Army deployed seriously injured troops

[Donnachaidh]

Source: Salon.com

Soldiers on crutches and canes were sent to a main desert camp used for Iraq training. Military experts say the Army was pumping up manpower statistics to show a brigade was battle ready.

Last November, Army Spc. Edgar Hernandez, a communications specialist with a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, had surgery on an ankle he had injured during physical training. After the surgery, doctors put his leg in a cast, and he was supposed to start physical therapy when that cast came off six weeks later.

But two days after his cast was removed, Army commanders decided it was more important to send him to a training site in a remote desert rather than let him stay at Fort Benning, Ga., to rehabilitate. In January, Hernandez was shipped to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., where his unit, the 3,900-strong 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, was conducting a month of training in anticipation of leaving for Iraq in March.

Hernandez says he was in no shape to train for war so soon after his injury. "I could not walk," he told Salon in an interview.





Read more: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/26/fort_irwin/index_np.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. The Republic Party's way to

"Support the troops".

[Monkeyman]

2. Last Night we sent this to VA Watchdog its posted

And KO still waiting for his report.

[Demobrat]

3. Sure, Repubs support the troops.

With canes and crutches, wheelchairs are too expensive.

[lizerdbits]

4. This is heartbreaking

"Another soldier with nearly 20 years in the Army was sent to Fort Irwin, ostensibly to prepare for deployment to Iraq, even though she suffers from back problems and has psychiatric issues. Doctors wrote "unable to deploy overseas" on her medical records. "

and

"Pregnant females were sent to the National Training Center rotation" with the knowledge of Army leaders, she said.

Just when I think this admin can't stoop any lower....

[crikkett]

7. they're women, not "females"

as if the soldiers are heifers.
:wtf:

This popular use of "female" just burns me. We don't say "males" we say "men".

[Miss Chybil]

8. They say males and females.

It's been that way for a long time... nt

[VegasWolf]

5. Two words, Congressional Hearing. nt

[Monkeyman]

6. Filner and Akaka Have called a press Conf. in the morning

[Donnachaidh]

10. GREAT!

I hope this breaks worldwide.

[IndianaGreen]

9. The Brits are doing the same thing to their troops

The British press reported Monday that their military had about 10,000 AWOLs, most of which were soldiers suffering from physical and mental problems they got in previous combat tours in Iraq.