Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Injured soldiers say they're languishing at Ft. Lewis for no reason
AP ^ | August 31, 2004 | ANDREW KRAMER

Posted on 09/01/2004 1:47:37 PM PDT by Former Military Chick

FORT LEWIS -- About a dozen Oregon National Guard soldiers say they languished for months at Fort Lewis because the Army lacked a protocol to allow them to return to Oregon to convalesce.

The wounded soldiers also waited hours for doctor appointments, were forced to fill out confusing paperwork and faced months of delays regarding their benefits, they told Brig. Gen. Raymond Byrne, acting adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard, yesterday.

"I feel that the system is lacking all common guidance," Sgt. William Harris of Bend said.

"I don't have anything to fall back on. There's nothing for me here on the inside, and nothing on the outside."

Guard officials concede the soldiers, some of whom had only slight injuries, could have returned to their families, perhaps commuting to a base or a clinic for care.

The problem arose from an oversight in the Army's war planning, which failed to anticipate the large number of wounded soldiers returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col. Douglas Eliason, chief medical officer with the Oregon Guard.

He said a new program introduced in Oregon two weeks ago will send more Guard members home to heal. Under the program, soldiers will be provided with a job suited to their injuries at a National Guard armory and given treatment options at a Veterans Affairs clinic or with private doctors.

Around the country, close to 5,000 reserve and Guard soldiers are receiving medical care at active-duty bases because of the military's reliance on reserve soldiers for the occupation of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.

From Oregon, 49 National Guard soldiers are convalescing from wounds at Army bases around the country -- some because they need specialized care for severe injuries, but many because the Army had no system to allow them to return home. Twenty-six of them are at Fort Lewis.

"Nobody really anticipated we would have a demand like this," Eliason said.

"They're on a remote post, with people they don't know, and far from their support system of friends and family," he said. "There's certainly some anger with these soldiers."

The soldiers discussed their problems yesterday at the meeting with Byrne, who shook their hands and thanked them for their service.

The soldiers, in turn, loosed an angry tirade about Army red tape and, some said, inferior medical care.

"If you guys expect us to just sit here and suck it all in, I'm sorry, sir," Harris said. "With all due respect, I've lost my respect for the uniform."

Away from their families, the soldiers said they had little to do but languish in the barracks between doctor visits.

Sgt. Rick Hardy of Milton-Freewater ruptured a spinal disc in a rollover accident in northern Iraq eight months ago.

He has medical appointments about twice a week at Fort Lewis, but no other duties.

He said he spends his days walking in a forest and photographing Mount Rainier, which is visible from the base.

"I just want to go home," he said. "I want to be demobilized."

Byrne said the Guard would investigate the soldiers' concerns and try to untangle the skein of Army policies, VA rules and state laws that kept the soldiers at base unnecessarily.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: ftlewis; healthcare; iraq; military; oregon; va
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

1 posted on 09/01/2004 1:47:38 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Chieftain; Ragtime Cowgirl; gatorbait; writer33; GreyFriar; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; ...

Some want to cast blame. For me our returning wounded are beyond political parties. We did not do our best in WW1 WW2 and the Vietnam war, we should have learned lessons so that these troops are getting the care they deserve and earned serving our country. imho


2 posted on 09/01/2004 1:48:29 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
AHA! -This- must certainly be Bush's fault. Perhaps Rummy. I dunno. Er. Fire Colin and Karen Hughes!
3 posted on 09/01/2004 1:49:17 PM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
For me our returning wounded are beyond political parties.

Amen!

4 posted on 09/01/2004 1:50:38 PM PDT by Homo_homini_lupus (Man is a wolf to man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine

I suppose I should have expected this reply. I did not want to have this turn into a discussion of blame but rather what can be done for our heros.


5 posted on 09/01/2004 1:53:24 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
Saw this posted early this morning. The languishing is due to typical gub'mint SNAFUs and left and hand not talking wit right hand kinda thing. 22 years USMC, experience taught me this: hurry up and wait is unavoidable in bureaucracy.

By the way, my favorite saying when I worked for the Naval Aviation Depot was: "Efficiency is the ENEMY of Bureaucracy"

6 posted on 09/01/2004 1:53:41 PM PDT by Chieftain (Support the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and expose Hanoi John's FRAUD!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
The wounded soldiers also waited hours for doctor appointments, were forced to fill out confusing paperwork and faced months of delays regarding their benefits

Welcome to the Army, whiner.

