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not blaming Bush,but how does it get this bad?

nonothing

Well-known member
WASHINGTON - Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey abruptly stepped down Friday as the Bush administration struggled to cope with the fallout from a scandal over substandard conditions for war-wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Harvey's departure, announced on short notice by a visibly agitated Defense Secretary Robert Gates, was the most dramatic move in an escalating removal of officials with responsibilities over one of the military's highest-profile and busiest medical facilities.

Hours earlier, President Bush ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at the nation's network of military and veteran hospitals, which has been overwhelmed by injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gates said Harvey had resigned, but senior defense officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Gates had privately demanded that Harvey leave. Gates was displeased that the officer Harvey had chosen as interim commander of Walter Reed — Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, the current Army surgeon general and a former commander of Walter Reed — has been accused by critics of long knowing about the problems there and not improving outpatient care.

"I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed," Gates said in the Pentagon briefing room. He took no questions from reporters.

Harvey was at Fort Benning, Ga., on Friday morning when he cut short his visit to return to Washington to meet with Gates.

In an interview in his office shortly after the announcement, Harvey said he offered Gates his resignation because he believed the Army let the wounded soldiers down. He said the furor has depressed the staff at Walter Reed, and he wanted to prevent any others from leaving or being fired.

"We can't have them leave," he said. "We can't have them be so demoralized that they leave. So I figured what the heck, if I offer my resignation that may stop all this bleeding and it was accepted."

Asked if Gates prodded him to leave, Harvey acknowledged the secretary wasn't happy with the way the Army handled the matter. But he said he had been thinking about stepping down for a few days and "I submitted my resignation."

He added, "We let the soldiers down, I'm the head of the Army. I thought it was necessary to do that."

On Thursday, Harvey fired the medical center's previous commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman, for failures linked to the outpatient treatment controversy. Many had speculated that Weightman would be relieved of command, but Harvey's departure was a surprise. His last day in the job will be March 9.

Peter Geren, the undersecretary of the Army, will serve as Harvey's temporary replacement until Bush nominates a new secretary.

As Army secretary, Harvey is the service's top civilian official. He commands no troops. Along with the four-star general who is Army chief of staff, the secretary has statutory responsibility for training and equipping the Army. That includes responsibility for budgeting, recruiting and other personnel and resource policies.

The Army announced Friday that Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, 58, will be the new commander of Walter Reed, which is located in Washington.

"From what I have learned, the problems at Walter Reed appear to be problems of leadership," Gates said. "The Walter Reed doctors, nurses and other staff are among the best and most caring in the world. They deserve our continued deepest thanks and strongest support."

Harvey said the Army was addressing the problems but added that since the revelations have now ruined Weightman's career and that of several other lower level solders, perhaps his own departure will "will stop further dismissals."

The revelations about shoddy facilities and wounded soldiers enduring long waits for treatment have embarrassed the Army and the Bush administration at a time when the White House is scrambling to shore up eroding support for the Iraq war. It has prompted numerous calls in Congress for more information, and sullied the reputation of what is supposed to be one of the military's foremost medical facilities.

An internal memo from Weightman last fall requested funding and additional personnel, saying that if shortfalls and the loss of skilled staff were not addressed "patient care services are at risk of mission failure."

Rep. Ike Skelton (news, bio, voting record), D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, applauded Harvey's departure.

"I commend him for taking responsibility for the problems at Walter Reed," Skelton said.

The defense secretary indicated he was unhappy with the way Army leaders had responded to the Walter Reed disclosures.

"Some have shown too much defensiveness and have not shown enough focus on digging into and addressing the problems," Gates said. "Also I am concerned that some do not properly understand the need to communicate to the wounded and their families that we have no higher priority than their care and that addressing their concerns about the quality of their outpatient experience is critically important. Our wounded soldiers and their families have sacrificed much and they deserve the best we can offer."

The White House said the president would name a bipartisan commission to assess whether the problems at Walter Reed exist at other facilities. Last week, Gates created an outside panel to review the situation at Walter Reed and the other major military hospital in the Washington area, the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.

The actions come after The Washington Post documented squalid living conditions for some outpatient soldiers at Walter Reed and bureaucratic problems that prevented many troops from getting adequate care.

