The Army is Ordering Injured Troops to go to Iraq...

[Blue Belle]

The Army is ordering injured troops to go to Iraq
http://www.salon.com/news/2007/03/11/fort_benning/

<SNIP> March 11, 2007 | FORT BENNING, Ga. -- "This is not right," said Master Sgt. Ronald Jenkins, who has been ordered to Iraq even though he has a spine problem that doctors say would be damaged further by heavy Army protective gear. "This whole thing is about taking care of soldiers," he said angrily. "If you are fit to fight you are fit to fight. If you are not fit to fight, then you are not fit to fight."

As the military scrambles to pour more soldiers into Iraq, a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Ga., is deploying troops with serious injuries and other medical problems, including GIs who doctors have said are medically unfit for battle. Some are too injured to wear their body armor, according to medical records.

On Feb. 15, Master Sgt. Jenkins and 74 other soldiers with medical conditions from the 3rd Division's 3rd Brigade were summoned to a meeting with the division surgeon and brigade surgeon. These are the men responsible for handling each soldier's "physical profile," an Army document that lists for commanders an injured soldier's physical limitations because of medical problems -- from being unable to fire a weapon to the inability to move and dive in three-to-five-second increments to avoid enemy fire. Jenkins and other soldiers claim that the division and brigade surgeons summarily downgraded soldiers' profiles, without even a medical exam, in order to deploy them to Iraq. It is a claim division officials deny.

The 3,900-strong 3rd Brigade is now leaving for Iraq for a third time in a steady stream. In fact, some of the troops with medical conditions interviewed by Salon last week are already gone. Others are slated to fly out within a week, but are fighting against their chain of command, holding out hope that because of their ills they will ultimately not be forced to go. Jenkins, who is still in Georgia, thinks doctors are helping to send hurt soldiers like him to Iraq to make units going there appear to be at full strength. "This is about the numbers," he said flatly.

Please read the rest of this article, it is very disturbing. http://www.salon.com/news/2007/03/11/fort_benning/

Nothing like sending wounded solidiers who lack the ability to protect themselves to die because of bungling leadership in a war that we should not be fighting.

[geardaddy]

1. F*ckers!

These criminals need to be prosecuted!

[lyonn]

44. Excellent response......nt

[annabanana]

2. Error: You've already recommended that thread.

Good God Almighty. They are forever going lower than you think humanly possible.

[BlooInBloo]

3. You go to war with the army you have, not with the army you wish you had.

[MADem]

4. They don't have enough people. This is a fodder exercise, you see.

They're "Surging" and you can't do that without bodies....

[blm]

11. They WANT these men killed - plain and simple. Cheaper to bury them than

to have them stay alive and disabled.

[MADem]

12. Not just males, females too. One young lady had a serious spinal problem and off she went. NT

[geardaddy]

14. Ding ding ding!

We have a winner.

[Blue Belle]

24. Exactly.

Better to have them dead then suck up all that budget money earmarked for Haliburton.

[Sirveri]

35. Actually the vast majority have decent life insurance.

This is just a stupid move all around. Any who are KIA in Iraq get an instant 400k to their beneficiary. So unless it costs more than 400k to keep them alive then well, this doesn't make too much sense.

[Blue Belle]

5. I think Congress needs to attach some strings...

I just saw this article:

Bush: New Iraq Troops for Support Roles
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070311/D8NQ7P7G0.html

<SNIP> President Bush said Sunday that 4,700 additional troops he is sending to Iraq above an increase announced in January are slated for support roles only, and urged Congress to approve funding for the war "without any strings attached."

<SNIP>The new announcement for troops in Iraq, made over the weekend, includes 2,400 combat support troops, 2,200 military police and 100 troops to protect economic reconstruction teams. Of the roughly 141,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 60,000 are combat forces and the rest are support troops.

Bush asked Congress on Friday for $3.2 billion to pay for the new Iraq troops, as well as for 3,500 new U.S. troops to expand training of local police and army units in Afghanistan.

<SNIP> "My hope, of course, is that Congress provides the funding necessary for the combat troops to be able to do their job - without any strings attached," said Bush, who has threatened to veto the legislation if it makes it to his desk with the restrictions being pushed by Democrats.

Methinks that Bush isn't being truthful with the public about the soldiers that make up his troop numbers - but then again, is he ever?

[Horse with no Name]

6. We need the media on this

This is insanity at it's finest.
But we KNEW we were already sending mentally injured troops back to Iraq and that isn't so hard to visualize, but now we are sending physically injured troops back and that is easier to visualize.
Goddamned these rat bastards to hell.

[Blue Belle]

7. I'm sending copies of this article to my congressman and Senators...

This is beyond pathetic. This is criminal.

