Soldiering On

This information we've been getting from the mainstream media about the conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is pretty disgusting. In addition to the mold, feces, fees and government mischief, soldiers also face the double standard of support. Support for the troops, support for the war, support for killing. But when the soldiers themselves return from the front line, due to injury or end of tour, they are expected to demand no support. No benefits, no care, no counseling. Because if they do, they are deemed traitors.

Walter Reed's motto is "we provide warrior care." How true that is. Walter Reed has gamely followed along in the Bush Administration's footsteps in enlisted/veteran treatment. Which is to say, that they screw them while waving the red, white and blue flag of patriotism.

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From the first days of the war in Iraq, the Bush Administration has tried to cut money from the most essential sources of enlisted/veteran care. The Pentagon announced the close of Walter Reed back in 2005, claiming care would be moved to a new facility as early as 2011. Is it any wonder that the quality of service suddenly dropped off?

A Quarter of US War Vets Diagnosed With Mental Disorder
For War's Gravely Injured, Challenge to Find Care
The Wider Shame of Walter Reed
Report: Army "Deliberately Shortchanging" Troops on Disability
Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration at Army's Top Medical Facility
The Forgotten Families
Troops Return to Painful Wait for Needed Help
Pentagon Alters Casualty Figures
Pentagon Abandons Active-Duty Time Limit
Soldier's Harassment Claim Leads to Court-Martial
Shafting the Vets
For US Troops and Their Families, Iraq War's Invisible Costs Keep Piling Up
Law Cuts Survivor Benefits to 61,000 Military Widows
Homelessness a Threat for Iraq Vets
War Veterans Denied Education Benefits
Bush to Cut Veterans' Benefits to Pay for Credit Monitoring
Military Fails Some Widows Over Benefits
Pentagon to Close Walter Reed Military Hospital
Health Care for Veterans $1 Billion Short
Marines Recall Thousands of Faulty Combat Vests
From War Hero to Homeless
Discharged and Dishonored: Shortchanging Our Veterans
The Invisible Wounded

These are just some of the headlines since 2005. What is deplorable is that soldiers in the military unintentionally continue this abuse by keeping silent. It should not take the problem to reach this level of disgrace before people are willing to talk publicly about it. However, the military is saturated with fear. Fear that speaking up for a soldier's rights is harmful to the military as a whole.

I've seen it at the protests, when the pro-war side shows up and attacks the peace movement for dividing the nation, harming the moral of troops and providing aid to the enemy. Oddly enough, the people who scream loudest for the well-being of the soldiers are often the very same who know little about the true feelings of those in combat. Those who call for silence in the face of criticism, through their misguided faith in this administration end up unintentionally supporting budget cuts that cripple our military's effectiveness.

It is time for the Good Ol Boy mentality of the US Armed Forces to give way to something a little more effective. Soldiers should not fear that a legitimate complaint will result in punishment, abuse or discharge. The Bush Administration and their supporters demand an end to the public's right to know, and in exchange, they promise to take care of those that serve. Yet, we have seen time and again, that if there is money to be cut from a program that benefits people who are isolated from their civil liberties, this government leaps to do it. It is impossible to expect Bush Administration and their supporters to care for our men and women in uniform and well past time to stop relying on them. Soldiers need to speak up. The public needs to stand up.

~Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government
http://goodusgov.org/

*Disfigured Iraq vet Ty Ziegel and his fiancée, Renee, on their wedding day