Harvey has been Army secretary since November 2004.

He is the second consecutive Army secretary to be removed abruptly from office. In April 2003, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld fired Thomas White, who had engaged in public disputes with Rumsfeld.

A former businessman trained as an engineer, Harvey counted as one of his proudest achievements a turnaround of the Army's recent recruiting slump. The Army missed its recruiting goal 2005 for the first time since 1999, and that same year Harvey instituted a series of changes that led to a recovery in recruiting.

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Mike

Well-known member
Just how bad is it?

When someone doesn't get the job done you fire them.

Is that too hard to understand?
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
There was a press conference/mini hearing/whatever on this yesterday and the private company that is now involved on a small level, scheduled to fully take over when it comes under private control is a linked company of HALLIBURTON



Hmmmm.....wonder how they got in there? :roll: :roll: Yeah, they did such a good job with the supplies during the war and their accounting skills are famous I hear!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

No wonder it was becoming a dump!!!!
 

Frankk

Well-known member
Mike said:
Just how bad is it?

When someone doesn't get the job done you fire them.

Is that too hard to understand?

I agree. Who do you think we should fire the commander or the janitor?
 

Mike

Well-known member
Frankk said:
Mike said:
Just how bad is it?

When someone doesn't get the job done you fire them.

Is that too hard to understand?

I agree. Who do you think we should fire the commander or the janitor?

From what I have read their have been a few head honcho heads roll.
 

nonothing

Well-known member
I think in this case Mr. Bush has done the right thing by now looking into all other army based medical sites and making any corrections........

In the end it is his responsibility to have chosen the proper decision makers that are to make quality decisions on his behalf...Blame him for poor judgment of his chosen decision makers,but he is not the one who let it get so bad..You are only as good as those you choose to surround yourself with....It seems that some of those he choose to have surround him,have let him and their country down....
 

Frankk

Well-known member
passin thru said:
Who do you think we should fire the commander or the janitor?

Who do you think, I say the one who is resposible.
In this case neither of your choices seem to fit that.

Rumsfield but the old chicken hawk has already cut and run. Gates seems to be taking this serious we'll see.
 

Steve

Well-known member
KR
No wonder it was becoming a dump!!!!

It was not becoming a dump, it already was a dump as far back as 94. it was even slated to be closed...but due to "emotion" it was saved. Maybe next time the Army requests to close it the politicians will listen.

NoNothing
but he is not the one who let it get so bad..You are only as good as those you choose to surround yourself with..

Maybe we should place the blame on Billy?

I was in DC in 94 for about a year....and this building was a dump then. No one in recent history (10 years) let it get so bad,...it was bad...in fact so bad it was slated for demolition.

The federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission has recommended to close the world-renowned Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside Washington, D.C. as part of the Pentagon's plan to restructure military bases across the country.
 

Cal

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
There was a press conference/mini hearing/whatever on this yesterday and the private company that is now involved on a small level, scheduled to fully take over when it comes under private control is a linked company of HALLIBURTON



Hmmmm.....wonder how they got in there? :roll: :roll: Yeah, they did such a good job with the supplies during the war and their accounting skills are famous I hear!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

No wonder it was becoming a dump!!!!
Hey kolan, did you know that George Soros owns 2 million shares of Halliburton, and if I'm not mistaken Michael Moore is also a shareholder?
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Cal:

I know that for a fact but just because he owns stock doesn't mean he has any control of the operations and no one reports to him of the daily dealings.

I'd say any and all of us that own stock in various portfolios don't know the day to day business of the various companies.


What do the stock owenrs have to do with this? Have you checked your portfolio you could have some Halliburton or related stock? If you do, get your arse in there and clean that mess up!!! NOW..... HURRY UP!!


Maybe you should be the ' decider in chief' !!!
 

Cal

Well-known member
But kolan, if he owns 2 million shares it would seem to indicate that he is somehow happy about how the company is run and wants to cash in on profits, or would have some pull at least. I am surprised that the Dems would accept any of his dirty Halliburton money.....but wasn't Bill Clinton pretty good to Halliburton as well?
 

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