Shameful treatment of wounded soldiers.

[popeseasons]

Don't know what rock I've been hiding under, but today's news of Maj. Gen. George Weightman's removal as head of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center --and why -- was the first I'd heard of the substandard care given to wounded soldiers. While Bush & Co bleat "support the troops", the ugly truth seems to be that cannon fodder is just that -- and

Comments

[brock_tn]

The Washington Post broke the story a week ago Sunday. The story, "The Other Walter Reed," is still up on the WP website.

I'm refreshed to see that the new SecDef is willing to hold serior officers responsible for the failings of their subordinates. This ought to send a fairly welcome shockjwave through the US military, a reminder that the officer in command is responsible for everything the unit does or fails to do, and commanders ARE going to be held to that standard.

[trekkieturtle]

Even people who live and work near DC have no clue what's going on at Walter Reed. I only knew because I get email alerts from Code Pink (www.codepink4peace.org) and their DC local has been doing regular protests out there that I have been regrefully unable to attend.

Karen (DF)

[brock_tn]

Another point: SecDef and SecArmy have given responsibility for fixing things at WRAMC to General Richard Cody, the Army Vice Chief of Staff. I used to work for Dick Cody when he was just a Major General and commanded the 101st Airborne Division. I once saw him get so mad that he was white-lipped, with spittle flying off his lips and so wound up that he was all but jumping up and down in place, and the cause was a unit commander and staff who were within a hair's breadth of screwing up a relatively simple but critically important real-world mission, because they'd ignored making any preparations for that part of their unit's mission until it was to late and they were actually in the middle of executing it.

The two things I know that most likely to have Dick Cody cranked up and chewing the furniture are commanders who won't do ALL of their job, and people screwing over soldiers. At Walter Redd we have both, in spades.

The Gods have pity on whoever did this, 'cause Dick Cody likely ain't gonna.

[thtrelady]

Good to know.

[popeseasons]

Gen. Cody reminds me of my dad with respect to his not liking to see stuff screwed up through poor preparation. (Dad was a WWII army doc under Patton)

This issue doesn't ultimately seem like a military screw-up to me though. Given the demands put on them to do more w/less, and what seens to me a desire to run a profitable war, the temptation to cut corners and cover arse must be immense.