Soldier told to give bonus money back--after serious injury

Having just been in Pittsburgh, it seems appropriate I post on a 'Burgher.

PITTSBURGH - For one Pittsburgh-area soldier, the holiday season came with an almost unbelievable letter from the Pentagon, telling him to give back nearly $3,000 in bonus money for time not served.

A roadside bomb in Iraq injured Pfc. Jordan Fox. He suffered permanent damage to his right eye and was discharged, coming home to a hero’s welcome.

Cao's Blog has the story and here is some related content.

Pakistani soldier kills US serviceman at Peace meeting

Times of London reports:

An American soldier was killed inside Pakistan yesterday after an attempted peace meeting on one of the world’s most sensitive borders erupted in gunfire.

read the rest...

In Miss., veterans face cutbacks

God may be the only back-up returning soldiers get according to the news coming out of South Mississippi. What happened to "We Support the Troops"?

Affordable mental-health care took another blow last month, when Medicare and Tricare - one of the few health-care options for military veterans and their families - reduced the amount it will pay providers.This comes at a bad time, as a large number of returning veterans display a host of post-traumatic stress-related symptoms and average Coastians begin to show the painful long-term effects of traumatic stress from Hurricane Katrina.

"Let's start the cutbacks in Mississippi, no one will notice or care." This is almost certainly the thought behind these reductions. Mississippi has the poorest population in the country and the least able to 'fight back.'The cuts will affect health care in our newest, most vulnerable population--returning soldiers. We know the VA and the military hospital systems are already overwhelmed with demand, yet the Bush administration cuts funding. There are too few mental health resources currently available, these new cuts will add insult to injury. What's new? The actions of BushCo have been and will continue to be criminal, and without question, are morally and ethically bankrupt. Since the Walter Reed story broke, the focus has lasered on the military medical system, for good reason. Now just as the story has cooled, the administration slips this one past the goalie. Easy to do since no one is guarding the net. Democrats and Republicans need to step up and not allow the less than one percent of Americans who sacrifice for the war to be forgotten as well. Read the Mississippi Sun Herald story here.

Walter Reed Photo Op

“Walter Reed is not a photo-op,”said Veterans for America’s Bobby Muller, in reference to President Bush’s visit today to the army medical center. He said Bush isn’t going to see areas of the hospital most in need of change. “Walter Reed is still broken. The DoD health care system is still broken. … Our troops need their commander in chief to start working harder for them.”

Except when it is...Think Progress story here.

Soldier Stupidity, Cruelty

A shocking story from a soldier who insists, "I miss my war." Margaret Kimberley at The Smirking Chimp explains:

When I got up this morning I had never heard of Brian Mockenhaupt. I was better off that way. He is a pathetic loser and a sadistic SOB. He is also a stereotypical red blooded American man.

Bob WoodRuff on Iraq

For anyone that missed it, I'm linking the ABC News docmentary, "To Iraq and back" done by reporter Bob Woodruff who himself was the victim of a roadside IED in Iraq while reporting 13 months ago. Bob has made a remarkable recovery and is now trying to shed light on the mis treatment and plight of injured soldiers waiting to be medically boarded and the newest veterans who are being warehoused without adequate treatment and resources. So worth it. Watch it here.

Another Horrific Consequence of Poor War Planning.

The situation a Walter Reed is personal for me. We are military and my husband works at a military hospital. As I write this he is at the Audie Murphy VA hospital here in San Antonio. He works 12- 15 hours a day, 5 days a week, with every other weekend on call. "On-call" in critical care means several calls a night and having to go into the hospital one out of five phone calls. It means going into the hospital at 7 AM Saturaday and Sunday mornings, then back on Monday with no time off. He routinely works 14 days without a day off. The doctors and medical staff at these military hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of casualties and the lack of resources and support for the job they have to do. I'm really glad congress has decided to get off their fat, lazy asses and "look into the situation at Walter Reed." HuffPo has commentary and the New York Times Story.

A suggestion for probing our shameful treatment of fallen troops

Let's get this straight once and for all: With great power comes great responsibility.

