The Bigger Picture
While the current Walter Reed mess is at the feet of this current administration, I think it would be unwise to forget the larger, bigger picture, and that is that this is nothing new. In today’s WaPo, Dana Priest 9who should win a Pultizer for this series) notes that it is not just Walter Reed:
Ray Oliva went into the spare bedroom in his home in Kelseyville, Calif., to wrestle with his feelings. He didn’t know a single soldier at Walter Reed, but he felt he knew them all. He worried about the wounded who were entering the world of military health care, which he knew all too well. His own VA hospital in Livermore was a mess. The gown he wore was torn. The wheelchairs were old and broken.“It is just not Walter Reed,” Oliva slowly tapped out on his keyboard at 4:23 in the afternoon on Friday. “The VA hospitals are not good either except for the staff who work so hard. It brings tears to my eyes when I see my brothers and sisters having to deal with these conditions. I am 70 years old, some say older than dirt but when I am with my brothers and sisters we become one and are made whole again.”
Oliva is but one quaking voice in a vast outpouring of accounts filled with emotion and anger about the mistreatment of wounded outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Stories of neglect and substandard care have flooded in from soldiers, their family members, veterans, doctors and nurses working inside the system. They describe depressing living conditions for outpatients at other military bases around the country, from Fort Lewis in Washington state to Fort Dix in New Jersey. They tell stories—their own versions, not verified—of callous responses to combat stress and a system ill equipped to handle another generation of psychologically scarred vets.
I am not defending this administration’s doings in the current scandal, but the real scandal is that this has been going on for far too long. I have a friend whose brother was just discharged from the Marine Corps after developing debilitating diabetes over the years while he was in service(he dropped from 180 lbs to a little over 100). He can not function, will not be able to hold down a job due to his illness, yet the military has classified him as partially disabled so they do not have to pay full disability to him.
That is one among what I am sure are thousands of similar stories that you will hear over the next few weeks/months. it needs to be addressed, and e need to stop using up these soldiers, pretending we are taking care of them, and then turning a blind eye as they are treated like second class citizens.
We owe them more than a yellow ribbon on the car window.
*** Update ***
I missed this. Don’t read it if you have high blood pressure.
March 5, 2007 1:04 pm
Posted in: Military
46 Comments
46 Responses
RLaing - March 5, 2007 | 1:17 pm · Link
Welcome to the wonderful world of capitalism. While they can pull triggers, they’re an asset. When that’s no longer the case, they’re a liability, a cost to be minimized.
It’s war that America loves, not the people who fight it.
cd6 - March 5, 2007 | 1:19 pm · Link
This is all Clinton’s fault
Nikki - March 5, 2007 | 1:29 pm · Link
I don’t care whose fault it is, I want it to stop! The military medical system is a nightmare. And I speak from the perspective of a child dependent who can remember hating to go to the hospital because it took literally the entire day to move through the system from the point of picking up medical records to finally being seen by a doctor. And I can only imagine the red tape has gotten even more extensive. It is shameful how America treats its veterans.
riptyde - March 5, 2007 | 1:30 pm · Link
If there is any doubt as to how long the US Government has been willing to mistreat its injured soldiers, this should clear things up:
My father was injured in a jeep accident while on active duty in early 1981. After being transported from the middle east to a military hospital in Germany, an Air Force representative approached my mother and, since she had power of attorney, tried to convince her to have my father resigned from service. If she had fallen for it, which thank goodness she did not, we would have have received any of the VA benefits (both survivor benefits which allowed my mother to care for herself and her two children, and education benefits that let me go to college) that became available to us when he died a few days later.
dom - March 5, 2007 | 1:35 pm · Link
I’m sure you saw it, but the Post did run a story that focused specifically on the disability ratings. Here is the article and follow-up chat transcript.
AkaDad - March 5, 2007 | 1:45 pm · Link
I second the nomination.
I support unannounced inspections on these facilities and better media access to hopefully avoid these horror stories in the future.
srv - March 5, 2007 | 1:49 pm · Link
Saying this as someone with a lot of relatives in and out of the military (two on disability that I can think of), cry me a river. I just can’t fathom how this is news to anyone. However bad it is, they’re getting alot more than the Vietnam vets ever got, some of whom are still wandering about down the street from me right now.
As RLaing says, the Darrells and Demis love the troops. Right. Lets just start another war (Darrell) or give them universal health care (Demi).
cd6 - March 5, 2007 | 1:59 pm · Link
I bet Cheney is secreting plotting to off another famous b list celebrity to distract America’s attention away from this scandal, just like he took out Anna Nicole Smith. (Tip of the hat to Foxnews, for doing its part.)
Paris Hilton, Flava Flav, Gallagher: watch out, any one of you could be next!
