CAUTIONARY NOTE: My blog postings are basically chapters. Deal with it. Only meant for those looking for more than a soundbite and a place for me to capture my own thoughts as I continue to learn.


Hello friends,

Although you all know me to be pretty mouthy, my experiences over the past year or so volunteering at Walter Reed have actually managed to shut me up when it comes to the actual war debate. Once you begin to really engage with these brave folks, talking politics about "what they've done" becomes quite tedious and impractical. Sure, it keeps many folks careers and egos inflated, it sells books and ad space on TV, but rarely does it result in anything that directly affects my friends healing and dealing at the hospital.

However, this weekend's front page features in the Washington Post have prompted me to send a few thoughts out. The Post has been quite generous to veterans and injured soldiers (and families) as they have provided ample column space to their stories, especially throughout the last year. Whether or not this is politically motivated or not, I appreciate the constant spotlight on the amazing stories taking place there. However, recently, the Post's efforts depicting the experiences of our troops at W/R have caused me great concern.

I could enter into a exhausting debate over the ethical responsibilities of journalism, editorializing and the Washington Post's political agenda but I will spare you that litany. Quickly however, I wish to provide just a few specific points to those of you who happened to read these articles, in the hopes that you will factor them into your opinions. I would also urge that having an opinion on the media's coverage is very different than an opinion on the war. This has been a very illusive distinction for me to sort out myself, so I offer that guidance only out of my own reflection rather than an order. ;) These thoughts are not to discount the negligence the articles are depicting, as I have seen several examples myself of such apparent "negligence", but rather I hope my reflections and experiences can help place these "journalists" work in a context that might offer a more full picture of the situation that I see at W/R.


1. Keep in mind it is President's Day weekend. The President did not mention veterans or injured soliders and their families once in his state of the union address. And he is paying sorely for it. These headlines are no accident, as they are certainly directly meant to stare President Bush in the face and remind him of those affected by his policies.

2. Trouble on the blogospshere: The Washington Post had a severe PR fiasco a few weeks ago due to several blogs posted by foreign affairs correspondent Bill Arkin. I could get into this but I will let you research on your own. Although his "point" was to defend the legitimacy of the civilian point of view, the methods he employeed were disturbing and suggest a real ignorance to the military culture and soldier's experience. The most inflammatory comment he made was calling every single troop a "mercenary", which he later apologized for.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2007/01/the_troops_also_need_to_suppor.html

My musings on these "battles in the blogosphere" are here: http://civiliansyndrome.blogspot.com/2007/02/just-little-patience.html

Again, I will let you investigate that internet exchange but I only describe it because the blog postings received thousands of responses, many of which called for the WP to fire Arkin and even more requesting that their subscriptions be cancelled. I believe that the Post's recent efforts here are to try to do a little damage control in the "troop sympathy" department.

3. Assuming that If you aren't allowed in, that means there is something to hide. Certainly, Building 18 and the horror health care stories that are included in the WashPos peices deserve attention. CERTAINLY. However, the Post like many papers, has taken the position of assuming that because they are not welcomed with open arms that the hospital or the Pentagon is hiding something. I thought this too when I first started and still sometimes think that more could be done to try to embrace the media (but I've heard HORROR stories of their attempts to do so and how they were taken advantage of). Now, that being said, I think its INEXCUSABLE that certain information is either unknown or dismissed (like post-service suicide, drug addiction and homeless rates that are not being tabulated).

Here's a question though: If you have just had your face blown off in Iraq, do you want the first thing you wake up to in the hospital to be a hairsprayed reporter and a camera sitting bedside with you? If you are a family member do you really want to prioritize reporters needs above that of your loved one? Or even DEAL with reporters? I urge you to consider the issues of privacy that the military is trying to respect with these restrictive policies. And I will tell you that most of the folks I know at the Malogne House dont want to talk to reporters of any kind for fear of how they will be characterized. And that is THE TRUTH. If these stories arent "getting out", it is largely due to the patient not wanting to talk, rather than them being "shut up" by some official.

4. "Amortizing the negligence". While some of these are inexcuseable, I usually try to place them in a context as the hospital treats tens of thousands of people. Plus, my civilian complaints to the very patients themselves are often met with a "its not a big deal, welcome to the Army". I have begun to channel more of my upbringing as I continue to volunteer and befriend these folks, as complaining was certainly not an valuable practice in a large family. You either bucked up or you made things worse for yourself, I find that to be the case for many of my friends at the hospital. I have had to shake off my civilian reactions and learn (but not necc adopt) how the soldier or family member sees their circumstances, which has been quite a humbling experience as a seemingly well-educated Hoya. Certainly there are ideas that I have, and issues to be remedied, no one denies that.

