WaPo Investigation Fallout: Walter Reed Jumps Into Action

http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/2/20/54914/0528

WaPo Investigation Fallout: Walter Reed Jumps Into Action
by ilona
Tue Feb 20, 2007 at 05:49:14 AM EST

Ah, the power of the press -- when it does its job.

Lightning swift changes taking place at Walter Reed Army Medical Center following a series < 1 | 2 > of investigative pieces by the Washington Post.

The latest:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center began repairs yesterday on Building 18, a former hotel that is used to house outpatients recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan and that has been plagued with mold, leaky plumbing and a broken elevator.

The facility's commander, Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, said Army staff members inspected each of the 54 rooms at the building and discovered that outstanding repair orders for half the rooms had not been completed. He said that mold removal had begun on several rooms and that holes in ceilings, stained carpets and leaking faucets were being fixed.

More on the repairs, a newly opened criminal investigation of the director of Walter Reed Army's Medical Family Assistance Center, and general fallout of this public relations nightmare (grand understatement...)

snip//

Wow, what a difference a couple of articles make!

* A broken elevator has been fixed.
* Workers are clearing snow and ice from streets and sidewalks that was making it hard for wounded vets to journey outdoors for a bit of fresh air or to take care of errands and keep appointments.
* A broken garage door is getting the attention it should have gotten months ago.
* And that moldy wall in Spc. Jeremy Duncan's room? Getting repaired

more...

shame that it had to appear in the WAPO before anyone at Walter Reed would address these problems... I am appalled and sickened for our vets....

with rats, roaches, and mold, especially if they are post-op, post-anesthesia, and still taking judgment-altering pain meds? It's a terrible travesty. I guess the Army kept Shrub and Pickles out of Building 18 when they made their visits. It must have been too dangerous for them. to go there.

Let these wounded troopers live in a place that keeps them save and clean

rid of. Alot of insurance cos in texas are not happy about having to cover mold damage to new homes here along the coast. It tended to happen when the homes are well-sealed, i.e., newer homes.

made it back to post, he was given a room without linen, without towels, without safety mats on the floor to keep him from falling - he was still using a wheelchair but used crutches to aid him in and out of the bathroom. His room was without food and he was nowhere close to a mess hall.

He didn't have anything.

A friend and I went out and bought him towels, bedding, floor mats, food, dishes...just all kinds of things.

It's not just WR we have to keep an eye on...we have to make sure the troops are getting the things they need once moved to their home posts or local hospices or even back into their own homes. They are doing without here in Germany as well. The little things are hard to come by..so here we make donations of money, personal items and clothing.(and it's still not enough)

The article worked wonders and I am grateful...now we have to keep the pressure on.

Thank you,babylonsister!!!!(for keeping the pressure on)

Family Readiness Groups can only do so much and each unit can only do so much...when you have multiple injuries within an unit, any funds you raise are quickly used up and are never enough to meet all the needs. The frustrating thing is, the families and the company shouldn't have to rely on bake sales and the kindness of others to help the troops...the government is failing to do its job.

come to this, but at least some of the 'dirty linen' is being aired now. We WILL keep up the pressure! :hug:

Posted in General Discussion forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x250991


Also posted in General Discussion-Politics forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3123083

I've been using these all morning and they're all in good working order.

:cry:

I'm also grateful to the DUers who have made efforts of their own to take care of our vets. I don't know anybody serving in these wars, my own children are too old, and while two of my grandchildren are the right age, they were against the war in Iraq before it started.

For the loved ones who do serve, however, it's absolutely criminal for this administration to care more about lining Halliburton's pockets, than to take care of the ones who come back, wounded in body, mind, or both.

I hope that once the most immediate needs of the vet's health and safety are taken care of, we can take care of seeing why it's so hard to get disability benefits. Yes, it costs the taxpayers money, but I'd rather our tax money be spent on those who suffer lasting injury, than to pay the inflated costs of Blackwater mercenaries.

It's sad how badly misplaced the government's priorities have become over the years. We have a lot of damage to repair, and taking care of our troops and those who have served is a good place to start.

Especially with THESE war criminals and war profiteers.

But found a better use for it...there was a pile of dog poop that needed cleaning up. ;-)

We need to continue to write,call and protest.

that the chimp does a photo op...?

after all, he didn't have Dana Priest deported to Gitmo after she broke the story on CIA prisons, and without her, we might never have known about this.

So GB really does deserve a pat on the back.

I'd add a sarcasm icon, but I don't know how.

It's too bad it took being embarrassed by the WaPo to get them to ask "How high?"