Walter Reed - much ado about something...

Over the last several days, one of the newsworthy stories have been the conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. Last week C-Span brought cameras into the facility and interviewed a variety of wounded soldiers about the conditions at Walter Reed. It seemed that they were aware of the article in the Washington Post that sparked this madness and were very guarded with their answers. Today two wounded vets and a family member testified before Congress about the conditions at the hospital. In everything I had read and seen regarding the complaints against the hospital were basically aesthetic. That there is a mold problem, that there are some buildings are in disrepair and red tape roadblocks. I have yet to read about a complaint regarding the medical treatment and medical care the soldiers receive there; that the doctors did not perform adequately or that nurses were neglectful. My intention is not to belittle the situation, as I have the utmost respect and admiration for our brave and heroic servicemen and I believe they deserve care and treatment suitable for royalty. I have been to Walter Reed and the Bethesda Naval hospital, to the naked they both seemed to be superb medical facilities. Bureaucratic red tape is usual for any government agency and it is an epidemic in the Army, so the fact that one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing should surprise no one. Mold infestation does not happen over night. This is something with adequate maintenance is something that should have been controlled. I do believe that the military does provide superb medical care for its service members and I have many family members who have served and will only go to an Army doctor or medical facility. Several years ago my 11 year old cousin broke his arm at school and the school was going to take him to a local hospital; my aunt was adamant that he be taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital even though it was a considerable distance from the school.

This is definitely a travesty for the military and especially for the servicemen who put their lives on the line for this country and the least we can do for them is insure that if (God Forbid) they are wounded, they receive top notch medical care in facilities that would be fit for a president.

I hope this sheds light on the conditions many vets face in VA hospitals around the country. There are WWII, Korean and Vietnam vets who are subject to deplorable conditions in some of these hospitals. These are the unsung heroes of yesteryear who have been replaced by the Iraqi vets of today. When I was in college I interviewed Vietnam vets for a project sponsored by the library and visited many VA hospitals. Some had positive experiences, but many had horror stories of VA care. The vets of yesterday should be treated no different than the vets of today's. They are all heroes. I only hope and pray that the spotlight on the problems at Walter Reed will be a wake up call for the military to examine all medical facilities. This should not be a witch hunt by the media against the administration (which it has already become) but a wake up call not to forget those who almost made the ultimate sacrifice. The Army should have a program "No Vet left behind." God bless all those who served and continue to serve.