Army Fixing Patients' Housing (Dana Priest and Anne Hull follow-up)

[Solly Mack]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021900759.html

" Walter Reed Army Medical Center began repairs yesterday on Building 18, a former hotel that is used to house outpatients recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan and that has been plagued with mold, leaky plumbing and a broken elevator."

snip

"A Washington Post series over the weekend described "The Other Walter Reed," where overdoses, suicide attempts and depression among outpatients are the parallel narrative to the spit-polish hallways of the renowned hospital.

Building 18, in particular, symbolizes the indifference and neglect that many of the wounded say they experience at Walter Reed."


snip


"Walter Reed and Army officials have been "meeting continuously for three days" since the articles began appearing, Weightman said. A large roundtable meeting with Army and Defense Department officials will take place at the Pentagon early this morning to continue talks about improvements in the outpatient system, he added."


Talk.Talk.Talk.

They need to do.


edit:

please help keep kicked so people can see that thanks to the original article, something is getting done.

[Little Wing]

1. Dana Priest has done more for the troops than all of Freerepublic

they were too busy denying there was a problem, but if there's no problem, why is the Army acting?

hmmm

[Solly Mack]

4. Yes, she has

[babylonsister]

25. Freerepublic? How 'bout Congress? nt

[Solly Mack]

27. I agree. If you're going to send people off to war, then make sure BEFORE

you do that a support structure is in place.

The wounded need medical care...that's just the reality of war and not something that anyone can claim with any degree of honesty, "no one anticipated"

I don't excuse any part of my government in this

From the moment soldiers and their families first complained of a lack of water and food during the early stages of the invasion - when my husband was there..to the lack of armor and other supplies...oversight was demanded. Oversight includes how the wounded are being treated.

Since the beginning, military families have complained of the lack of supplies and care...from pay issues to trying to get help, medical and otherwise ...and we were dismissed for the most part.

Some posts make better efforts than others and some help was put in place....however, the lack of funding for services has steadily dropped over the years since 2003....as the need greatly increased.

[Olney Blue]

2. Fix it. Now.

This is a fucking outrage.

[Solly Mack]

9. Exactly. Fix it now

They don't need to "talk" about it.

[Cerridwen]

3. First step on the road to recovery - admit you have a problem

Hi, Solly!

I agree, they need to do - but at least the article prompted them to admit to the problem.

I'll keep fingers crossed and candles lit.

:hi:

[Solly Mack]

7. Hi Cerridwen. The article was great...the military has a way

of forming a committee to form a committee to form a task force to form a working group that explains why, after 2 months of talks, something will take time.

[Olney Blue]

11. There is no time. These kids are killing themselves under their noses.

[Solly Mack]

13. I'm hoping, thanks to the article, there will be quicker action

than is normal. Far quicker action.


We'll still have to pay attention to the facilities they ship some of the troops to and just what improvements are made...

[Cerridwen]

16. I *get* that. Please, don't think I don't.

I also have some experience (see my other post) at how government works. It's frustrating as all hell so I look for the 'silver lining.' It's either that or I grab a gun and head for a tower. *sigh*

[Olney Blue]

20. Cerridwen, that was not directed at you. I know how govt works too from

experience. This is why I am so angry- the paperwork and red tape is a monstrosity.

[Cerridwen]

23. Thanks for saying so.

I was concerned you'd think I didn't know the score or that I was taking this issue lightly - it's all about me, ya know? ;)

Glad we're on the same page.

This stuff makes my blood boil.

:mad:

[Cerridwen]

14. Yeah, I definitely understand, Solly.

I've worked in government agencies for more years than I care to admit to. I'd love to see someone sweep in and start fixing things right now! I also know, however, that it's a pipe-dream. *sigh*

When I was heavily involved in political action groups and they'd threaten to form committees, I'd joke that committees were formed to insure nothing happened and howzabout we just go do. Yeah, I was real popular. /sarcasm to that last statement.

[Solly Mack]

17. lol! I've said the same thing during military family group meetings

about committees....

I was equally as popular as you were :)

[Cerridwen]

19. Ah, us trouble makers. Here's to us!

:toast:

[MadMaddie]

5. So let me get this straight....it took a news story to make them

realize that they need to rid the place of rats and fix the damage to the building.

How about this....condemn the building find a nice hotel and purchase it and put the soldiers there with transportation to get them back and forth for their treatments..etc...See it's not that hard....

[journalist3072]

6. My first thought exactly...Nothing like a little public embarrassment

To get someone moving on a particular issue. Hopefully the WaPo will stay on this issue. I would love to see them do a follow-up in about 30 days from now. It would be interesting to see if Walter Reed has truly made some sustained, lasting improvements wants the glare of the media is off of the story.

It would be nice if the WaPo would make an unannounced visit to Bldg. 18 in a month or so; see what things look like.

[Solly Mack]

8. Yes...I think you have it perfectly straight.

[pecwae]

30. Yes, it did

From my 20+ fed (VA & military)experience this is what it takes to even get them to the 'talking phase' of fixing problems. Now it's CYA all the way with a couple of sacrifices to throw under the bus for blame.

DoD, * and the other war planners didn't count on military medicine to save so many, thus have to offer "care". They'd much rather those troops have done their patriotic duty on the cheap and died.

[rocktivity]

10. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

and I hope they'll be opening a kitchen, too.

:woohoo:
rocknation

[jody]

12. Patriots Betrayed! Military funerals are cheaper than treating troops in military and VA hospitals.

[Solly Mack]

15. There's the truth

[niyad]

18. according to them, the mice problem is now at a "manageable level" --what in the HELL is a

"manageable level" of mice for these people?

this is only one of the stories--our people are stacked like retail stock in some of the facilities, waiting months for care.

this is beyond outrageous, beyond obscene. maybe we should have our dear "support the troops" damned repuke congressional representatives move into building 18, and let our military members stay in THEIR residences.

[Solly Mack]

21. I pulled a face at that too

wondering if it was anything like the acceptable level of rat droppings in hot dogs or something - to my thinking, there is no "manageable levels" of rat infestation...you have rats or you don't

We'll have to keep watch to make sure the government really does all it can...the article was a big help in that direction.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

22. k&r

[Solly Mack]

28. Thanks,OUTOTN

[magellan]

24. Isn't it amazing

They can go to war at the snap of Bush**'s fingers, but fixing a hospital where our wounded soldiers are supposed to be cared for takes 1) public humiliation and 2) "talk".

No different from the continued lack of up armored vehicles and proper body armor, woefully inadequate breaks between tours, a dearth of proper medical attention for PTSD, lack of support for the nat'l guard families, ongoing cuts in VA benefits, returning soldiers living in their cars....

If this is what the the RW means when it crows about "supporting the troops" then hell no, I don't!!

[Solly Mack]

26. The reality of war distracts from the parades, yellow magnets ,and flag

waving doncha know?

Money spent on a photo-op serves them better than actually spending money on the troops

[OneBlueSky]

29. amazing what a little real, truthful reporting will do, huh? . . .

I hope and pray that other journalists will take a cue from this story and actually begin to investigate, and report, other aspects of the BushCo criminal enterprise . . . imagine the outrage if the majority of Americans knew what most of us here on DU know about these criminals . . .

[Vinca]

31. Amazing what a journalist can turn up if they do their job.

Let's hope it doesn't stop here.

[conscious evolution]

32. What sucks about the repairs

is that halliburton will most likely get the contract.