The real outrage of Walter Reed

[maxrandb]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnsmedboards070217

Everyone has be outraged (and justifiably so) at the pictures of the rat infested, moldy, broken ceiling, exposed wire living accommodations our troops have been given. But the real culprit here are the drastic cuts in funding for Medical Boards and staff, and the attempt to keep the cost of this war down by down-grading disability ratings.

Look, the outpatients at Walter Reed would not be living in squalor if it were not taking more than a year to get through the Medical Board and disability process. Here are some interesting numbers.

- Under President Clinton, the DOD had 6 Medical Boards in 5 districts with staff support of 240. Under Bush, the DOD has 3 Medical Boards in 1 district with staff support of 60.

- In 2001, the number of vets getting approved disability ratings was 13%. Now, IN A TIME OF WAR it's 6%.

- Troops are being represented at Medical Boards by other disabled troops. Some as junior as Private First Class.

- They low-ball the troops in the hope that they will take a lower disability rating just to end the nightmare process.

This is what the Repukes do! It's no secret. They have been, and always will be, on the side of the rich and powerful.

Why do you think they want to keep the cost to our veterans down? Why did they cut the number of Medical Boards during a time of war? Why do they house wounded troops in a place barely above the level of a homeless shelter? It's so they can provide a massive tax-cut to the likes of Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. Hell, Cheney's tax-cut alone would be enough to hire 10 Medical Board Staff Personnel full time for a year!!!!!

Deep in their "cold-black-hearts", that Republics think of these troops as nothing more than moochers sucking at the teet of the federal government. They are treating these wounded troops the same way they treat the homeless, the unemployed, the laid-off factory worker, the union firefighters and police, the mentally and physically disabled, the poor, the middle-class, and anyone whose net worth is below 7 figures.

If it weren't for the uniform these wounded troops used to wear, the Republics would tell them to "pull yourselves up by your bootstraps".

That's the real outrage.

[Monkeyman]

1. Thanks there are some of us on a mission to make sure the public knows

K&R

[atreides1]

2. No the Real Outrage

Is that the uniformed chain of command is going along with this travesty, the senior NCO's and the officers that are doing the dirty work just so they can keep their jobs.

It's bad enough when civilians like the Repuke politicians screw the troops over, that's to be expected, but when they are f***ed over by their superiors who also wear the uniform, that's lower then whale excrement.

[Ilsa]

3. K&R #4.

The troops can probably handle a little mold (if it doesn't make them sick) and some of the inconveniences of Bldg 18. It's the other shit about substandard case management, etc that are disgusting, IMO. The Army should have beefed up the support service personnel and adopt pro-troop policies instead pf trying to cheat them.

[Patiod]

4. The VA - just another entitlement program

That's exactly how they view it.

[TahitiNut]

10. The GOPhers aren't against entitlements ...

... they just think entitlements are reserved for the 'titled' aristocracy - the elite. Never forget that 'ownership' is an entitlement, particularly when it comes to corporate stock and real estate.

[Patiod]

5. The link is down

I'd like to print this out for my dad. He doesn't believe anything from the "liberal" MSM, but is okay with articles in the Army Times, Navy Times or American Legion magazine.

Sent him the entire series from the WaPo though...

[maxrandb]

8. This link should work for you

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnsmedboards070217/

[EFerrari]

6. The military has no business evaluating these veterans.

It's a conflict of interest, period. The VA should advocate for their charges, not do its best to kill them or shake them off.

[maxrandb]

9. Who became pretzledent in 2001?

"In 2001, 10 percent of soldiers going through the medical retirement process received permanent disability benefits. In 2005, with two wars raging, that percentage dropped to 3 percent, according to the Government Accountability Office. Reservists dropped from 16 percent to 5 percent.

Soldiers go to VA to try for more benefits, but the department had a staggering 400,000-case backup on new claims in fiscal 2006, according to VA."

Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, the number of soldiers wading through the paperwork, physicals and appointments has doubled at Walter Reed. According to a Defense Department directive, it should take a total of 120 days from start to finish, but the average stay for Walter Reed soldiers is 270 days. The soldiers navigate a complicated system with the help of counselors with little more experience — or rank — than they have, and who lack training, according to a March 2006 Government Accountability Office report."

-----------------------------------------------------
Here's what we did during our last major war:

The Army processed 15,000 cases in 2004 with three physical evaluation board systems and a total of 70 employees.

“The last time we had that many cases was in 1972, when processed 19,000 cases,” he said. “At that time, there were six across five states and the District with a total of 260 employees.”

Buchanan said that number has grown to 95 employees since the hearing, though he is only authorized 61.

[EFerrari]

11. Oh, of course. But Junior won't be the last corporate frontman

in the WH. If we reorganize who is tasked with vets' care, the system will be to abuse. Or, that's mo.

[Martin Eden]

7. Damn right!

K&R

[Duppers]

12. This is going out to the 2 Navy vets I know

Both are FORMER republicans. This administration has changed a lot of minds--finally!

Good job, Max.

[WilliamPitt]

13. Bad link