a scandal in itself. And don't expect to see an improvement there, either, no matter how much $ might magically becomes available. What doc, nurse, or other medical specialist wants to join the military when they know they are going to be sent to the most misbegotten and mistaken and dangerous foreign adventure in the history of this country?

Out here in San Antonio, I see medics spending their own money, time and energy making sure the kids in our medical holding co are taken care of. But there just aren't enough of them, and it seems clear that community volunteers are not welcomed with open arms. And that could be a reflection of the local brass' fear of the Administration.

Medical Hold is shitty. You are not well, but not in a hospital. You do all your own care, in barracks. You have to get to your med appointments on your own (usually busses are available at most military med cens), you have to clean your own barracks. There is little or no supervision, and way too much time to get into trouble. The image we used to have of well-cared for vets with lots of pretty nurses in white, grey-haired pink ladies or candy-stripers bringing around carts of paperbacks and candy, and movies being shown every Friday, compassionate docs, and supportive civilians is a left-over image from pre-Reagan America. Military health care was like that - I was a recipient of it myself. I spent a month in medical hold in the Carter years, and it was like the old image. But no more. The Republicans turned it into an old Snake Pit movie. I'm not sure at all it's the fault of the Army.

by dksbook on Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 05:08:25 PM EST

I think we're talking about (none / 1)

several different things. My comments were primarily directed at the VA system, which treats veterans, not active duty guys. Your comments -- and the diary itself -- are talking about the military health system, which, I admit, is different, and perhaps was a better system at some point.

I do believe my comment about the general treatment of veterans by this country -- regardless of the particular political party in power -- remains valid.

It's NOT just Republicans.

Soldiers are required to do their jobs when politicians fail to do theirs

by leftvet on Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 07:02:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I think we're talking about (none / 0)

I agree, in general with your assertion about the VA treating vets like shit. It is not acceptable by any first or second world standard. And, incredibly, some of these badly disabled vets from the current war are receiving the same percentage of disability as my spouse, a 30-year vet who was not wounded in service (unless you count Gulf War Syndrome in all its permutations). We get $225.00 a month disability pay. It boggles my mind that some of our brain-damaged vets will be getting the same.

I was (sorta)disagreeing about the lack of concern on the part of military medical people, and their possible desire to put appearances before patient care. When you see these wounded kids, you cannot help but do everything in your power to help 'em recover. What the medics here can't get over is the lack of involvement on the part of the civilian population in our area. And my thesis on that is that the administration does not want folks to see what has been going on, so fruitlessly and aimlessly in Iraq. The Army would love America to know the price kids are paying, it would help them with appropriations. But, then, Rumsfeld was talking about not needing an Army anyway, right? Just planes, boats, and expeditionary and covert forces.

And I agree and disagree about it not only being Republicans. The Dems have been incredibly chickenshit about this war, but they didn't start it. Bush did, with the Republican-Americans cheering him on.

by dksbook on Wed Feb 28th, 2007 at 08:06:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Pentagon Moves into Damage Control Mode | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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