[Monkeyman]

8. I know I and some others have sent this to KO

[Blue Belle]

9. Good! I hope he investigates it further!

I bet he'll be pissed!

[SeattleGirl]

10. This is absolutely inexcusable!

I am a vocational rehab counselor; my clients are people injured on the job. If a client is physically restricted, they are restricted, and their jobs either need to be modified to fit those restrictions, or they cannot return to work in that job. Period. End of sentence. You can't change a piece of paper to say that someone can do something; it doesn't change the actual restrictions the person has.

I've dealt with doctors who have done that, and they don't get away with it with me. I've gotten reports one month that say a person is restricted to 15 pounds lifting, and then the doc gets tired of dealing with the person, or gets pressure from the employer, and they change the medical info with nothing to back up the change (i.e. physical capacities evaluation, etc.). To say someone can do something they obviously cannot is irresponsible to the nth degree. Bottom line in my job is to find out what a person is employable in; it is NOT to say they are employable in something that could cause them further injury, or could put them and/or their co-workers at risk.

The Army is derelict in their duty to these soldiers, by deliberately sending them into a situation where they can't wear the gear they need, or safely (well, as safely as possible in a war zone) perform their jobs. They WILL be in greater danger, as will the other soldiers around them.

This is inexcusable, reprehensible, and immoral. Just once again proves the point that Bush et al, don't give a flying FUCK about these men and women. I don't think they even see them as human; they are nothing but THINGS to be used in Bush's sick game.

[Blue Belle]

25. Re-deploying these solders only makes our forces weaker.

this is just insanity.

[SeattleGirl]

46. That's exactly right.

If someone can't react quickly during an attack, for example, they endanger everyone, make them more vulnerable. By that, I don't mean it's their fault; it's the fault of the people who sent them back into a situation they should not be in in the first place, because of their limitations.

[proud patriot]

13. This is an outrage

:grr:

[Horse with no Name]

15. It just dawned on me

Bush gutted Texas Workman's Comp while he was Governor.
People that were injured were forced to either return to work or starve to death but very few had their injuries taken seriously.
I know when I injured my back (you can only use THEIR Docs) and their Doc said I needed to see a Neurosurgeon.
However, they wouldn't APPROVE me to see a neurosurgeon UNTIL my impairment rating was completed by another one of THEIR Docs.
I was out of the system before I ever saw the Neurosurgeon. The Neurosurgeon was appalled. I had two Doctors AND an Attorney fighting this to no avail. It was criminal.

[Blue Belle]

36. That is criminal.

It seems that Bush is running true to form when it comes to taking care of the injured and disabled.
:SIGH:

[lyonn]

45. Same thing happened to WC in Okla. when Keating was Governor

Keathing = repub. They strip the Workers' Comp. perentages and pay until there is not much left for the injured worker. Yet the employer gets hammered with insurance rates for these workers. It's the repub way.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. This is downright medieval! Shrub has the same opinion of our soldiers that Kissenger does

The Military are dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns......

When is America going to freaking wake-up and demand Impeachment!

[geardaddy]

17. snip

"Jenkins and other soldiers claim that the division and brigade surgeons summarily downgraded soldiers' profiles, without even a medical exam, in order to deploy them to Iraq."

I say send the division and brigade surgeons.

[gratuitous]

18. Soldiers: You are in mortal danger

You have several options, and keep in mind that the people appealing most to the concepts of duty and honor have none themselves. In any other situation where someone is in mortal danger, we advise that person to get out of there. Whether it's someone standing in the middle of the road with a truck bearing down on them, or someone on a mountainside where there are avalanche dangers, or a woman living with a man who has put her in the hospital multiple times, we tell that person to get out.

[Nikki Stone1]

21. Remember when Randi told a soldier who called her show to "fail the drug test"

and avoid going to Iraq?

I'll bet they would have sent the guy anyway.

[Canuckistanian]

41. Someone called in and said that doesn't work any more

Looks like they've even dropped the "drug-free" requirement.

[Nikki Stone1]

49. Good Lord! The military is taking drug addicts now!

They are incredibly desperate. Or perhaps all they really need IS cannon fodder.

[Cha]

19. WTF!? Pullout NOW!

"Beyond Quagmire
A panel of experts convened by Rolling Stone agree that the war in Iraq is lost. The only question now is: How bad will the coming explosion be?

TIM DICKINSON

How bad will it be? Tell us what you think here.

The war in Iraq isn't over yet, but -- surge or no surge -- the United States has already lost. That's the grim consensus of a panel of experts assembled by Rolling Stone to assess the future of Iraq. "Even if we had a million men to go in, it's too late now," says retired four-star Gen. Tony McPeak, who served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War. "Humpty Dumpty can't be put back together again."

