How can we help our Iraq War veterans receive the medical treatment they need?

Question

After reading the Newsweek feature article this week on the treatment ( or lack there of) of our war veterans, watching the Bob Woodruff special on TV, and following the stories about Walter Reed Hospital - I am totally apalled and morally outraged at what our servicemen and women are being subjected to. I had no idea how serious the problem is or how widespread this problem is. If you have not been following this story - you need to check into the facts. It is astounding how many wounded there are and how serious the injuries are. Many are still waiting for treatment and disability benefit MONTHS and sometimes a YEAR after their return. My question is this. What can we do to help remedy this travesty? I would be especially interested in what military familes and or servicemen have to say. I have been against this war from the beginning - but still love and respect those who serve. What can we do to help?

In response to "aiminhigh" - firing the commander and closing a single hospital is not the soultion or the issue. If you read up on this you will find the problem is that the lack of adequate medical services is widespread across the United States. The problem stems from our government not being adequately prepared for the number of wounded or for the extent of the brain injuries involved. It IS different from other wars in that we have never had so many with so much direct exposure to explosives at such a close range. The latest estimate released by the military ( not the media) is that one in ten soldiers will return with some degree of brain injury. This IS a real problem. Closing Walter Reed and making a big production of firing a single commander does nothing to help these thousands of injured soldiers. There should be no politics involved.

Answer 1

Yes there is....do a clean sweep of Congress. They're the ones that refuse to help our service members and take benefits away from them. Congress received a substantial pay raise while the military got 2-5%. Most military families below the rank of E-5 qualify for food stamps and some even get welfare. This is terrible considering our Congress lives fat on the hog and most of them have NEVER served this country in military service. They cut military benefits almost yearly, while they receive full pay and benefits for life....even once they're out of office. So yes, there's much you can do....start making changes in Congress. The worst offenders are the Democrats. Check the voting records for yourself to see how they treat the military.

P.S. You'll find most of us in the military aren't against the war. We know why we're there and the good that we're doing. We know the side of the story the news and those against the President don't want you to hear. As long as we fight on foreign soil, America is safe from attack on her own soil.

Answer 2

It looks like the governement is asking the American public to personally donate to military and veterans' foundations. I think this is digraceful... we should be taking more from the federal budget to handle these issues. If the federal taxes can pay for a military it should also be able to pay for its medical expenses. The federal government give up to 6% of our federal budget to the defense of Israel alone... why can't we give the Israel government 4-5% and take the rest and give it to veterans' medical expenses? how about taking lower bids from Rebuild Iraqi contractors like Halliburton? Should we be researching a expensive star wars project when we have veterans suffering and worried about the on-going medical expenses?

Write your respresentative (and don't just write him/her but bother the others too... let them know that this is important).

To the people that are comparing ths war's veterans to other veterans let me point out a big distinction. Most head injuries of the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan would not have survived in Vietnam, Korea, or WW2. Battlefield medicine today is incredibly technologically advanced compared to those wars. We are saving lives that before we could not. Its cheaper to buy a coffin and a burial plot than the extended medical services for a serious brain injury. If we are going to save these lives (because it is the right thing or more cynically to politically claim less fatalities and therfore this war is safer... I don't care what the reason is for) then we should take care of them.

Answer 3

First off, it's not just this war. If you talk to Vietnam vets they had the same problems. My brother served in the Gulf War and he had some medical problems after the war that have subsided. Our veterans are subjected to many chemicals used in war, and are also given many medications that to combat agents used by the enemy. Many vets don't believe these medications are properly tested and are most likely not approved by the FDA. Such that they become human guinea pigs for the US government. This treatment is more appalling then lack of treatment of benefits. That problem isn't as widespread or as problematic. I know many veterans that receive monthly payments for small wounds that have no affect at all. But I agree, they should recieve treatment and benefits. We all should write to our congressional representatives and leglislative leaders and demand fair and better treatment of the people that defend our freedom and fight wars they deemed necessary.

Answer 4

My neighbor was medically retired from the military last March. When we started talking he`was receiving under $500 a month after they took out his child support, medical insurance and life insurance. I explained to him that he gets 2 years worth of medical coverage free for serving in Iraq. I also started him on the road to compensation for service connected disabilities. I took him to Social Security and started his paperwork for disability. These are things most young military personnel do not know they are entitled to. His SS starts this month. He also just received his disability rating of 80% from the VA. With a rating over 60% you can apply for 100% due to unemployability. So from take home of $478 for being medically retired, I have helped him receive his SS in the amount of $1355, and his VA right now is $1277. He now receives $2632. If they accept him as being 100% service connected his VA will increase to $2393 not including what his child will receive. If they also give him aid and attendance, that is another $500. In the end he will be receiving around $4248 a month for life. His child will also be eligible for a 4 year degree for free from the state of Illinois.

To answer your question, tell them they are entitled would be a start.

Answer 5

I have been to Walter Reed in D.C. for treatment. They are closing the hospital permanently soon. The building (1*) in question was being used as a type of medical transition holding area until Servicemen were discharged. It is another case of D.C. politics and the main stream media going bonkers. The ceiling tiles have been replaced and the Commander has resigned. What the hell else do you want -- blood?

Answer 6

Write your Congressional Representatives/ Senators AND include "info" copies for the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the appropriate Congressional Committees. AND of course do alittle research on the voting record of your representatives... also in the next elections put HARD questions to those running on their position on such matters.

Or perhaps organize a state and national petition to change the Constitution on how CONGRESS is paid (and THEIR medical, pensions, and perks).

Check with the VA website to find facilities close to YOU, and investigate. Contact your local media with any problems you find. Also... volunteer for the VA, USO, or DAV to lend them some help with paperwork and such.

Walter Reed's out-care facility and the delay in paperwork are just a HINT of the problems that have gone on for DECADES.

I left the Navy in 1999 with hearing loss (no disability)... was given the quick "transition to civilian-life" seminar, and was on my own. It took me 5 YEARS of endless letters to get my final paycheck (with 90 days of unpaid leave)... I have YET to receive my stored-apartment-goods (nor compensation for it)... and I had a $500 bill for treatment at the VA hospital elevate to $5000 because the bureaucracy mailed it to the wrong address.

Sadly, MY congressional representative at the time was our CURRENT speaker of the house... I never got responses from letters for help from HER office (in 6 years), but got an IMMEDIATE response from the senior Senator of California (thanks ma'am).

Answer 7

Thank you!

I am in the Air Force. I would say first, write your congressmen with the same passion you post here.

Next, you can donate to some organizations that work on behalf of our wounded servicement, such as Disabled American Vets (DAV), American Legion, Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), or Noncommissioned Officers Association (NCOA).

thanks for the question and the thought.

Answer 8

Write your congressmen. If you believe there is something wrong you have every right to be outraged. Congress has more power than you think.
For those congressmen who are anti-military, voting to reduce funding for medical care, voting the minimum pay raise of 2.2% this year, among other offenses vote them out.

Answer 9

Write your representatives and senators. Ask them to vote or increased funding for medical care for the active duty soldiers and veterans. If they don't support the soldiers and veterans, don't vote for them.

Answer 10

Great question! We need to apply pressure to our representatives and get something done!

Let's get these brave and selfless people the care they need - they deserve the best, and have received far less.

We can all argue politics later.