Wounded Soldiers Face Neglect at Walter Reed Medical Center - The common perception of Walter Reed is of a surgical hospital that shines as the crown jewel of military medicine. But 5 1/2 years of sustained combat have transformed the venerable 113-acre institution into something else entirely -- a holding ground for physically and psychologically damaged outpatients. But while the hospital is a place of scrubbed-down order and daily miracles, with medical advances saving more soldiers than ever, the outpatients in the Other Walter Reed encounter a messy bureaucratic battlefield nearly as chaotic as the real battlefields they faced overseas. [Catholic Media Report]

I commented on our old site, here, that one of our Presidential Candidates, Senator Sam Brownback, had voted multiple times in the Senate against increasing funding for healthcare for returning war veterans. I am certain others voted against increased funding as well. They should be held accountable for that as they pursue future political office; whether the White House or a return to their current elective office

This is a travesty, though, that cannot wait until the next election to be righted. It has to be addressed now. First, it is a grave injustice to send our young people off to war, while so many others make no sacrifices to support this war; and while some (*cough* Halliburton *cough*, for example) even profit greatly off this war we're making our young citizens fight. Then, when they return, we do not provide them with the medical and psychological resources they need to minimize the impact of the war on them and return them, as much as possible, to a normal life.

The negative impact of the medical and psychological traumas -- especially the psychological trauma -- of war does not just impact these soldiers, though. It will also impact society. If we do not resolve the trauma these young citizens experienced while the trauma is still fresh, that trauma will get repressed. Repressed trauma is much harder to treat; and is more likely to be acted out in anti-social ways. I have not done a study on this -- though I am sure someone has, and I will look for it -- but the impact of repressed trauma among veterans of war could translate into higher costs to society for providing them psychological and medical treatment; and could very well translate into increased criminal justice activity and incarceration. All because we thought the only people who have to endure the sacrifices of war are the young Americans who signed up for military duty.

I point out the potential social costs only because I feel I have to. It is sad that we, who call ourselves Christians, do not already recognize that it is immoral to expose young people to the medical and psychological traumas -- and the inhumanity -- of battle so that we can go on with our relatively comfortable lives; and not do everything we can to provide them comfort when their sacrifice has ended.

We should be inundating the phone lines of our Congresspersons and Senators demanding to fully fund the medical facilities and social services centers of the Veterans Administration so these young veterans of war know that we, as Americans, really do support our troops.

Just to keep things in context, Walter Reed services active duty personnel (and I believe veterans). But the VA centers are also suffering.