The president and the Congress have the power to send America's fighting men and women to war. They also bear the responsibility for caring for those troops and their families.

It's their duty to make certain that the families of those who fall in battle don't fall through the cracks. They also have a sacred obligation to see that those who are wounded or injured in service receive the finest medical care that a rich nation can provide.

Joe Galloway lays out his plan for 'winning in Iraq'--treating our servicepersons successfully. Read the rest...

"Next!" Army Secretary Harvey Resigns-UPDATED

It is finally hitting the fan...L.A. Times tells us about it. The Army Times follows-up. Stay tuned, DOD boss Gates said a permanent replacement for Weightman, who was fired yesterday, would be announced by the Army later today.

Update:DOD secretary Robert Gates announced his choice for the new boss at Walter Reed: Meet Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker. Army Times has the story. In the perpetual slop trough of cronyism and nepotism in BushCo, Gen. Eric Schoomaker is the brother of another general who's been in the news lately, General Peter Schoomaker, U.S. Army Chief of Staff. The hits just keep on comin'...

Rep. Demands Kiley Be Ousted

Representative Louise Slaughter(D-NY) has called for the immediate removal of LTG. Kevin Kiley. Think Progress has that and so much more. Think Progress is burning it up today on the Walter Reed fiasco and its fallout. Read here.

More CA Guard Troops to Deploy to Iraq

LAT reports that 800 California National Guardsmen are to be deployed to Iraq in order to satisfy Junior's "urge to surge". Hmmm, I thought the point of the National Guard was to guard the nation. Silly me for thinking.

Walter Reed General Loses His Command

My own OpEd response:ha ha
Headlines via Lotus:(thank you)

Walter Reed General Loses His Command
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 1, 2007; 2:01 PM

WASHINGTON — The Army said Thursday that the two-star general in charge of Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been relieved of command following disclosures about inadequate treatment of wounded soldiers.

Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, who was commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command as well as Walter Reed hospital, was relieved of command by Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey.

In a brief announcement, the Army said service leaders had “lost trust and confidence” in Weightman’s leadership abilities “to address needed solutions for soldier outpatient care” at Walter Reed.

Kiley needs to go too, but this is a start. -Lotus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The U.S. Army Public Affairs office said this:

Maj. Gen. Weightman was informed this morning that the senior Army leadership had lost trust and confidence in the commander's leadership abilities to address needed solutions for Soldier-outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Commanding General of U.S. Army Medical Command, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, will be acting temporarily as the Walter Reed commander until a general officer is selected for this important leadership position.

I concur with Lotus, Kiley needs to go. He has spun this despicable treatment of soldiers right into the ground, he needs to pay for his purposeful inattention and breach of contract to the soldiers that have fulfilled their duties. As far as Maj.Gen. George Weightman, good riddance to bad garbage.

More AYFKM: Walter Reed

Loose Lips Sink Shits

Beyond the Bush administrations incredibly shameful behavior after the discovery of the abuses at Walter Reed that came to light in recent reports, the newest information posted in an Army Times article tells us the DOD has ordered these soldiers to stop talking to the media. If that doesn't make your blood boil maybe this will: soldiers are being punished for the speaking out that has already occurred. Seasoned, experienced, professional soldiers are being told to wake up, clean their rooms, and report for formation and inspection by 7AM. The Army Times article states it this way,"It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training."

"Unusual" doesn't begin to cover it. I'm a Veteran, married to an active duty servicemember. Formations and room inspections are part of training for new recruits as part of instilling discipline. To expect these soldiers, marines and airmen who have been in war to engage in these punitive practices is not only humiliating but possibly medically unsound. These servicemembers are amputees, some multiple; they are blind, deaf, have serious traumatic brain injury and multilple other serious health problems. Once you move past the facility neglect exposed in the WaPo write-ups, the stark reality of the more severe problems are brought to the fore: the warehousing and abandonment of severely brain-injured troops.

