The Aftermath of War
As if there weren’t enough reasons to hate the Iraq War, the Washington Post’s expose of the dismal conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital will make your blood boil.
At town hall meetings, the soldiers of Building 18 keep pushing commanders to improve conditions. But some things have gotten worse. In December, a contracting dispute held up building repairs.
“I hate it,” said Romero, who stays in his room all day. “There are cockroaches. The elevator doesn’t work. The garage door doesn’t work. Sometimes there’s no heat, no water. . . . I told my platoon sergeant I want to leave. I told the town hall meeting. I talked to the doctors and medical staff. They just said you kind of got to get used to the outside world. . . . My platoon sergeant said, ‘Suck it up!’ “
Some soldiers leave Walter Reed with zero disability ratings if military doctors can blame their illnesses on preexisting conditions. Suicides and accidental overdoses of prescription meds are common.
Now, Bush wants to escalate the violence and the impotent Congress can’t even come up with a nonbinding resolution in protest.
We should force Congress members to spend six months in Walter Reed. Bush and Cheney need to be sent to the front lines in Baghdad.
Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration at Army’s Top Medical Facility
February 20th, 2007 at 11:28 am
We should force Congress members to use common sense