Andrew - March 5, 2007 | 1:59 pm · Link
John Cole: I suppose you think veterans’ health care is more important than tax cuts. So, the question is, why do you hate freedom, America, and freedom?
dreggas - March 5, 2007 | 2:03 pm · Link
Yet Another Bush policy failure
Hurray!
Richard 23 - March 5, 2007 | 2:06 pm · Link
Britney’s next, cd6. Notice how the psychedelics in her drinking water have started to really kick in. I doubt the Vice President is behind it though. More likely the Illuminati and their lizardoid shape shifting minions. You know, the ones that brought down WTC 7 in a controlled demolition.
Richard 23 - March 5, 2007 | 2:08 pm · Link
The leftist mindset in a nutshell. Any tragedy is Bush’s fault and he hails it as a victory, no matter how many people have to suffer. BDS in full bloom.
Zifnab - March 5, 2007 | 2:08 pm · Link
If the troops would stop complaining and suck up their intestinal bleeding and head trama and full body paralysis like men, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Not that I’m blaming the troops. Just the liberal wussy troops who can’t sit down, shut up, and go away once they’re not useful anymore.
The VA and Walter Reed are just victories that haven’t happened yet. We need to pay for these changes by stimulating the economy through tax cuts.
Tsulagi - March 5, 2007 | 2:16 pm · Link
It’s clearly all Clinton’s fault. Nothing they could have done in the six years of total Republican control to counter that. Pubs always have the soldiers’ backs, but just didn’t have the resources available while adding over $TWO TRILLION$ to the national debt. Nope. Plus, as Condi would shriek, “No one could ever have imagined there would be WIA needing care after being greeted as liberators.”
dreggas - March 5, 2007 | 2:20 pm · Link
The leftist mindset in a nutshell. Any tragedy is Bush’s fault and he hails it as a victory, no matter how many people have to suffer. BDS in full bloom.
Obviously sarcasm doesn’t translate well into text or you’re just trying to find that elusive pony of BDS in my post.
Sadly too many people have had to suffer thanks to this administration and its lack of administration. Their policy of privatization of government services is a complete and utter joke. Obviously the saying “If you want something done right do it yourself” is way over their heads.
It’s just another policy that was DOA but kept alive by yes men and cronies. Interesting how the company responsible for some of these services is Halliburton, the same company who can’t even take care of our troops in Iraq is supposed to take care of the ones who are wounded too? Give me an F’ing break.
scarshapedstar - March 5, 2007 | 2:24 pm · Link
So, like… a little suction-cup flag too, perhaps? And a Calvin-pissing-on-Osama?
ET - March 5, 2007 | 2:24 pm · Link
And that is on top of the story in the WaPo today about the feard increase in homeless veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Jake - March 5, 2007 | 2:32 pm · Link
Mistakes were made.
War is hell.
Just wanted to get that bullshit out of the way before our resident fuckwit shows up.
As for another PP for Priest and perhaps a first for Hull, The story didn’t make the deadline this year but man, have they raised the bar for 2008.
cd6 - March 5, 2007 | 2:33 pm · Link
Dana Priest doesn’t deserve a Nobel prize, she deserves a one way ticket to Gitmo. You know why? Because she obviously has an anti-Bush agenda, as my personal hero Jonah “Doughy Pantload” Goldberg astutely pointed out.
If she didn’t hate America, Priest would stop writing terrorist-emboldening anti Bush stories like these, and stick to less controversial topics like “Bunnies are adorable” and “Pizza taste delicious.”
Jake - March 5, 2007 | 2:57 pm · Link
If she didn’t hate America, Priest would stop writing terrorist-emboldening anti Bush stories like these, and stick to less controversial topics like “
BunniesPonies are adorable” and “PizzaPie taste delicious.”Sheesh, get it right will ya.
Anyway, La Malkin has informed us that Gov’t Healthcare Suxor
so…I dunno. I guess we can ignore the dumb grunts who can’t afford private healthcare. If they had done a little research (or asked MM) they would have known Gobmint Healthcare is teh suck and not enlisted. Or saved all of their money so they could afford their own insurance. Or married someone with good health insurance benefits. Or maybe we’re supposed to get into long involved discussions about the joys of capitalism while these guys train the rodents in their rooms to do tricks? Who that fuck knows.
Jake - March 5, 2007 | 2:58 pm · Link
If she didn’t hate America, Priest would stop writing terrorist-emboldening anti Bush stories like these, and stick to less controversial topics like “
BunniesPonies are adorable” and “PizzaPie taste delicious.”Sheesh, get it right will ya.
