Another Grim Milestone: 500 Amputees

[spanone]

~snip~The giant transport planes unload their sad cargo at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, the first stop home for the most seriously injured Americans of the Iraq war. Arriving virtually every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday nights for the past four years, the parade of wounded warriors may be one of the most predictable events in an otherwise unruly conflict.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1580531,00.html?cnn=yes

[KamaAina]

1. The question is, how many have been sent back?

Seriously. A number of Iraq amputees have actually been sent back in-country with their prosthetic limbs. As a rule, I'm all for equality of employment for people with disabilities, but really!

edit: spelling

[Captain Hilts]

5. These guys actually want to go back to their units.

I've talked to wounded folks at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval and their esprit de corps is amazing.

I wish it were for a worthwhile cause.

[barb162]

2. Tragic, sad, disgusting

[porphyrian]

3. Good thing this administration cut veterans' benefits.

Are they traitors yet?

[babylonsister]

4. For some reason, I don't believe that figure for a second.

I think there are way more than that, especially if over 20,000 have been injured and most injuries have been caused by IEDs.

http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

[Captain Hilts]

6. I agree, it must be higher. nt

[spanone]

7. You can bet if these are the 'official figures', then they've been fudged.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Gen. Barry McCaffrey said he didn't believe the numbers.

He said it on the Diane Rehm Show a year or two ago.