Military Medical Scandal News

Walter Reed official touts new medical care units

Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — The deputy commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center said Thursday that wounded soldiers are healing faster and returning to duty quicker in new specialized medical care units.

Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker visited a warrior transition unit at Fort Campbell and toured new barracks designed for injured soldiers. Some of the rooms are designed for soldiers in wheelchairs with lowered sinks and beds and larger showers.

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Vets group stands tall for sick GIs

Denver Post — An Army general said Wednesday that a “Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade” would come soon to Fort Carson. It will help soldiers with post-traumatic stress and brain injuries.

As Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker spoke at Colorado’s Mountain Post, no one from Veterans for America stood beside him.

They should have. VFA played as big a role in Tucker’s announcement as any of Fort Carson’s brass. Read More.

Panel on Walter Reed Woes Issues Strong Rebuke

The New York Times — An independent panel assessing dilapidated facilities and red tape for wounded Iraq war veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Wednesday issued a sweeping indictment of leadership failures, inadequate training and staffing shortages.

The panel, headed by two former secretaries of the Army, Togo D. West Jr. and John O. Marsh Jr., found that a high standard of care for troops when they were first evacuated from war zones and hospitalized fell apart when they became outpatients, with a “breakdown in health services” and “compassion fatigue” on the part of overworked staff members.

“Leadership at Walter Reed should have been aware of poor living conditions and administrative hurdles and failed to place proper priority on solutions,” the panel said in a summary of its draft report released at a meeting at Walter Reed. Read More.

Walter Reed is Not a Photo Op

The Huffington Post — I just learned that President Bush will visit Walter Reed tomorrow afternoon. The President should use his visit to gather first-hand accounts from our newly injured soldiers. He should use this trip to become more aware of the appalling state of military and veterans health care in this country, and he should use this trip to reinforce the responsibility that he has to ensure that our service members and veterans receive care for their injuries that is worthy of their sacrifices.

If the President uses this trip as an opportunity to justify a veto of the supplemental, then SHAME ON HIM. Walter Reed is still broken. The DoD healthcare system in this country is still broken. The social contract between our country and those it sends to war is broken. Now is the time for action. Read More.

President’s Visit to Walter Reed: Statement of Veterans for America

Veterans for America brought the Walter Reed story to light, and we are working tirelessly to expose and solve the widespread failures within DoD and the VA.

Statement: From Bobby Muller, President, Veterans for America
Walter Reed is Not a Photo Op. Read More.