Posted on 12/16/2007 9:34:52 AM PST by Right Winged American
Joseph Galloway 12 / 14 / 07
As you do your holiday shopping this year and think about a big turkey dinner and piles of gifts and the good life that most Americans enjoy, please spare a thought for those who made it all possible: those who serve in our military and the veterans who've worn the uniform.
There are some new statistics that give us reason to be ashamed for the way that our country has treated those who've served and sacrificed for us. Those statistics damn the politicians who start every speech by thanking the troops and veterans and blessing them. They indict our national leaders who turn up at military bases and the annual conventions of veteran's organizations and use troops and veterans as a backdrop for their photo-ops.
Consider this:
For the past four years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been insisting that it's doing everything it needs to for the nation's veterans. That's simply not true, particularly when it comes to the VA's treatment of mental health issues. As my McClatchy Newspapers colleague Chris Adams has reported in a series of groundbreaking stories this year, the VA mental health system - even by its own measures - wasn't prepared to give returning veterans the mental health care they need.
The experts say that between 20 and 30 percent of all troops returning from combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. But many of VA hospitals didn't have the special PTSD programs that experts say are vital. Soldiers returning from Iraq are allowed to slip unnoticed into their old lives, and neither the Department of Defense nor the VA does anything to monitor their mental health.
The VA keeps telling Congress that all is well. That's not true, either. As Adams reported, the VA has been using fudged or inflated numbers to do so. And after years of promising that it's getting a growing backlog of disability compensation applications under control, things actually got worse this year.
No matter whether they've been wounded and need follow-up care and support, or whether they're coming apart at the seams and feeling suicidal, they sometimes must wait months for an appointment to be evaluated and treated at VA medical centers.
The same people who don't blink at spending $3 billion a week on their war of choice in Iraq were the ones who cut the VA budget and privatized maintenance at Walter Reed Army Hospital and opposed every attempt to expand benefits for veterans old and young.
They're the same people who turned a blind eye as their corporate sponsors and private donors looted billions of dollars from the treasury with no-compete contracts and bloated bills for everything from food for the troops to fuel for their tanks and trucks.
As a wave of wounded troops suffering brain injuries from the blasts of roadside bombs and landmines poured into military hospitals, these people, posing as fiscally responsible budget makers, were cutting in half the money spent on research into brain injuries.
These frauds who love to pose as wartime leaders sat back and did nothing as a cruel bureaucracy sent bill collectors out to harass double-amputee veterans for thousands of dollars because they neglected to turn their armored vests and other gear in to the supply sergeant after they were blown apart on the battlefield.
They did nothing as the Army became ever more conservative, even stingy, in the number of injured and wounded soldiers it judged worthy of full disability pensions. Soldiers who suffered brain injuries and PTSD so severe that they couldn't function were put on the street with a 30 percent disability pension - $700 a month - to support a wife and three children.
Neglecting our war veterans and the widows and orphans that result from our wars is as American as apple pie. It's nothing new. But in the past we always waited until after the war's end to forget those who'd fought the war. This may be the first time in our history that we began to neglect and forget our troops during a war.
All of this is shameful - shameful for a people whose freedom and prosperity rests on the backs of those soldiers, but who've forgotten them so completely that they haven't held their Congress and their president responsible for this stain on our honor.
The next smarmy politician who shouts ''God bless our troops'' ought to be tarred and feathered and ridden out of Washington on a rail for sheer hypocrisy.
BIO: Joseph L. Galloway is the senior military correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers and a nationally syndicated columnist. One of America's preeminent war correspondents, with more than four decades as a reporter and writer, he recently concluded an assignment as a special consultant to Gen. Colin Powell at the State Department.
Galloway, a native of Refugio, Texas, spent 22 years as a foreign and war correspondent and bureau chief for United Press International, and nearly 20 years as a senior editor and senior writer for U.S. News & World Report magazine. His overseas postings include tours in Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Singapore and three years as UPI bureau chief in Moscow in the former Soviet Union. During the course of 15 years of foreign postings Galloway served four tours as a war correspondent in Vietnam and also covered the 1971 India-Pakistan War and half a dozen other combat operations.
In 1990-1991 Galloway covered Desert Shield/Desert Storm, riding with the 24th Infantry Division (Mech) in the assault into Iraq. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf has called Galloway "The finest combat correspondent of our generation -- a soldier's reporter and a soldier's friend."
I remember what happened when we were putting on a dependents cruise and had an air show. An F-14 came by at flight deck level full throttle supersonic. We has dust coming out of the vents for days. Dust likely in there for years. The way the ships are constructed access to clean the systems is very limited.
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CLARITY =
‘WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...& YOUNG’...4 FREEDOM
http://www.Freerepublic.com/forum/a39626542519c.htm
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Signed:..”ALOHA RONNIE” Guyer
Veteran-”WE WERE SOLDIERS” Battle of IA DRANG-1965, Landing Zone Falcon
(Photos)
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
http://www.RickRescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm
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On conventional and nuclear ships the primary reason a ship has water distillers is for the boilers or steam generation for the turbines, not for the crew. The boilers come first and the distillers are used to produce boiler feed water for steam. The main concern isn't taste or even chemical contaminants. The main concern is salanity and conductivity. {I also worked a while in Fuel Oil Test Lab and did these test}
The chiilers or the make up water for the air conditioning system comes second as it is a battle necessity. Next comes galley usage for food and the last comes use for showers. If water runs lower showers are first to go.
Instead of continuing to keep VA medical centers open, why not let the Vets use their medical benefits at the medical center closest to them? Seems like a much less expensive and much more convenient alternative for them.
