Walter Reed
Melissa wonders Why the government allowed the situation to deteriorate so badly at Walter Reed, and Colonel Lang calls it Bureaucracy’s Cost as he notes that head should roll.
People may remember that Rumsfeld put Walter Reed on the the base closing list. I objected at the time because it would be stupid to close a military hospital during a war with casualties being flown in daily.
Apparently buildings that weren’t being used daily were allowed to deteriorate to save what funds that were available to be used for those buildings that were in steady use. Mold, mildew, mice and cockroaches can readily overtake an unoccupied, unheated building near bodies of water. It takes a lot less time than most people would believe. The money in the Pentagon budget for maintaining military bases is being plundered for other projects.
Be that as it may, as Colonel Lang points out, people must be held responsible, I would point out that this has been going on for a very long time, and was first reported by people stationed at Fort Stewart¹ years ago. The current resident at the White House and his minions just don’t give a damn.
1. Transcript of Kris Osborn reporting on Fort Stewart for the Lou Dobbs Tonight show 10/21/2003 on CNN.
2 comments
Houston has a rather large V.A. Hospital adjacent to the Texas Medical Center campus, and over the years I have worked with and around a lot of researchers at the V.A. Until recently, the researchers I knew nodded their heads in approval when Walter Reed was mentioned; it was well-respected in the military medical community. The few of those V.A. employees with whom I am still in touch are aghast at what has happened. Some share my politics; some do not… but the V.A. people I know are horrified that it has been allowed to come to this at Walter Reed, all in the last few years.
Just how many atrocities will Bush and his handlers be allowed to commit against America’s military? Unfortunately, I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of it yet.
—
(OT, Bryan, did I ever tell you that between 15 and 20 years ago, as a subcontractor to a USDA contractor, I wrote a lot of the code for some of the U.S. Army’s nutrition research software? Of course it’s all been replaced since then…)
OT: don’t bet on it having been replaced. Military IT systems don’t get upgraded until they totally fail.
They have been systematically destroying the military and veterans health care systems since they entered office at the same time they are following courses guaranteed to increase the number of people who need them.
They just don’t care, and have never cared.