Anyway, La Malkin has informed us that Gov’t Healthcare Suxor
so…I dunno. I guess we can ignore the dumb grunts who can’t afford private healthcare. If they had done a little research (or asked MM) they would have known Gobmint Healthcare is teh suck and not enlisted. Or saved all of their money so they could afford their own insurance. Or married someone with good health insurance benefits. Or maybe we’re supposed to get into long involved discussions about the joys of capitalism while these guys train the rodents in their rooms to do tricks? Who da fuck knows.
ThymeZone - March 5, 2007 | 2:58 pm · Link
Amen, a hell of a lot more.
Richard 23 - March 5, 2007 | 3:07 pm · Link
I don’t remember where I read it but sales of those yellow ribbon magnets are way down and the producers of these things are sitting on a huge inventory.
So buy one today and show your support for our brave troops. And support capitalism at the same time. Cut down a tree too, just to piss off the enviro-wackos.
Also be sure to donate to the various groups that send letters and care packages to our troops in the field and those who have returned.
cd6 - March 5, 2007 | 3:23 pm · Link
We don’t need these VA hospitals to get the troops rehabilitated enough to reenter society or lead funcitonal lives, we just need them to be able to stand upright behind a George W photo-op.
Priorities, people. Get with the program.
Shabbazz - March 5, 2007 | 3:25 pm · Link
>> Cut down a tree too, just to piss off the enviro-wackos.
If by “enviro-wackos” you mean “organisms that breath via aerobic respiration”, then you may be on to something.
chopper - March 5, 2007 | 3:29 pm · Link
support our
troopschinese magnetic car ribbon industry!chopper - March 5, 2007 | 3:29 pm · Link
bumper sticker?
Zifnab - March 5, 2007 | 3:32 pm · Link
salutes
Seriously, why does the liberal media get lauded with praise for these Goebel inspired pieces of terrorist-hugging trash when 24-hour Britney Spears rehab coverage continues to go unacknowledged? Where is the justice, damnit!
Andrew - March 5, 2007 | 3:43 pm · Link
The Dick Cheney/Illuminati/Lizard Men are VERY POWERFUL.
Teh Preznit - March 5, 2007 | 4:15 pm · Link
We’ll stay the course at Walter Reed. We’re not backing down until we accomplish the task, and the task is going to be a Veterans care system that the American people do not hear any complaints about.
We’ll put together a PR structure that meets the threats on the campus. And we got a list of troublemakers there ourselves. And as I said yesterday, anybody who wants to talk to American troops will be found and expelled from the grounds.
There are some who feel like that if they attack us that we may decide to grant benefits prematurely. They don’t understand what they’re talking about, if that’s the case.
Let me finish.
There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us at Walter Reed. My answer is bring them on. We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.
BadTux - March 5, 2007 | 4:25 pm · Link
The next time I see some rat-fucking bastard with one of those yellow ribbons on his fat-assed SUV, I’m going to take printouts of these two stories, smash in the driver’s side window, put these on the front seat, and spray paint on the door “So when are you going to start supporting the troops, motherfucker?!”. Okay, maybe not. But look, us “lefties” (term in quotes, because as a rational Libertarian I’m about as “lefty” as Barry Goldwater, but whatever) have been raising cain for the past four years that the Bush Administration has been shitting on our veterans and the response of the Freeper yellow ribbon crowd? “You’re just being a hypocrit, if you really cared about our troops you’d support dear leader’s war!”
What the fuck does support or not of Dear Leader’s war have to do with it? We ought to be giving these poor kids the best care we can for as long as they need it, fuck the budget, do what’s RIGHT not what’s CHEAP. But the Freepi just whine “you’re trying to make Dear Leader look bad!” whenever you point that out. Excuse me? What does motivation have to do with it? Right is right, and saying “I won’t listen to you because I don’t like what you’re saying or why you’re saying it!” is the act of, well, a fucking MORON.
What’s the Freepi response to all this:
“Dana Priest=traitor.”
For real!
The only good news is that now that Democrats are in charge in Congress, the so-called-liberal “mainstream” press can finally start covering stories that we’ve been covering in the “alternative” press (places like antiwar.com, Raw Story, Capitol Hill Blues, etc.) for literally years. Yeah, we got a free press here in the United States. And somehow, they always seem to report whatever the ruling party wants them to report (SNORT!).
– Badtux the Rude Penguin
dreggas - March 5, 2007 | 4:25 pm · Link
The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if this isn’t part of a large conspiracy in which the medical services for the military become privatized, the troops don’t get the care they need and end up on the streets homeless and as a result religious “charities” apply for a ton more money under the “faith based initiative” with only part of the money going to open homeless shelters to handle the influx of Vets.
Seriously, when do people get pissed off enough to do something about this shit?
grumpy realist - March 5, 2007 | 4:26 pm · Link
Some lulu over at Reason in one of the threads suggesting we stop providing “long-term health benefits” to our veterans because of the cost (draws comparison with auto companies).
