Why has our government been ignoring the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed for years?

Question

This Walter Reed Military Hospital is a scandal and a national disgrace.
Our government has preached their love for the troops frequently, but when it comes to actions they don't make much of a statement.

Answer 1

Having been there with my husband in and out for 10 months, I can easily answer this question. When any government officials come to visit Walter Reed, they visit the inpatient soldiers. This is NOT where the problem is-its when a soldier becomes an outpatient that it all goes to hell. I dont know if any of them ever thought to leave cards with the families they visited or to come back and talk with soldiers who're a little further into the recovery process.

As a soldier, you are taught to work issues up along your chain of command. My husband and I saw what was going on during the end of our stay at WR. We attempted on several occasions to talk to the Commander of the Med Hold Co, but of course he was always "too busy" to see us and wanted us to "work the chain of command" and talk to our platoon sgt about our problems. This would have been fine except that the platoon sgt was the problem! I knew wives who were talking to COLs that worked for Weightman, but no one ever made it up to see him. It was absolutely a leadership problem and I hope that all those who kept all this a secret for so long are now gone. If the information never gets passed up the chain off command, who's going to find out about it? There were congressional inquiries during our time there but the truth is that not many of us knew exactly who to talk to or where to go for help. Had we all bombarded congress and the senate, maybe things would have come out sooner, but instead it looked like isolated incidents. Luckily, someone went to the media and even more luckily it worked!

I've seen first hand both Bethesda Naval and Walter Reed Army Hospital and though I more than agree that WR should be given more money, Im not sure how I feel about taking it off the BRAC closure list as combining the two into a newer-bigger hospital would allow much nicer accomodations than are currently found at WR.

Answer 2

you notice, once you're making tax cuts for the very prosperous, some non-mandatory courses have have been given to be cut back. you recognize like Walter Reed scientific institution, they do no longer choose any money to handle and shield, they are in simple terms treating wounded hero's that are despatched off to conflict in keeping with a lie. So what if there are some rats, the CEO of Exxon can savor his $10 million a twelve months sales, who needs the vets as they are wounded and no solid any further as solders, what's substantial is we pad Haliburtons no bid settlement, so the vp can savor a extensive earnings from his investments. that's a repuglican actuality that they care extra related to the prosperous and the huge companies then they do related to the working class and the solders that they deliver off to conflict.

Answer 3

This is just a preview to what our veterans should expect from the government for the rest of their lives. The previous example is the deplorable state that Vietnam Vets returned after fighting that unpopular war. Many of them were drafted into the service, and when they returned with emotional problems were placed into mental institutions. Then Ronald "The Compassionate Conservative" Reagan freed them to the streets of America. After all, they would rather be homeless than be couped up in hospitals. With George "The Education President" in charge, the future doesn't have to wait till tomorrow, it is here today. It is sad, but it is true.

Answer 4

Although I understand the mentality that led to this problem, we need to keep all facilities of this type in full operational condition until they can either be replaced or they are no longer needed at all.

While the conditions at this hospital are a disgrace, Walter Reed was selected to be closed and as such was denied funding to correct problems.

Think of it as a piece of junk car that you are about to get rid of, you wouldn't want to put any more money into it would you.

Answer 5

It's another side of the mythical Virtual America. When the blue smoke and mirrors go away you see the real America. Real America is Newark, East LA, West Philly, South Bay, Fl. Bellaire Ohio, Clarksburg W. Va. Compton, and all the VA hospitals, neglected infrastructure, marginalized military etc. We can't even protect our borders let alone provide for a military, fight a war, care for the wounded, honor our veterans etc. Chalk it up to lousy management of your tax dollars and the fraud which gives most of your tax dollars to the rich. That 2 hundred dollar tax cut you voted for gave your multimillionaire oppressors millions. Too bad, you got screwed again.

Answer 6

This government has been run by Republicans. Republicans don't believe in Federal government. They have been doing everything that they can to make everyone believe that Federal government does not work. Why would anyone hire an employee to run a company that the employee doesn't believe in? Well, that is exactly what the people who have been voting Republican have been doing. No surprise that nothing works. That's the way they wanted it.

Answer 7

since when do politicians inspect hospitals? The guy in charge was fired, move on.

Answer 8

Soldiers are taught to buck up and take it and not to complain, even if their rights are being violated.