Speaking Up For Wounded Troops Got Chuck Goeder Fired

After more than five years of a mismanaged war, the Army brass would have enough experience of dealing with embarrassments and then moving on. Yet when Chuck Goeder fought against poor living conditions that wounded vets had been living in on Fort Sill, he got canned. Now of course the army denies that one had anything to do with the other, but they are probably full of bullshit on this one.

From USA Today:

On Monday, USA TODAY reported that the unit's barracks were infested with mold and that soldiers had been ordered by commanders not to speak about conditions there. Maj. Gen. Peter Vangjel, Fort Sill's commander, said base officials had started to investigate and fix the problems.

Roeder was hired at Fort Sill in January. He contacted USA TODAY in July about problems at Fort Sill, which were confirmed by more than 20 soldiers.

Roeder's departure Friday, following his contact with USA TODAY, was purely coincidental, said Col. Sam White, an executive officer at Fort Sill. He said Roeder has a history of confrontations with base officials.

"They can say whatever they want to say, but they're not being truthful," Roeder said. "I stand up for soldiers. I'm sure the word got out that I'd encouraged soldiers to speak."

Colonel White must have a different interpretation of "confrontation" than most of us. If he means that Roeder disagreed with the army's incompetence and lack of care for our wounded vets, then yes, Roeder probably does have a history of confrontations. Colonel White must think that his reputation comes before the treatment our soldiers deserve....but he'd be wrong on that count too.

Army Wants To Clean Up Contracting, White House Tells Them Not To

With the army facing ridiculous contracting budgets, higher-ups in the force decided that something had to be done to stop the financial bleeding of the military branch. Coming up with ideas to stop the no-bid contracts, fraud, waste and organizational structure that has been depriving the troops sounds like a plan. Though when it comes to waste, the White House is the expert on making sure it doesn't stop, so they forced the Army to not do anything.

From The Huffington Post:

The Office of Management and Budget, President Bush's administrative arm, has shot down a service plan to add five active-duty generals who would oversee purchasing and monitor contractor performance.

The boost in brass was a key recommendation from a blue-ribbon panel that last fall criticized the Army for contracting failures that undermined the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, wasted U.S. tax dollars, and sparked dozens of procurement fraud investigations.

As the Army's contracting budget ballooned _ from $46 billion in 2002 to $112 billion in 2007 _ it had too few experienced people negotiating and buying equipment and supplies, according to the panel. Worse still, there wasn't a single Army general in a job with contracting responsibilities. That meant the profession had little clout at a critical time.

An approximate 200% increase in costs over five years is astronomical and the army is right to do something about it. Unfortunately the OMB rejected their proposal without even giving a reason. Perhaps they might find something not quite legit? Uncovering no-bid contracts and what prompted them maybe? Though honestly at this point they might as well let it be unearthed, because no one is courageous enough to prosecute anyone in the Administration for all the high crimes we know about already. Everybody knows Congress has given up their duty and right to be a co-equal branch, so why not just let it all hang out.

VA Treats War Hero Like A Piece Of Garbage

A soldier that helped capture Saddam Hussein was lauded by the media and politicians alike when he came home from Iraq. He was everything that the warmongers wanted the public to see. Unfortunately those same people shaking his hand do not want to hear about the realities of war. When Jeans Cruz expressed the true horrors of conflict with a full-blown case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he was abandoned by those politicians and the apparatus of the armed forces that was supposed to help him.

From The Washington Post:

In public, the former Army scout stood tall for the cameras and marched in the parades. In private, he slashed his forearms to provoke the pain and adrenaline of combat. He heard voices and smelled stale blood. Soon the offers of help evaporated and he found himself estranged and alone, struggling with financial collapse and a darkening depression.

At a low point, he went to the local Department of Veterans Affairs medical center for help. One VA psychologist diagnosed Cruz with post-traumatic stress disorder. His condition was labeled "severe and chronic." In a letter supporting his request for PTSD-related disability pay, the psychologist wrote that Cruz was "in need of major help" and that he had provided "more than enough evidence" to back up his PTSD claim. His combat experiences, the letter said, "have been well documented."

None of that seemed to matter when his case reached VA disability evaluators. They turned him down flat, ruling that he deserved no compensation because his psychological problems existed before he joined the Army. They also said that Cruz had not proved he was ever in combat. "The available evidence is insufficient to confirm that you actually engaged in combat," his rejection letter stated.

Cruz continues to suffer from the horrible things he saw in Iraq. He even gave up his fight with the VA because they reject his claims over and over again. As a local from the Bronx, he grew up in the tough life of a housing project with his family and still does now. His job fixing boilers barely provides anything beyond keeping his head above water. Meanwhile the job itself results in panic attacks.

Jeans Cruz is one example of how the VA and the Bush Administration fail our troops. The complications of bureaucracy are meant to reject troops' claims of being ill. Not having good government in our country ends up showing itself with the poor souls like Cruz. We need to properly fund the programs that help soldiers cope with their experiences and spend less on Defense contractors and new military toys.