Speaking up in the military can be hazardous to the health of your career, even when it’s done to help wounded soldiers or the families of fallen warriors.
Last Friday, an Army social services coordinator who told USA TODAY about poor conditions in barracks for wounded soldiers at Fort Sill, Okla., was forced to resign. In June, the public affairs director at Arlington National Cemetery was fired after she defended news coverage of funerals when the families of fallen soldiers wanted that coverage.
Chuck Roeder, the now ex-social worker at Fort Sill, was a strong advocate for soldiers’ concerns. He “saved a couple of soldiers’ lives” by helping them get through tough times, Sgt. Willard Barnett, a veteran of the Iraq war, told USA TODAY’s Gregg Zoroya. Based on a tip from Roeder, later confirmed by several soldiers, Zoroya reported Monday that a unit for wounded soldiers was infested with mold and that soldiers had been ordered not to speak about the conditions. Fort Sill’s commander said the problems are being fixed. But Roeder won’t be around to see the results of his advocacy.
This is nothing new. No one should go public with these criticisms. If I went to a newspaper with criticism of my private industry employer, I would be summarily dismissed. The government has numerous hot lines for complaints, and that’s what should have been used, not USA Today.
Oh, it’s not just the military — a [url=http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-58295]librarian[/url] was recently fired after writing a fictional account of her job (and under an assumed name). She’s appealing the decision.
Hmmm…oddly sounds like some churches I know.
There is probably more to the story. Civil service employees have stautory due process procedures, so it’s unlikely that anyone is forced to resign.
#4
Indeed. In fact, it takes virtually an act of God to remove one, no matter how dismal their performance has been.
The thing is, we expect those who have a public trust to do better or to be held accountable by the citizens.
This isn’t new to this administration – we could probably trace it back to the time of Irad, son of Enoch.
Or earlier (“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat…. So he drove out the man…).
😛
I would like to know where our congressmen and senators are, they or their staffs should be visiting these facilities, they are the one who alocate the funds and dictate the level of service based on those alocations. I never met a military doctor or nurse who did not give 120 percent and alway had valid uses for resources if they were made available. From what I see the quality of care is light years ahead of what we had during Vietnam. It was good then but much beter now.
God Bless those who serve our service men and women.
paul
May I offer this suggestion? Contact your local veterans’ service organization: The American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and let them know how you feel.
If you want to contact your congressman and senator, CALL their local office or their Washington office……they’re all in the phone book. Don’t email them……their staffers will usually ignore your message.
The veterans’ organizations and their women’s auxiliaries are VERY effective in dealing with Congress…..I speak from personal experience!
All of these contacts are aware of the problems, but it sure doesn’t hurt to tell them personally how you feel! There’s nothing like person-to-person contact if you can arrange it.