[Gimpy]

Originally posted by SuperScout
I supervise the chaplain staff inside Walter Reed that cares for the 200 inpatients, the 650+ daily outpatients from the war who come to us for medical care, the 4000+ staff, and over 3000 soldiers and their families that come for clinical appointments daily.

Excuse me, but it is without prejudice that I find it incomprehensible that either he or his 'staff' would be totally unaware or out of touch with these "650 dailey outpatients" or the "3000 soldiers and their families" that are involved with or receiving daily treatment? Despite what he says in the following paragraph!----Gimp

When the news about building 18 broke I was on leave. I was in shock when the news broke. We in the chaplains office in Walter Reed, as well as the majority of people at Walter Reed, did not know anyone was in building 18. I didn't even know we had a building 18. How can that happen? Walter Reed is over 100 acres of 66 buildings on two installations. Building 18 is not on the installation of Walter Reed and was believed to be closed years ago by our department. The fact that some leaders in the medical brigade that is in charge of the outpatients put soldiers in there is terrible.

Good question!----Ignorance of your subordinates or peers faliures when it's happening all around you is NO EXCUSE! If HE and his "staff" were responsible for the "care" he espouses, then THEY are as "responsible" for it's failings as are/were those within that other "4,000 staff" he refers to!----Gimp


What I am furious about is that the media is making it sound like all of Walter Reed is like building 18. Nothing could be further from the truth.

No they're NOT!------------the MAJORITY of the "media" as well as former and current patients have gone on public record to state the "in-house', or in-patient treatment and care for our troops at WRAH is without question the best they've seen!----Gimp


What needs to be addressed, and finally will, is the bureaucratic garbage that all soldiers are put through going into medical boards and medical retirements. Congress is finally giving the money that people have asked for at Walter Reed for years to fix places on the installations and address shortcomings. What they don't want you to know is Congress caused many problems by the BRAC process saying they were closing Walter Reed. We cannot keep nor attract all the quality people we need at Walter Reed when they know this place will close in several years and they are not promised a job at the new hospital.


Question?: WHICH Congress "caused many problems" mentioned above?-----And WHICH Congress is NOW "finally giving the money that people have asked for at Walter Reed for years"?????---Just asking---Gimp.


Then they did this thing call A76 where they fired many of the workers here for a company of contractors , IAP, to get a contract to provide care outside the hospital proper. The company , which is responsible for maintenance, only hired half the number of people as there were originally assigned to maintenance areas to save money . Walter Reed leadership fought the A76 and BRAC process for years but lost. Congress instituted the BRAC and A76 process; not the leadership of Walter Reed.

Question?--Once again, WHICH Congress and WHICH administrations "policies" advocating and implementing 'privatization' of these functions which in turn caused this mess to begin with???----Just asking , AGAIN!---Gimp



I want you to hear the whole story because our wounded, their families, our Army, and the nation need to know that many in the media and select politicians have an agenda. Forget agendas and make the changes that have been needed for years to fix problems in every military hospital and the VA system. The poor leaders will be identified and sent packing and good riddance to them. I wish the same could be said for the politicians and media personalities who are also responsible but now want it to look like they are very concerned. Where have they been for the last four years?


My thoughts EXACTLY!-------Gimp