Comments on: Army Ousts Head Of Walter Reed Hospital

General In Charge Is Relieved Of Command Due To Inadequate Treatment Of Soldiers

[j-whitman]

Haneydr,,,, Just how much of that 27 years is in the reserves ??? I'm not knocking reserves, they serve a function, but they only get 2 weeks of training a year... Most of us where active duty, myself 20 year active ---- We all support our troops -- just not the failed miserable, lying leadership Bush has given them.. Nor the lace of actual support..

[vet_sk]

This general should be just the start of people being held accountable for the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed and many other military hospitals and treatment centers all across the country.

It should be made a criminal for the administrators of these facilities to pick and choose which troops get to see dignitaries so that the true mental state, morale and living conditions of a full cross sections of the troops is seen%u2026.and not only shown the two troops who can%u2019t wait to be sent back to combat in Iraq.

Why aren%u2019t these wounded troops living in the same conditions that a person on temporary duty to Washington D.C. is. Is a Crystal City hotel cost too much?

To think that wounded troops I moved to a CASH in Iraq are being treated like this when they get back to the states. I am embarrassed!

And to put General Kiley in charge is definitely the fox in charge the hen house. What a waste of air he is.

Now the blame game will start in Washington, a commission will start their work, they%u2019ll write their report, there will be fanfare for a full day, and then it will be forgotten, just like all the wounded vets.

The media, our eyes to what is going on in this country, need to be given full access to the wounded troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Let the American public see what war brings them.

[haneyr-2009]

tuckerndfw you along with bluestardad and the others who are so consumed with bitter hatred for your situation in life need to seek professional help. You have let your lives be consumed by petty jealousy and displaced anger. You ignore the real world and rant at windmills. I agreed with your first post that the problem with veterans health care dates back to the revolutionary war and has never been adequately taken care of by any administration since. Bush did not start this mess and he may not have contributed as much as he should have to fixing it, so lobby congress to do their job and fix the problem. As they are now crowing in all the networks and papers control the purse strings not the president.

But your second post is what shows your true colors. To say that our military is a mercenary group of people only supporting big business is an insult to all who serve and served. Your claim to being a veteran is hollow. I have seen hundreds of people like you in my 27 years in the military and your kind can never adequately wear the honor of being called a veteran. You grumble in the rain, you grumble in the sunshine, you grumble when you work, you grumble when you eat, you are just one unfit person who never does anything for anyone but himself. I am sure that all those who worked with you were glad when you got out. Thank you for doing so and perhaps saving the lives of those around you who couldn't expect your support when the need arose.

[pattipace7]

Mr. Secretary Gates,
It is not commendable to make Weightman the fall guy for all the inadequacies that have existed in our military hospitals for decades. Walter Reid Hospital is actually a step higher than most of the Veterans Affairs medical centers which are all grossly under funded and under staffed. You do not have to look any further back than February 9, 2007 to find someone to be held accountable for these problems. Just read the press release from former house Vets Chair Steve Buyer, as he praises VA Secretary Jim Nicholson for a great VA budget and goes on to say; "this budget will allow them (veterans) to receive the care they need and lead full lives." Mr. Gates what you said today is very commendable about the care and welfare of our veterans demands the highest standard of excellence and commitment that we can muster as a government. What we always needed as veterans is quality health care, respect from a knowledgeable health care provider, and the chance to resume a comfortable life as a productive member of the society in which we offered to give up our own life to serve and protect. The only solution to this problem is for at least four billion in emergency funding be immediately allocated to the Veterans Affairs medical centers. Can you help us Mr. Gates?
Every Veteran, USA

[duhrer]

Sounds to me like Weightman was (in the vernacular of GW) doing one heckuva job.

[david1737]

Don't worry Bush'll clean this up. Just like he did after the big hurricane.

[gabulldog66]

seven-pesos this isn't about Bush. This is about every citizen in this country ignoring the situation with the veterans.
And until we start facing the problem instead of just looking to blame someone we obviously are jealous of, then things just aren't going to improve.

By the way, you must have the yipps. You posted twice.

[redrue69]

tuckerndfw: While I am sure all of us appreciate your service - I do not believe that makes you an expert on foreign affairs. The "hired guns" of which you speak - at least the ones that I know volunteered to serve their country and need their country's (and I don't necessarily mean government's) help to recover. All should stop blaming, do constructive things and help the soldiers that need our help in recovering.

[lancer240]

Starting with the General is a good start. More Military and civilian personnel at Walter Reed need to be relieved. Let's continue and releive the senior NCO at the hospital, the Senior NCO in charge of outpatient services. Also, their civilian counterparts.
Additionally, the VA should immediately form a "triage" group to enter the outpatitent center, assess the conditions and take immediate actions to provide the care, remove the redtape which is hindering outpatient services.
There is a fundamental lack of ownership by both the military and civilian providers in Walter Reed. This is a national disgrace.

[tuckerndfw]

after all they made the biggest sacrifices of all for our freedoms - it is the least we could do to show our appreciation. P.S. I am a conservative from the south.

Posted by redrue69 at 05:56 PM : Mar 01, 2007

Really?

I'm a veteran of the US Army, Vietnam era, and I assure you that the military does not fight for or defend individual freedoms. That is why we have police and courts.

The US military fights for and defends the interests of global corporations such as ExxonMobil.

You seem to confuse our mercenary army for patriots and militias. While some may be patriots, the majority are hired guns for sale to the highest bidders.

If anyone is going to donate anything, ExxonMobil should donate a few of the tens of billions in additional (and unearned) profits they reaped as a direct result of the war they are waging on Iraq.