5. The Rec Director and Malogne House director were not involved in that interview. This was done intentionally as the reporter aimed solely to find out what sucked at the Malogne House. When I first began volunteering I too thought of a million things I thought could be better. I can tell you that the Rec Director and Malogne House director, when they arent putting in tremendous amounts of overtime tending to the patients needs and running the hotel, they are overwelmed by calls from organizations, companies and private citizens offering goods and services. There is a screening process that is required in order to be allowed to do this, naturally. While this frustrated me at first, as these patients needs seem so immediate, I now understand that it is neccessary and responsible that they are careful with whom they allow on the premises. There is also a VERY careful balance of trying to fulfill the patients needs without spoiling him or her, as this can have a negative effect on their ability to return to their "normal" lives back at home. The Rec Director and Malogne House director are friends and mentors of mine, who could not have bigger hearts. Their job is usually thankless and extremely stressful. Yet no mention of the complexities of their jobs was mentioned, and if it had, it would have probably just made them sound like callous bureaucrats- which couldnt be farther from the truth. Like any organization there are pain in the ass rules, but I've learned that many of the rules are there for very good reasons. You'll just have to trust me on that or else this email would be even more painfully long.

6. The harsh reality of life as a solider. The public doesnt like to hear that soldiers have it tough. When the press gets wind of this they fan the flames of civilian sympathy and anger, which I am still struggling to qualify myself. While its important to engage the public into the lives of the folks I see there, I am concerned about the level of anger and rhetoric that such reporting encites.
No where did the report direct concerned civilians to donate or engage.
No where did it discuss the millions of dollars in donations that are offered to soldiers and their families through organizations and the VA.
No where was the work of organizations like the Armed Forces Foundation, The Wounded Warrior Project or the Alleethia Foundation mentioned. (Heaven help us if we actually describe the "fun" these folks are invited into while they are recouperating)
No where were the experiences or perspectives of doctors and caregivers included.

I could go into why these opinions matter (and its not cause they paint a rosier picture, but that you ignore a vast community that is mobilized just for these guys and girls)....but I'll spare you.

Actually, I take that back, the reporter did manage to mention "steak dinners" but only dismissively as if it was a pathetic attempt by the hospital to placate the soldiers with fancy meals of cheap beef. I have been to these steak dinners myself, and can tell you, that the soldiers truly appreciate getting off post, even if it means sitting and listening to some country music star talk about his granddaddy's service in WWII. Which leads me to my last point. (yes I am wrapping it up)

7. Underutilization, fatigue, and transportation in DC. The reporters description of the isolation, emotional fatigue and frustration of the soldiers is perfectly warranted. It has boggled my own mind how they expect patients to juggle all that they are asked, especially when they are coping with so much. I hear stories almost every time of a new paperwork situation. I myself have witnessed and heard stories about how the soldiers dont know how to get around (the city much less the hospital) and have often felt that a "handbook" (like the one she describes that doesnt exist) is a no brainer. The patients and their families have no idea how to navigate the city and are left to their own devices. Personally, I could get pissed and blame that on Bush, or Rumsfeld, or the hospital staff, but instead I wonder what we as a city could be doing to help them try to enjoy their time here. I dont make this "my problem" for those of you psychoanalyzing me, I just think the city could be doing more to actually "support the troops" then blame the government that we house. Sometimes its been like pulling teeth to get patients to come to USO basketball games, or even out in the city socially as its costly, logistically tough (cabs are a no go and you can forget metro) and the bars that skew their age tend to be loud and crowded (two things that arent easy to cope with when you are recovering from combat). If its hard to get them to have fun in the city, imagine what its like to try to get them to really engage with social workers for emotional/psychological issues. Plus, the meds tend to take care of everything. (although the reporters depictions paint the Malogne House as some sort of bizarre circus of drugged up goons-which is really frustrating and inaccurate).

However I will tell you this, when given something to really look forward to, like a personal visitor, or an outing one on one or engaging in an activity they personally like, their responsibility with their meds and enthusiasm for recovery tends to skyrocket. I am no doctor, but this is what I have personally witnessed through my own efforts. So who knows.....maybe I do sound like Pollyanna reading my locket... "If you look for the bad in people you will surely find it" in reference to the Post's "efforts". But I have grown so weary of the cynicism on both sides of this endless debate. I guess my efforts are psychologically helping me cope with that frustration, but so be it. Better that then wasting away on a barstool somewhere mouthing off to my fellow ivory tower blowhards I guess.....


I really tried to make this short. So apologies if you are weary. However, it is but a short rebuttal to the post's most recent coverage of what is needed at W/R. I guess I just wish that their work could be aimed at encouraging engagement of all, rather than just blaming a few decision makers. But that's not sexy. The folks working there really are working so hard. Many MANY times patients will often be silent about a complaint thinking that they will be there only a short while, so the problem goes unreported. This was overlooked as well. While I am sure that there is bureaucratic driftwood floating around the hospital (and have seen some myself), I just offer these thoughts out of fairness to the folks that have embraced and educated me in the past two years. There are so many wonderful days and moments that I have witnessed there, that it is hard to focus on the negative ones. We all just try to roll on, without rolling over.

In the end, I only wish that the public reads those articles and considers engaging rather than enraging.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021900759.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021801335.html