Sick, wounded U.S. troops held in squalor

[stevedeshazer]

FORT STEWART, Ga., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait -- sometimes for months -- to see doctors.

The National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers' living conditions are so substandard, and the medical care so poor, that many of them believe the Army is trying push them out with reduced benefits for their ailments. One document shown to UPI states that no more doctor appointments are available from Oct. 14 through Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day.

"I have loved the Army. I have served the Army faithfully and I have done everything the Army has asked me to do," said Sgt. 1st Class Willie Buckels, a truck master with the 296th Transportation Company. Buckels served in the Army Reserves for 27 years, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first Gulf War. "Now my whole idea about the U.S. Army has changed. I am treated like a third-class citizen."

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031017-024617-1418r

[demgrrrll]

1. On the surface this seems like a slap at the chimp and his administration

however the people that are reporting this story are usually not anti Bush.
This could be a ploy for money, to draw attention away from Halliburton price gouging and toward the more human needs for the 87 billion that was just approved. It is almost a justification for what occured. See, we need the money for the troops, you do support the troops don't you? These folks are the most cynical group of people I have ever seen. Wouldn't put anything past them.

[stevedeshazer]

2. It is UPI

and yes, it is run by the Moonies, but this story didn't strike me as funding propaganda. The $87B has been approved already, so I don't see the value of this dtory in terms of helping Bushco.

[demgrrrll]

3. True, it has been funded but the polls have clearly indicated that many

people were not behind the amount of money that was going to be spent.
The fact that the amount was approved isn't going to change many minds, however if there can be some human interest drummed up they may be able to sway some people or they may not. It is an after the fact sell or an attempt to soften those who were opposed to giving money to rebuild Iraq. YMMV.

[shockingelk]

4. Did they say the $87 B was the last request for cash?

Absolutely not.

[stevedeshazer]

13. Nor did I

I opposed it.

[Voltaire99]

5. Shame of it all

Americans must begin to ask why their troops are held in such contempt - treated shabbily and disgracefully - by their own government.

[imax2268]

6. A picture is worth a thousand words

[moondust]

7. Just remember: Halliburton has two "L's".

And they are always very, very hungry. Don't complain about your insignificant little torn flesh and depleted uranium tumors. Remember the tax cuts!! Hooray!! Remember "Mission Accomplished"!! Hooray!!

[kayell]

8. Everyone should read the entire article

In addition to the shocking conditions these soldiers are being held in, there is a lot of info on unusual medical symptoms that they developed in Iraq. Sound like they were used as guinea pigs and now the military is trying to avoid the responibility for their illnesses.

[Barrett808]

10. Gulf War II Syndrome on its way

We can look forward to 1/3 of the troops ending up on disability.

[Oilwellian]

11. According to the Office of Veterans Affairs..

They estimate 10,000 of our soldiers who came back from the first Gulf War have since died.

[0007]

9. The wounded paid for meals

while in the hospital, untill the senate passed a bill last Thursday to change that. The soldiers pay for their own clothes while in combat.

They have to pay for their own phone calls after the government said they were providing free phone calls.

So why doesn't this surprise me? I was in the Army during the Korea war and it appears not much has changed.

[Mandate My Ass]

12. I plan to email this to every democratic presidential nominee

This needs to be exposed for the disgrace it is NOW.

[TahitiNut]

14. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=171832

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator