Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At US Army's Top Medical Facility

[military granny]

Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses.

This is the world of Building 18, not the kind of place where Duncan expected to recover when he was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Iraq last February with a broken neck and a shredded left ear, nearly dead from blood loss. But the old lodge, just outside the gates of the hospital and five miles up the road from the White House, has housed hundreds of maimed soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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


MORE ON LINK


(Mod edit to clarify title.)

 

[armyvern]

What a truley sad and desperate situation these recovering soldiers have found them selves in. Hopefully, this article brings the situation to light amongst those who are capable of instituting the funding and direction required to see it corrected ASAP. 

 

[tomahawk6]

The article paints a very bleak picture for those in an out patient capacity. The Army should send them closer to home for recovery or back to their home installation. The decision to keep these out patients was a bad one obviously.Walter Reed is slated to be shut down as the military expands Nethesda Naval Medical Center. It is after all a century old facility and long overdue for closure.

 

[3rd Herd]

Those of us the served out on the west coast during the dinosaur days can certainly sympathize. Remember the old Naden hosptial.

 

[Yrys]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/20/walter.reed/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Army Secretary Francis Harvey blamed a failure of leadership for substandard conditions in a building that is part of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and vowed Tuesday to move quickly to fix the problem.

"We failed here, we failed in having a facility like this," Harvey told CNN. "Unfortunately, it's a leadership problem."

Inside Building 18, used for outpatients who suffered wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan, workers were repairing plumbing, covering holes in ceilings and repainting mold-covered walls.

Harvey said he learned about the conditions in the building, a former hotel where some soldiers have been recuperating for more than a year and a half, on Sunday, when the Washington Post broke the story.

"If we would have known about this, we would have fixed it," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't know about it."
...

 

[tomahawk6]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnspatientcare070221/

Leaders take blame for wounded care woes
Health officials ‘surprised;’ lawmakers seeking solutions
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 22, 2007 11:00:54 EST

The Army’s vice chief of staff said Wednesday that a “breakdown in leadership” is responsible for the widespread administrative problems faced by some wounded war veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Meanwhile, the military’s top civilian health official said that while he was “surprised” to learn of the problems, he and other leaders are aggressively seeking solutions.

The problems at Walter Reed “are serious matters,” said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, during a Wednesday press conference at the Pentagon. “They deserve immediate attention, and they’re getting immediate attention.”

Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army's No. 2 leader, said “appropriate action is being taken to hold the leadership at every level accountable, as well as to ensure that they understand the standard, and we put the right people in charge, the right level of rank, the right level of responsibility. We want to immediately correct it, but also to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

The Pentagon, clearly stung by recent media accounts of the problems at Walter Reed, announced late Tuesday the formation of an independent review group that will examine outpatient care and administrative processes at both Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

The effort will run parallel to and be complemented by probes also announced Tuesday by the secretaries of the Army and Navy. Those efforts “have begun,” the Pentagon said.

No administrative problems have been reported at the Bethesda complex, and a second Pentagon official said operations there were being reviewed as a cautionary move since it is fairly close to Walter Reed, also provides treatment for wounded vets of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was mentioned anecdotally in the media reports. Nor has any criticism of the actual medical treatment at either facility has been raised.

But recent stories in The Washington Post and the Military Times newspapers and web sites reported that dozens of recovering vets were living in substandard conditions in an overflow facility outside the main Walter Reed campus, and that they and others faced miles of red tape while dealing with issues such as pay and benefits, lost records, medical evaluations and a lack of first-line supervisors.

The Post stories focused in part on “Building 18,” a 54-room Army-owned facility across the street from the main Walter Reed campus where nearly 70 recovering service members are being housed. The stories described some rooms in various states of disrepair, along with a rodent and cockroach infestation — a situation Cody said he should have been briefed on much earlier.

“I am disappointed that I had to learn about the conditions of that building through media reports, despite frequent visits to Walter Reed facilities, informal and formal discussions with patients and their families and the medical staff,” Cody said. “Clearly, we've had a breakdown in leadership, and the bureaucratic, medical and professional processes bogged down a speedy solution to these problems.”

Cody wouldn't identify where the breakdown in leadership took place. “I'll take responsibility and I'll make sure that it's fixed,” he said. “I can assure you that the appropriate vigor and leadership is being applied to this issue. And we will correct any problems immediately.”

Cody said no one has been relieved of command or fired over the problems. “We will do the right thing across the board as we continue to assess where the leadership failure and breakdowns were,” he said, adding that the problems were not due to a lack of resources.

He said he would personally oversee the upgrading of Building 18 and added that the building's name would soon be changed to something that better reflects the building's mission. “Referring to a place where our soldiers stay as Building 18 is not appropriate,” he said.

Tell us your ideas for renaming Building 18 here.

“We will do what's right for our soldiers and our families,” Cody added. “I will not be satisfied until we have a family assistance center at Walter Reed where it's one stop, it has an ‘easy button’, and families and the soldiers all can take care of their financial issues, their scheduling issues, their follow-up care issues. ... Right now, we're close to that, but it does not meet my standard or the leadership standard.”

Winkenwerder said “caring for and supporting the whole person” is just as important as the medical care a service member receives.

Members of the Pentagon’s independent review group have yet to be named, but it is expected to include “people from outside, perhaps some retirees,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday. He said Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants results within 45 days of the group's formation.

The group will have “unrestricted access to all facilities and personnel and will be provided appropriate assistance and administrative support,” according to the Pentagon. The group will also have a “special advisor” who can provide advice and expertise in the areas of social work, rehabilitation, psychological counseling and family support issues.

According to a senior defense official, the Pentagon review was initiated by Gates, who “was concerned about what he had read and heard about.”

Gates, who met with Army leadership on the issue Tuesday, has “a very strong desire to see this done in a very expeditious fashion,” the official said.

The media reports of conditions at Walter Reed quickly caught the eye of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, with Democratic Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and John Kerry of Massachusetts calling for legislation to improve the situation there.

“We owe our returning veterans a debt of gratitude, not substandard treatment at an overcrowded medical facility,” Kerry said in a statement. “The administration has consistently talked a big game but shortchanged the needs of veterans.”

The Times story documented waiting periods as long as 15 months for service members wounded in battle, as well as sinking disability payments The Post piece looked at buildings in disrepair, mandatory formations for wounded service members, and confusion about the process.

“Anecdotally, we’d heard some complaints before,” said Kerry spokesman Vincent Morris. “But the feeling was mixed because the care at Walter Reed is the best in the country. There was a groundswell of support for Walter Reed when the president announced plans to close it” as part of the latest round of base realignments and closures that was approved in 2005 and is now in motion.

The media coverage of the problems at Walter Reed, he said, brought the anecdotes into sharp focus.

“There are a lot of vets coming back who need help,” Morris said, adding that “Kerry saw those stories like everybody else.”

The legislation, sponsored by Obama and McCaskill and co-sponsored by Kerry, calls for:

• Simplifying the paperwork process for recovering troops.

• Increasing the number of case workers.

• Increasing case worker training.

• Requiring more frequent Inspector General reviews of the hospital and its care.

• Establishing timelines for facilities repairs.

• Providing psychological counseling.

• Reporting to Congress on the number of recovering soldiers and caseworkers, as well as average waiting time, suicide attempts, accidental deaths and drug overdoses.


Staff writer Kelly Kennedy contributed to this report.

 

[Yrys]

Similar subject :

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17315490/site/newsweek/from/RS.2/

Vets on the Street
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up homeless. How could this happen?

Young, alienated and often living on their own for the first time, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans increasingly are coming home to find that they don't have one. Already, nearly 200,000 veterans—many from the Vietnam War—sleep on the streets every night, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. But young warriors just back from the Mideast—estimated around 500 to 1,000—are beginning to struggle with homelessness too. Drinking or using drugs to cope with PTSD, they can lose their job and the support of family and friends, and start a downward spiral to the streets. Their tough military mentality can make them less likely to seek help. Advocates say it can take five to eight years for a veteran to exhaust their financial resources and housing options, so they expect the number to rise exponentially in a few years. "Rather than wait for the tsunami, we should be doing something now," says Cheryl Beversdorf, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Walter Reed General Fired After Failures
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070301/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/walter_reed;_ylt=AjJY_mIfDqWpCb4oMT2cY8aWwvIE

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer  (March 1, 2007)

The Army on Thursday fired the general in charge of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, saying he was the wrong person to fix embarrassing failures in the treatment of war-injured soldiers that have soiled the institution's reputation as a first-class hospital.

Less than a week after Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Walter Reed and said those responsible would be "held accountable," the Army announced it had relieved Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman of command. He is a physician who had headed the hospital for only six months.

In a brief announcement, the Army said service leaders had "lost trust and confidence" in Weightman's leadership abilities "to address needed solutions for soldier outpatient care." It said the decision to fire him was made by Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey.

The Army and the Defense Department began investigations after The Washington Post published stories last week that documented problems in soldiers' housing and in the medical bureaucracy at Walter Reed, which has been called the Army's premier caregiver for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The problems at Walter Reed pertain not to the quality of medical care for wounded soldiers but rather to the treatment of those who are well enough to be outpatients, living in Army housing at Walter Reed. One building was singled out in the Post reports as being in bad repair, including having mold on interior walls.

Gates issued a brief statement Thursday endorsing Harvey's action against Weightman.

"The care and welfare of our wounded men and women in uniform demand the highest standard of excellence and commitment that we can muster as a government," Gates said. "When this standard is not met, I will insist on swift and direct corrective action and, where appropriate, accountability up the chain of command."

It was not clear whether Gates insisted on Weightman's firing, but a Pentagon official said he had been actively involved in the decision.

Weightman is the highest-ranking Army general to be sacked since Gen. Kevin Byrnes was dismissed as commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command in 2005 for an alleged adulterous affair.

In an interview with several reporters two days before the first Post story was published, Weightman acknowledged shortcomings at Walter Reed but also said the problems were magnified because of the facility's location in the nation's capital. "We're a fishbowl," he said, noting that being in Washington makes it easier for complaining patients and their families to draw the interest of members of Congress.

An outside panel of former military officials and former congressmen, set up last week by Gates, held its first meeting Thursday at the Pentagon. Headed by two former Army secretaries, Togo West and Jack Marsh, the panel is reviewing treatment and administrative processes at Walter Reed and at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md. It is supposed to report its findings and recommendations by April 16.

The panel's charter, released Thursday, identifies its main goal as finding the "critical shortcomings" in rehabilitative care, administrative processes and quality of life for injured and sick troops, and to recommend how to fix the problems.

The Army has acknowledged problems with the system it uses to evaluate wounded soldiers in determining whether they are well enough to return to active duty.

At a breakfast meeting with reporters Thursday, in which he refused to discuss any aspect of the Walter Reed investigations, Harvey said the Army also was reviewing conditions at its medical centers elsewhere in the country. He would not be more specific.

Being relieved of command means Weightman is almost certain to have lost his future in the Army.

A native of Vermont, he graduated from West Point in 1973 and got his medical degree from the University of Vermont. He later served as the surgeon for the 82nd Airborne Division, including during Desert Storm.

He has held a number of medical commands, including service as a leading surgeon during the initial stages of the Iraq war.

Weightman's duties at Walter Reed will be assumed temporarily by Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, the commander of U.S. Medical Command, until a permanent replacement is found, Harvey said.

Last week the Army took disciplinary action against four lower-level soldiers at Walter Reed, including one junior officer, but officials have declined to publicly confirm any details of those actions.

 

[tomahawk6]

I really have mixed feelings about this development. Weightman was a good guy and probably would have been on the short list of Surgeon General just my opion. Weightman was relieved by the Secretary of the Army and LTG Kiley the Surgeon General is taking temporary command. Frankly Kiley should have been relieved as well and pressure will mount for that to happen.He has been in his job since 04 so he would be due for retirement anyway, I would just speed it up.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/weightmanout070301/

Senator: Army surgeon general should go
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 1, 2007 17:27:38 EST

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., called for the Army’s top medical officer, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, to be relieved of duty Thursday afternoon. McCaskill’s remarks came after Maj. Gen. George Weightman, Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s commander, was relieved of duty earlier in the day.

“It’s clear that General Kiley, the surgeon general at the Army, knew about the conditions at Building 18,” McCaskill said. “The irony of this situation is General [George] Weightman stepped up. He’s only been there a year.”

Kiley is to temporarily replace Weightman, according to an Army press release.

McCaskill said Weightman took responsibility for the problems in the medical disability system while Kiley has been quoted as saying the problems weren’t serious or that there weren’t many of them.

McCaskill had “been considering this for a week,” said Adriane Marsh, McCaskill’s spokeswoman. “It’s beyond just Walter Reed,” she said, referring to problems in the disability evaluation system that have been documented as Army-wide.

Weightman, commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was relieved of command at 10 a.m. today by Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis Harvey, according to an Army press release.

This action has been under consideration for the last several days, with the final decision being made yesterday, the release said.

Weightman was informed this morning that the senior Army leadership had lost trust and confidence in the commander’s leadership abilities to address needed solutions for soldier-outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Kiley, commanding general of U.S. Army Medical Command, will be acting temporarily as the Walter Reed commander until a general officer is selected to replace Weightman.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I guess that there will be a lot of scrambling going on to "pretty-up" military and veteran medical facilities until the dust settles. 

Bush Orders Review Of Veterans' Hospitals
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_go_pr_wh/walter_reed

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent (2 March 2007)

President Bush ordered a comprehensive review Friday of conditions at the nation's military and veteran hospitals in the wake of a scandal surrounding care for wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

The White House said the president would name a bipartisan commission to assess whether the problems at Walter Reed existed at other facilities.

The action came after The Washington Post documented squalid living conditions for some outpatient soldiers at Walter Reed and bureaucratic problems that prevented many troops from getting adequate care.