Where's the outrage America? Is this how we support the troops? Is there a car magnet ribbon for this one? Get back to me on that one.

Walter Reed Patients Told to STFU

File under AYFKM? (are you f'ing kidding me?): Patients at Walter Reed have been ordered to stop talking to the media. These severely injured servicemembers are active duty and still subject to orders from superiors. The Army Times brings this compounding shameful behavior of the US Army to light.

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Tell me again how junior's administration supports the troops? These warmongering hawks HATE the troops or worse don't care about them one whit. If there is one way to truly show support for the servicemembers of this country, not just lip service, please contact your representatives and DEMAND action. Heads should roll for this ignominious disservice. Our troops were doing their jobs; make congress do theirs.

In related news, ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff who himself was severly injured by an IED in Iraq, produced a special documentary called "To Iraq and Back" broadcast last night on the topic of wounded soldiers and their recovery process.. Watch it here.

Finally, please go to the site "Wounded Warriors" and toss some support their way. They are advocate for veterans and applying pressure to this criminal administration to compel them to do the right thing in regard to our injured soldiers and veterans.

Thanks to my ear to-the-ground, Lotus.

Final Mission:Updated

I posted the story a few weeks ago about an Army Captain who's last act on earth was to save a young Iraqi boy. Today an update comes in via the Washington Post regarding the Iraqi boy's current disposition. If this story doesn't break your heart, you don't have one. [H/T to Mary for the link.]

Wounds of War

WaPo has ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and his firsthand account of being a casualty of war. Woodruff delivers a scathing indictment of the military response to injured servicepersons. Read it here.

US Generals 'Will Quit' if Ordered on Iran

Times of London is reporting a number of senior U.S. commanders will resign if Bush orders a military strike against Iran.

“There are four or five generals and admirals we know of who would resign if Bush ordered an attack on Iran,” a source with close ties to British intelligence said. “There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible.”

In related news, 60 Minutes last night had a segment, "Dissension in the Ranks," Watch video here via Raw Story. Also, Servicemembers join war protest with petition to congress, Common Dreams has it. It would appear that finally the servicemembers are catching a clue. I knew they would. Please read/watch this story-in-progress.
H/T to Naj and Lotus for the links.

Walter Reed Stories Factual But Unfair, Medical Chief Says

WaPo reports the surgeon general is whining how "unfair" all the coverage of Walter Reed has been.
The SG goes on to say that repairs to Building 18 are nearly complete, but the aging facility needs a top-to-bottom renovation. "That's tough to do while you're trying to take care of soldiers," he said.

Go fuck yourself Kiley, you lying, brown-nosing weasel bastard. First of all Walter Reed WILL NEVER be renovated as it's been slated for BRAC closure in 2012. Once a facility goes on that list, any improvement budget goes the way of the buffalo. If you think a coat of paint and a few new beds are anything near to adequate care you can kiss my ass twice. Secondly, the real problems at WR aren't simply "building neglect" but the
Only available picture of Surgeon General Kiley

warehousing of soldiers with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD who get totally inadequate care and are unable to advocate for themselves. I hope you end up in the military health care system after you retire and what poetic justice it would be if you wind up under the care of one of the soldiers you've fucked over. Sweet dreams shithead.

If you didn't watch this video at Think Progress, please do.

Saving Money for Bullets and Bombs

Graphic courtesy of Peace CentralMore reports from Walter Reed. Democracy Now! conducts in-depth interviews with a reporter, a soldier and a veteran about conditions at Walter Reed--not the horrific physical conditions of the facility which reporter Mark Benjamin calls a "red herring of mice and the mold" but the dangerous, abhorrent, total neglect of those with traumatic brain injury and the military refusal to provide adequate treatment. The DOD in charge of medical care for these service persons, is the same DOD that keeps them from proper care and fair compensation for their injuries.Watch it here.

9th Downed U.S. Helicopter in 5 Weeks

Can someone explain to me why I have to go to China to find this article that really should be on the front page of AMERICAN newspapers? Oh yeah, teh MSM and non-military people don't really care...