emily+k

Title: Neglect will no longer fall on Deaf Ears  “You feel, you give everything you can, and then they turn around and slap you in the face (Graham).” We owe it to our soldiers and their families to take proper care of them. Many wounded soldiers including Sergeant Garrett Anderson never expected to come home from war with a feeling of betrayal. Getting help on the home front is a discouraging struggle for a growing number of wounded soldiers. Soldiers coming back from the war in Iraq are facing an ugly surprise.  Coming home has been hell for many soldiers, whose struggle for secure medical care and government benefits have weakened their faith in the U.S. Government. “You have got soldiers with a new brand of injury who, like Garret, do not know where to turn,” Sami Anderson said. “I do not think anyone was prepared for the issues they are bringing home (Graham).” The risky health care at the local VA hospital is not the only issue for returning soldiers. The educational benefits that sounded so appealing in the recruiting ads do not come close to covering the real cost of college. The whole point of many young recruits joining the military was to pay for their education.  Military medical systems fight to handle the war’s unpredictable outcomes. Claims from soldiers and their families flood the government and medical health care systems. Some claims include that the U.S. government has purposely disregarded its wounded soldiers in order to reduce the costs of the war.  Walter Reed Army Medical Center is America’s primary military hospital. Nearly four fifths of the soldiers who have needed medical service after serving in Iraq have been treated there. The surgery the soldiers receive is outstanding, but the organization that surrounds them afterwards is not. The signs of neglect are evident: moldy buildings, mice droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, and cheap mattresses. “The [|living conditions] were the worst I’d ever seen for soldiers,” he said. “Paint [|peeling], mold, windows that didn’t work. I went to the hospital chaplain to get them to issue blankets and linens. There were no nurses. You had wounded and injured leading the troops (Priest and Hull).” Angry citizens and veterans are disgusted and [|embarrassed] that they believed the government when they promised that the wounded soldiers are being cared for.  An aunt of a wounded soldier complained about the hospital staff at Walter Reed. They were fighting over who was going to give her nephew, who lies nearly immobile and unable to talk, a bath- right in front of him. Her nephew suffered third degree burns on his leg when a nurse left him in a shower unattended. He was not able to move himself away from the scorching water. Later, his aunt only found out when she saw the burns.  Reports of the poor conditions at Walter Reed have drawn attention to the failure to sufficiently care for service members returning from Iraq. The concerns about military hospitals and the VA system have led to hearings, investigations and resignations. The U.S. Congress is prepared to criticize the Bush Administration in the hope that the claim of neglect will no longer be tolerated.  President Bush promised to take action on the issue. He had appointed a bipartisan commission to investigate the military health system. “This is the Katrina of 2007,” said Chuck Schumer, a Democratic senior (Economist).  Two things have magnified the problems at Walter Reed among the many surprises that have been thrown up by the Iraq war. First is that the war has lasted much longer than expected. Second is that American body armor and battlefield medicine are now so good that 90% of wounded soldiers survive. Both of these factors have added to the higher than expected number of wounded soldiers. As of March 2007, there were 24,000 so far and many of these needed long term care.  A lack of money is not the problem. Under President Bush, the Department of Defense’s health budget has grown from $19 billion a year to $38 billion. The VA spends nearly as much. Both of these systems have their strengths. This scandal will hopefully encourage overdue transformations.  The Army has broken up risky medical hold units replacing them with new “Warrior Transition” battalions and brigades. This was done with the intention of helping the wounded soldiers get better care and more support for their families.  Some soldiers felt that they were lost for months and even years as they suffered in an understaffed Army medical system. Soldiers complained about delays in medical treatment, bad attitudes of the nurses and a disability rating system that seemed to unreasonably reduce injuries of those headed for medical retirement.  Progress has been made. The government is taking great steps to improve care for the wounded soldiers. They are working to help soldiers and their families understand the benefits available to them. We owe it to our soldiers and their families to take proper care of them. This is what are country clearly expects and demands. There is a great sense of pride, honor and doing the right thing that is so powerful. We have got a generation that has pride in joining the army to serve our country and they deserve our full respect. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">

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