Those on the panel -- including diplomats, counterterror analysts and a former top military commander -- agree that President Bush's attempt to secure Baghdad will only succeed in dragging out the conflict, creating something far beyond any Vietnam-style "quagmire." The surge won't bring an end to the sectarian cleansing that has ravaged Iraq, as the newly empowered Shiite majority seeks to settle scores built up during centuries of oppressive rule by the Sunni minority. It will do nothing to defuse the powder keg that an independence-minded Kurdistan, in Iraq's northern provinces, poses to the governments of Turkey, Syria and Iran, which have long brutalized their own Kurdish separatists. And it will only worsen the global war on terror.

"Our invasion and occupation has created a cauldron that will continue to draw in the players in the Middle East for the foreseeable future," says Michael Scheuer, who led the CIA's hunt for Osama bin Laden. "By taking out Saddam, we have allowed the jihad to move 1,000 kilometers west, where it can project its power, its organizers, its theology into Turkey -- and from Turkey into Europe."

How bad will things get in Iraq -- and what price will the world ultimately pay for the president's decision to prolong the war? To answer those questions, we asked our panel to sketch out three distinct scenarios for Iraq: the best we can hope for, the most likely outcome and the worst that could happen."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x267749

[shadowknows69]

20. Another taxicab report confirmed somewhat

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2758707>

[Blue Belle]

26. Sad but true....

great post.

[partylessinOhio]

22. What does Madame Squeaker say about this?

:cry: :patriot:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

23. Words Fail Me. n/t

[Nikki Stone1]

27. kick

Can't lose this

[trashcanistanista]

28. Where are the lawyers?

Who is speaking up for these soldiers? This is criminal. Falsifying medical records. Forcing soldiers to die. Outrageous. IMPEACH, PROSECUTE, IMPRISON NOW!!!!:mad:

[Blue Belle]

30. You'd think some lawyer would do it for free...

but these soldiers probably think that the laws are stacked against them.

[Nikki Stone1]

32. Laura Flanders mentioned this on Radio Nation (AAR)

Let's hope that helps.

In the meantime, let's keep sending letters and emails to Congress

[Blue Belle]

34. I'm glad she mentioned it.

I sent my emails off this afternoon. I hope it helps.

[wellst0nev0ter]

29. George Bush Has Broken The Army

my God, all they are doing is drawing blood from stones now.

[Cleita]

31. If there is ever a time to refuse orders, it's now.

I understand the concerns about a paycheck and medical care but you can't get those things when you are dead.

[ChromeFoundry]

33. Prisoners get better treatment in this country n/t

[Cass]

37. This needs to stop. Our Congress needs to do something to stop this.

My God. This is pure insanity.

[Blue Belle]

42. Let's start writing them...

calling them... email. I sent this to My Congressional Rep as well as my two Senators. I'm even thinking about sending it to other Oregon Reps today. We know the mainstream media won't pick this story up, so we need to tell them about it and let them know how much it pisses us off.

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

38. Of course, this presumes that they're serious...

   ... about "providing for the Common Defense"... which, sad to say, I see NO evidence of whatsoever!
   Again, I ask: "Hey, Brother George! What time's Armageddon?"

[Blackhatjack]

39. And what will it take to finally expose the myth that Republicans care about the troops....

This is so wrong for so many reasons.

Our troops deserve better. And it is this Administration that is supporting this despicable practice.

Demcrats need to be all over this, speaking out in bunches to media of all types. It calls for a meeting on the steps of Congress, as a show of unity among Democrats, to say we will not tolerate this.

This is something every American can understand, and will agree with us that it must stop and those who participated in it should be held accountable.

[lyonn]

47. bush/cheney has destroyed our military so what is left to defend

us in times of attack or emergency. Is this what happened to Russia, a depleted defense mechanism?

It has been said during hearings on the Hill about our military readiness and it is clear we are in trouble, Yet, bush/cheney are declaring they are adding more troops??? Would someone ask them if they have any clue as to where these warriors are going to come from? South America maybe, could be why he is down there. Joke

[Canuckistanian]

40. I remember the days....

... when, if a soldier was wounded in battle, they gave him a medal, saluted him for his service - and sent him home.

What is this supposed to accomplish? As an injured member of a team, he would slow down the rest of his comrades, thereby putting all in danger.

And what could be more disheartening to the troops than to see a clearly disabled buddy forced back into the line?

Is Cheney personally going into infirmaries and slapping soldiers with his glove?

[lyonn]

43. Why do I come to this site and read this shit?

All it does is ruin a perfectly good day. (SARCASM)

The truth hurts.

It feels like an abused step-child syndrome. We just keep taking the abuse and wonder about those we elected to represent us and how they can ignore the fact that bush/cheney are the most corrupt Ever!

What does it take now days to impeach a corrupt administration?

[progressoid]

48. Jesus, what has happened to us?