Injured soldiers bound in red tape

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 7, 2007 | by Dogen Hannah

The poor conditions and treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recently revealed in the press and congressional hearings are not news to three East Bay veterans wounded in Iraq.

Many soldiers treated at the Washington, D.C., facility, the Army's premier medical center, knew of decrepit living conditions and experienced firsthand the maddening bureaucracy, the veterans told MediaNews.

"Medically, it was real good -- top notch," said San Ramon resident Ben Crowley, who spent about 14 months being treated at Walter Reed for a bomb blast that led to the partial amputation of a leg.

"But administratively, it was horrible," the 30-year-old former Army sergeant said. "It was that way for everybody. They lose paperwork, and they're just backlogged."

Crowley did not live in Building 18, the dilapidated housing structure that has provoked much of the Capitol Hill outrage. He befriended many of the soldiers who did, however, and they often told him about its sorry state.

"They complained about it all the time -- plaster falling out of the ceilings, mold, brown water coming out of the sinks," Crowley said. "Everybody hated it. They thought it was depressing."

Soldiers complained about the conditions to each other during daily gatherings and to Walter Reed officials during monthly town hall-style meetings, according to Crowley and another East Bay veteran.

"So, there is no excuse to say that the (Walter Reed) command was unaware of those issues," Crowley said. "I sat in on many a meeting where people brought up issues about Building 18 and issues about administrative problems."

San Ramon resident Manuel Mendoza, who lost both legs to a bomb blast, said he waited a month at Walter Reed for his wheelchair to be fixed.

The repairman only worked some days, so patients had to postpone repairs if they had conflicting appointments, he said.

"I would run into a lot of problems," the 26-year-old former soldier said. "It would seem like forever to get one thing done."

Like Leon, Mendoza also blamed the military and not individual soldiers for Walter Reed's failings. He said he thinks the Army greatly underestimated the number of wounded soldiers who would be in its care.

"Honestly, I don't think they thought a lot of us would live that long," Mendoza said.

Bush administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, have acknowledged that care and conditions at Walter Reed fell short and have pledged to right that wrong. The secretary of the army has resigned and the administration has set up a bipartisan commission to examine veterans' care.

Some of the problems at Walter Reed echoed issues at other Army facilities, said Livermore resident Justin Leon, who was treated at the medical center after a bomb blast led to the amputation of an arm.

The 22-year-old former soldier said he saw similar problems while stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. In both places, the Army bureaucracy and not individual soldiers were to blame for the failure to improve conditions, he said.

"I think it's just the process," Leon said. "If they could take care of it they would."

At Walter Reed, Crowley said, he and many other soldiers often were frustrated by administrative delays and inattention. Crowley said he had to pester Walter Reed staffers to ensure that his case did not languish.

"It's one of those situations where you have to call people twice a day every day and leave voice mail messages until they're sick of hearing from you," Crowley said.

Soldiers have spent months at Walter Reed waiting to learn if they will be returned to duty or discharged from the Army, a decision that should take no more than a couple of weeks, Crowley said.

"They're just in limbo," Crowley said. "There's guys who got wounded who are still there, and they're not half as messed up as me."

San Ramon resident Manuel Mendoza, who lost both legs to a bomb blast, said he waited a month at Walter Reed for his wheelchair to be fixed.

The repairman only worked some days, so patients had to postpone repairs if they had conflicting appointments, he said.

"I would run into a lot of problems," the 26-year-old former soldier said. "It would seem like forever to get one thing done."

Like Leon, Mendoza also blamed the military and not individual soldiers for Walter Reed's failings. He said he thinks the Army greatly underestimated the number of wounded soldiers who would be in its care.

"Honestly, I don't think they thought a lot of us would live that long," Mendoza said.

Reach Dogen Hannah at 925-945-4794 or dhannah@cctimes.com. Reach Eric Louie at 925-847-2123 or elouie@cctimes.com.