Such facilities as VA nursing homes need to be shuttered and put into private care along with VA hospitals. Private facilities usually in about 95% of the cases take state funding. That means they face state inspections regularly from which the vet will also benefit from.
My post Navy job was maintenance mechanic in nursing homes. We did have a few VA patients and they received quality care because of the facility taking in all patients. There is no logical reason why a vet with service related disabilities or military retirement can not get the same treatment as those with private insurance. It would be far cheaper to go this route and healthier for the vets.
In the age of instant access records there is no reason it should take months or years to process a disability claim either. Yet if you go into many unit or ship web sites there are vets still trying to locate their former commanding officer to get verification of events that happened well 30 years ago.
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In honor of Lifesaver Battle of IA DRANG-1965 Heroes:
http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=133
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Tommy
I went into a public-’ouse to get a pint o’beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,’’ when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,’’ when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-’alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy how’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind,”
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind.
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country,” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
But Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool - you bet that Tommy sees!
Rudyard Kipling
1892
Yes. I dispute his statistics. I believe he is inflating them or flat out making them up.
I don’t have proof yet, but I’ll look. I believe he’s trying to make our military vets seems weak and unstable.
I’ll get back on this.
I’ll be interested in what you find.
“VA care needs to go private ...”
You are so so wrong today that ... well, it’s frightening!
First you confused military with VA...the DOD is not the VA.
I understand that with the Carter and Clinton years funding dried up for military...so you’ve been living on a see-saw.
With Principi’s appointment to the VA in January 2001, all that changed. The VA budget has grown, and the services have improved immensely...so much so that they are twice the integrity and capability of your beloved ‘private’ health care. That and they know what’s wrong with you because everyone they see contributes more knowledge...completely unfamiliar to ‘private’ labs, ‘private’ hospitals, and ‘private’ doctors. Clearly this may not be universal in the VA system (I’ve only seen a sample of 3 facilities). Obviously, your local facility doesn’t measure up in your eyes. I’ll just give you fair warning that your VA professionals will work with you farther than any private practitioners (where you’ll only see a PDA 99% of the time), and claims are a joke with ‘private’ insurers! Been to both, there’s no comparison...the VA runs rings around private health care for veterans!
http://www.thelandofthefree.net/conservativeopinion/2007/12/02/cbs-veteran-suicide-numbers-bogus/
My initial finding
RW American,
Like your tagline...I can empathize with your story. An Air Force friend has convinced me you’re both just as ‘Orange’ as the rest of us...in his case maybe more so, he was ‘loading’ the stuff every day, but because it was in ‘Thailand, not Vietnam’, he’s fighting the same battle you are. And don’t get me wrong, like you, I firmly believe the government definitely owes that ‘perfect health care system’ to us all. But where I differ is that after 30 years in the ‘private’ health care system (because I could), I’m now finding the VA system light years ahead of the HMO’s, and PPA’s I dealth with (remember I’m a sample of one). So just be careful what you wish for....you might get it!
“Instead of continuing to keep VA medical centers open, why not let the Vets use their medical benefits at the medical center closest to them? Seems like a much less expensive and much more convenient alternative for them.”
The VA healthcare system is 100% paperless...not even any ‘scripts’....ie the patient is a ‘comlete unique computer profile of one patient’ available at any VA facility in the country (ie, labs, XRays, medicine, treatments, diagnoses, etc). It’s the best system in the country...don’t let the uninformed misinform you. I’m not sure that Galloway has ever been a patient...just sayin’. That said, actually BEING a patient IS the problem...these guys are the salt of the earth and deserve the best there is! Note the numbers 25 million vets! That’s a big Thanksgiving Turkey that’s gotta keep’m happy.
Another issue is unless you live within a hour or two drive to a VA facility you will rack up transportation cost. Nothing changed military wise when Bush was sworn in.
What I am laughing at is someone blasting private care when it is the most available. A vet with spinal issues would have some of our finest rehabilitation facilities as their choice and likely much sooner as well.
I am not service related disabled but I am disabled and a caregiver to a disabled wife so I do understand needs. I am not a military retiree either. But if my disability was service related and I needed to see a doctor I would rather drive 10 miles to my primary care doctor who can likely work me in that day than play VA roulette. Hospitalization. I would prefer family being about 30 minutes away rather than in many cases a days drive away.
We had several VA patients long term. They had private rooms, in room cable TV, physical, occupational, and speech therapy in house as well as all the smokes they wished.
The local facility in my area is over 100 miles away. Hundreds of doctors and seven hospitals {One level one trauma} are less than 30 miles miles off. You tell me which makes more sense then?
As for VA's record under new management? Meet da Bush people da same ones as da Ford people who were as much responsible as Jimmy Carter himself for creating a royal screwed up mess of things.
Outstanding!
Keep up the good work!
I agree with you that the VA medical centers (at least the ones in my area) are better than civilian care available.
What most people don’t realize is where the ball really gets dropped for the Veterans is that VA money is NOT part of the overall federal budget and is NOT automatically funded every year- VA money is seperate and has to be approved each year as part of the budget process and if cuts are made to the budget the VA requests (nearly every year deep cuts are made) then the VA has to save that money somewhere in the system.
I think the biggest flaw in Veteran care is the way the money is funded- we need to push our politicians to make VA funding a regular part of the overall budget. We know there will always be Veterans needing help- so why is the funding budgeted year to year?
This process of funding is also the cause of political games, if the VA didn’t have to do the budget dance every year then political issues with funding would be resolved for the most part.
So glad to help. The bill for my research is in the mail. :D
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