American newspaper Washington Post was the first to bring the issue into the spotlight by publishing a series of sensational stories about the appalling conditions in hospitals where wounded troops from Iraq and Afghanistan are recovering from wounds.
The Post reporters conducted an independent investigation only to reveal that many “national heroes” are quartered in moldy and rodent-infested rooms. In some cases wounded soldiers are not even receiving adequate treatment and are not given the required medication; some have to wait months to receive their disability benefits and compensations they are entitled to, due to callous disregard and red tape.
According to the Washington Post, this is especially true of Walter Reed, the army’s top medical center. The reporters interviewed over 700 recovering war veterans at Walter Reed, who testified about the conditions at the medical center.
Similar problems are plaguing the National Marines Hospital in Maryland and other Army medical facilities, including poor sanitary conditions in the wards, rickety furniture, wheelchairs in disrepair, dirty sheets and worn-out pajamas, unprofessional and callous personnel. This list of problems encountered by the soldiers wounded in the “war on terror” is far from complete.
The Washington Post article echoed in the United States, sending waves to the Congress and White House in no time. The Democratic majority leaders in Congress expressed outrage over The Post findings and vowed to remedy the situation as soon and possible by passing relevant bills.
Even President Bush could not keep apart from the scandal long. “I was deeply troubled by recent reports of substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center… This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to our country, and it's not going to continue,” he said in a radio address. “These servicemen and women deserve the thanks of our country, and they deserve the best care our Nation can provide,” he added.
President Bush announced the White House was creating a bipartisan commission to conduct a review of the care provided at Walter Reed and other army medical facilities. Another commission is being set up by the Pentagon, while Defense Secretary Robert Gates voiced his indignation at a number of officials who failed to fulfill their duties.
This sort of scandal rarely passes without losing jobs to a few high-ranking officials. This one resulted in the firing of Maj. Gen. George Weightman, commander of Walter Reed, and the resignation of Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey. Other resignations can still follow, according to the media.
Many Americans, who sincerely think the wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are true heroes of the nation, were shocked by the stories of the deplorable condition of the army and VA health care systems. Prior to that, many had believed that U.S. servicemen fighting overseas and defending “national interests” were given exceptional attention and care by the government. The recent media expose has shown the situation is different – to put it mildly.
The repercussions of the Walter Reed scandal reached the broad and influential U.S. war veterans’ community, which is certainly not good for the Bush Administration's image. There are over 24 million veterans in the U.S., including more than 600,000 “young” veterans – those who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is assumed they have been among the few who supported the current administration’s Iraq policy lately.
U.S. analysts are concerned that the hospital scandal could affect the morale of U.S. soldiers now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rumors of the “warm welcome” the wounded and mutilated soldiers received at army medical centers had circulated among U.S. servicemen even before the stories appeared in The Post. Now those rumors have been officially confirmed.
The inflow of wounded troops from overseas conflict zones will hardly shrink in the near future, which means the pressure on U.S. military hospitals will grow, if anything. In addition, many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans need psychological rehabilitation along with purely medical care. Official statistics has it that almost 64,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan show symptoms of post-traumatic stress, while 30,000 of them already suffer from mental disorders caused by such stress.
However, despite the gigantic defense budget, the funding of military hospitals, especially of rehabilitation centers for U.S. armed forces veterans, has been insufficient for many years now.
Those who have watched Born on the Fourth of July, a Hollywood film starring Tom Cruise, remember how it showed the sorry plight of mutilated Vietnam veterans. It appears the situation has not changed much since the Vietnam War. The problem has been neglected for so long, independent experts say, that even the emergency efforts triggered by The Post expose are unlikely to remedy the situation soon enough.
In a word, the Walter Reed scandal has definitely made Bush’s life harder in the run-up to the elections. Moreover, it is likely to further weaken the current Republican administration’s position.
As for the Pentagon, it will from now on have a lot of trouble recruiting new conscripts for the army. Who would be happy to go and fight overseas knowing that, if injured, he or she would have to share the hospital ward with rats, flies and cockroaches?