I don't know what Army he thought he was joining, but that's the way it's been since time immemorial....

7 posted on 09/01/2004 1:53:48 PM PDT by Cogadh na Sith (--Scots Gaelic: 'War or Peace'--)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Homo_homini_lupus

I am sure the military folks would appreciate your AMEN I know that I do, thank you.


8 posted on 09/01/2004 1:53:59 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick

Government health care anyone?


9 posted on 09/01/2004 1:54:25 PM PDT by cosine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
This really ticks me off. I'm glad for the post, but it's a shock and a shame to see how some soldiers get treated -- especially National Guard soldiers. We're three years into this war now, and some middle-managers in the military are still trying to get their act together. It's a shame.
10 posted on 09/01/2004 1:55:13 PM PDT by 68skylark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick

I blame Clinton era military restructuring. WHen I was at Ft Bliss the wait lines were long and you had to go through a specific case worker and the military insurance provider Tri-Care, a ridiculous thing when you consider the fact the non-war injured active duty soldiers did not have to go through the same process.

To try and place blame fully on the President is ridiculous, obviously the administration should accept partial blame but the fact is these rules were set in place by Clinton not Bush when he did his slight of hand by firing all those civilian workers and he removed the old medical system.


11 posted on 09/01/2004 1:56:03 PM PDT by aft_lizard (I actually voted for John Kerry before I voted against him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cosine
Government health care anyone?

Yeah, that's a good point. If Hillary and Kerry get their way, this is how health care will look for all of us.

12 posted on 09/01/2004 1:56:09 PM PDT by 68skylark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick

I think the Kerry campaign just found their next "military" spokespeople.


13 posted on 09/01/2004 2:00:31 PM PDT by WoodstockCat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
Um, why is it that this story is about Oregon NG troops and the Oregon NG AG is interviewed and quoted in the story and hE is blaming others.

Why isn't he asked what he attempted to do to correct the identified problems.

Looks to me like he might be part of the problem.

14 posted on 09/01/2004 2:02:25 PM PDT by There's millions of'em (Terayza Heinze owns the MSM,.. but it was a small investment.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine

"AHA! -This- must certainly be Bush's fault. Perhaps Rummy. I dunno. Er. Fire Colin and Karen Hughes!"

Well, seeing how somebody said it.......... Yes, in a way it is there fault. You utilize Gaurdsman for combat but no plan to handle wounded? Thats just poor leadership from G.W. on down to the Generals who didnt have the guts to bring it up. And the real pisser is that its more about budgets then neglect of thought.


15 posted on 09/01/2004 2:02:33 PM PDT by Fyscat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick
Stop whining, there's a war on. Your brothers and sisters are in harm's way.

SHUT UP

16 posted on 09/01/2004 2:02:45 PM PDT by OldFriend (WAR IS THE REMEDY OUR ENEMIES HAVE CHOSEN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Former Military Chick

Let's see.....our soldiers are left to languish for weeks and months because of fedgov incompetency but illegals (who probably despise this country) can count on prompt medical attention paid for by the taxpayers....isn't there something desperately wrong with this picture?


17 posted on 09/01/2004 2:04:24 PM PDT by american spirit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: american spirit

oh Thank You!!!!!

But thery're "undocumented workers"


18 posted on 09/01/2004 2:06:48 PM PDT by Fyscat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: There's millions of'em
Um, why is it that this story is about Oregon NG troops and the Oregon NG AG is interviewed and quoted in the story and hE is blaming others.

Why isn't he asked what he attempted to do to correct the identified problems.

Looks to me like he might be part of the problem.

These fellows are on active, assigned to the Arkansas National Guard brigade which is deployed as part of the 1st Cavalry Division.

It might be that it is out of the Oregon AG's hands. Those Oregon boys have been through quite a tough time over there. From Baghdad to Najaf with several fatalities. Hopefully someone can get this taken care of.
19 posted on 09/01/2004 2:13:27 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Fyscat

Well, that makes me feel a lot better about seeing my tax $ go to feeding, housing, medicating & educating them. I guess if they're undocumented it also allows all those employers who hire them to ignore all those messy time consuming payroll reports.....I thought that was evading taxes but if you hire someone who's "not there" there's no need for paying taxes. I've often wondered what it was like to live in a banana republic.


20 posted on 09/01/2004 2:14:59 PM PDT by american spirit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson