The Broken Soldier

Got a semi-personal email - part tailored response to a previous email I wrote many months ago and part seemed a form letter - from US Senator Debbie Stabenow this morning.  In it she wrote of the various bipartisan successes she and her colleagues enjoyed in the fight to do better by our men and women in uniform.  New GI Bill, more and better and more convenient VA medical facilities, and ‘full funding’ of VA health care through to the end of fiscal year 2009.

She and I are in agreement, it would appear, that we could be doing a better job meeting our responsibilities to our men and women in uniform.  I applaud Senator Stabenow’s efforts and accomplishments.  She truly does seem to have our interests in mind, but more importantly, she appears to act on them.  However, there are certain matters left to address.

Feres needs to be revisited.  The structure and organization of military medicine needs to be tinkered with - possibly eliminating military professional classes altogether in favor of rankless civilians so as to avoid the conflict power imbalance creates.  Access to benefits, pay, allowances, medical care, etc., should be automatic with a line of duty injury, but if not automatic, then the processes by which these entitlements are obtained should be simplified.  Prescription costs associated with treating line of duty injuries ought to be totally reimbursed, as opposed to partially reimbursed (the best case scenario) to not reimbursable as is now the case.  Retention decisions need to be hastened, so as to allow those facing medical discharge to prepare for transition to civilian life rather than hanging in limbo, in some cases for months and years.  If a military member is in arrears, the government ought to protect them and their families from dunner wolves, and the stresses this chase creates.

I’m sure there are many things I’ve left out.  Point is, this is no time to rest on laurels.  There’s a lot of work to do.  And for many of us, regardless of what will be done, the fix will come too late.