By Staff
Politicians are always quick to give lip service to supporting the troops.
A disturbing report in The Washington Post paints a less flattering picture of substandard conditions and long waits in the treatment of soldiers at outpatient units of high-profile Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
It's a scandal that already cost Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey his position on Friday. He was the service's top civilian.
The day before he stepped down, Harvey fired the medical center's previous commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman.
"The problems at Walter Reed appear to be problems of leadership," Defense Secretary Robert 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."
President Bush ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at the nation's network of military and veteran hospitals overwhelmed by troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Post recounted rundown buildings with holes in walls, worn-out furnishings, rodent infestation and black mold.
Soldiers who lost limbs and suffer from brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder need more care than they've been getting and those demands will only grow the longer this controversial war continues.
The nation has a duty to continue to meet their medical needs.
Neglecting them or papering over problems with support-the-troop platitudes is not acceptable.
Really support your troops, America.