...and then libertarians wonder why no one votes for them.
Lee - March 5, 2007 | 4:34 pm · Link
I read somewhere an idea that I thought had some merit.
Instead of the HUGE VA system across the country that we have to fund for all of our veterans health needs, fund them into a private healthcare system (e.g. BCBS, Aetna, etc) so they can visit whatever local doctor/hospital they want. This solves the “I have an earache level of care”.
Then focus the VA’s attention on the veterans that have health issues that are directly related to combat.
Pb - March 5, 2007 | 4:44 pm · Link
Er, no it doesn’t—guess which healthcare system is better. Also, there’s TRICARE.
John S. - March 5, 2007 | 4:46 pm · Link
That’s the problem. The VA is always trying to classify soldiers’ problems as anything but related to combat.
I mean, hell, my uncle was shot and had agent orange dumped on him in Vietnam, and when he developed emphysema and cirrhosis years later (despite being neither a smoker nor a drinker) along with many other health-related issues, the VA insisted it had nothing to do with combat.
That was of course until a few years ago when they finally recognized agent orange as having caused health problems (which they denied for decades), and then they finally put him on 100% disability.
Way to look out for those that fought for this nation.
BadTux - March 5, 2007 | 4:51 pm · Link
Lee, we have that. It’s called Tricare. That in fact is the same system that the military is screwing injured soldiers out of by rating them as less than 30% disabled. If you hit that 30% disability mark you get Tricare, if you don’t, you get VA.
Tricare isn’t perfect, but at least you don’t have to use VA hospitals with Tricare. My mother (spouse of a military retiree) says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Tricare—private insurers won’t cover her, and she still has a few years to go to qualify for Medicare. Remember, Republican Culture of Life™. Offer void after birth.
– Badtux the Snarky Penguin
Tsulagi - March 5, 2007 | 4:52 pm · Link
There you go, appealing to the emotional. A story mainly about one grunt and how he was taken care of during the continuing reign of the “We Support the Troops” administration.
However, you’re missing the big picture dispassionately shown in this GAO report covering calendar years 2001 through 2005. Yeah, it’s a wordy document mainly about the Reserve component getting the shaft (like that’s news) in the military disability system, but Table 14 (page 56) gives a good quick summary.
For active duty Army, each and every year starting with 01 there has been a reduction of those being placed on permanent disability retirement. You would think with two wars going on the number would increase. But no, the 05 figure brings home the level of achievement: a number less than one-third that of the 01 total. An unbroken string each year, as Cheney would say, of enormous successes keeping soldiers from becoming disabled. That’s leadership for you.
fester - March 5, 2007 | 4:57 pm · Link
Just as a point of fact. The Veterans Administration DOES NOT run, finance or manage Walter Reed. The Department of Defense through a US Army line item runs Walter Reed. Two very different medical systems. The VA manages healthcare for individuals who have seperated from the military, while the DOD provides healthcare for individuals who still maintain an active relationship with the military.
BadTux - March 5, 2007 | 5:07 pm · Link
Right, Fester. Seperated individuals get VA, DoD active duty and retirees get the military health care system and/or Tricare. Walter Reed as well as all the other rat-holes covered by Priests’ articles are DoD, not VA. VA has its own issues, but lost records isn’t one of them (the VA has the best automated records system in the country).
Jake - March 5, 2007 | 5:34 pm · Link
Seriously wounded vets can be left alone in a room with a pistol. I’m sure they’ll do the honourable thing…
Neo-Nazi meth heads bent on scrambling brains with baseball bats seem almost kittenish beside the bastards who can say this crap with a straight face.
Aside from the occasional missing lap-top [/snark]
Andrew - March 5, 2007 | 6:17 pm · Link
And one of the most important reasons that the VA is better is continuity of care.
You can’t just send someone off to a random doctor for a “minor” condition, where they might get some drugs or treatment that has adverse or deadly effects when combined with their other conditions.
People like Lee don’t seem to understand the complexities of long term medical care.
Zifnab - March 5, 2007 | 6:45 pm · Link
And yet they’ve both been run into the ground at record speeds. Namely, the past 6 years of Republican rule. It’s almost as though the entire system is foul and corrupt to the bone. Go fig.
leefranke - March 5, 2007 | 9:52 pm · Link
ahhhhh
thanks for the info
Richard 23 - March 5, 2007 | 11:41 pm · Link
Jason notes the hypocrisy of the Democrats politicization of the the Walter Reed Army Medical Center situation.
Are the liberals listening? Of course not. They’re too busy hating Bush and marching to the latest anti-war bong party.
RSA - March 5, 2007 | 11:44 pm · Link
Indeed, hypocrisy is the only issue worth paying attention to in the Walter Reed scandal.