Bush devoted his weekly radio address — to be broadcast on Saturday — to the problems of veterans' care, and the White House took the unusual step of releasing excerpts in advance. A full text also was to be released later Friday.

The administration's response came amid growing outrage about the poor treatment of some veterans — and the prospect that it could backfire on the White House.

"One of my most solemn experiences as president is visiting men and women recovering from wounds they suffered in defense of country," Bush said his prepared address. "Spending time with these wounded warriors is also inspiring because so many of them bring the same courage they showed on the battlefield to their battle for recovery."

A day earlier, the Pentagon announced the firing of Army Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, the commander of Walter Reed. In a brief announcement, the Army said service leaders had "lost trust and confidence" in Weightman's leadership abilities "to address needed solutions for soldier outpatient care." It said the decision to fire him was made by Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey.

Bush, in his radio address, said he had asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to make a firsthand assessment of conditions at Walter Reed. "He confirmed to me there are real problems at Walter Reed and he has taken action to hold people accountable, including relieving the general in charge of the facility.

"As we work to improve conditions at Walter Reed, we are also taking steps to find out whether similar problems have occurred at other military and veteran hospitals," the president said.

"We will use the commission's recommendations as part of our ongoing effort to improve our service to our nation's veterans," Bush said.

The commission to be named by Bush is separate from a review panel appointed by Gates to investigate outpatient care at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The presidential panel will look at all of the nation's military and veteran facilities, according to White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino.

 

[military granny]

And one more

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training.

Soldiers say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.

They were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.

The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant has been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Army public affairs did not respond to a request sent Sunday evening to verify the personnel changes.

The Pentagon also clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending planned projects by CNN and the Discovery Channel, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed.

 

[tomahawk6]

The dont talk to media order and inspections seems to have been a misunderstanding.There are two commissions that will investigate this situation one to be named by Sec Gates and the President has ordered another commission to investigate the entire Army and VA healthcare system to make sure this problem isnt widespread. I expect that both commissions will find alot of problems with the bureaucracy and how they determine medical retirements or disability boards.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Secretary of the Army "resigned" today.Kiley cant be far behind.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/03/02/D8NK9F000.html

 

[Yrys]

Army secretary quits in wake of hospital scandal

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/02/army.secretary/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey resigned Friday in the wake of recent reports of substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a key facility treating troops wounded in Iraq.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Harvey's resignation at the Pentagon, just a day after Harvey removed the hospital's commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman, from his post.

Gates said Undersecretary of the Army Peter Geren will temporarily take Harvey's place. Harvey will leave on March 9.

"I thanked Dr. Harvey for his distinguished service to the department and to the nation," Gates said. "This flagship institution must have its new leadership in place as quickly as possible."

The Army later said Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker will take command of Walter Reed and the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command.

Schoomaker now commands the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

 

[tomahawk6]

I think the medical brigade CO at WRMC could be the next to go.

 

[visitor]

Many of our Canadian hospitals are not in that great shape either: the roof leaks, the heating system is either freezing or full blast heat,   the equipment is outdated , patients  wait for hours to  be seen and are lined up in hallways with numbers on the walls. Which of our great leaders will resign over that?

 

[tomahawk6]

The Army will be assigning a non-medical BG as deputy to the incoming CG of WRMC. He will be tasked with improving the administrative side of things.

 

[Yrys]

Others articles on the subject:

Months before media reports, memo warned Walter Reed 'at risk of mission failure'

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/months-before-media-reports-memo.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly five months before media reports detailed abysmal conditions in parts of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, an internal memo from the commanding officer expressed concern that care provided there was suffering because of the Army's decision to privatize support services. ...

White House promises 'exhaustive look' at Walter Reed

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/white-house-promises-exhaustive-look.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House promised an "exhaustive look" at conditions at the Army's premier hospital Monday after the service's top civilian official resigned last week.

"The president and also everybody within the chain of command are taking responsibility," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. "It's time to shine a bright light on the entire system and find out where the failings may be and address them." ...

Cheney: 'No excuses' regarding Walter Reed

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/cheney-no-excuses-regarding-walter.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney told veterans Monday there "will be no excuses" with regard to the reportedly poor conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center, the same day a House panel began hearings on the matter. ...

 

[Yrys]

Anothers article on the subject:

Lawmaker: Walter Reed 'tip of iceberg'

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/06/congress.reed.ap/index.html

Levin's panel convened the second congressional hearing in two days regarding the poor conditions at Walter Reed. Reports of wounded troops battling excessive red tape and dilapidated living conditions have enraged Republicans and Democrats, who say they are worried that problems at Walter Reed point to a broader problem of neglect across the nation at military hospitals.

 

[Blackadder1916]

While the following piece may appear slanted, it does provide a perspective on the public face of some who are at the centre of this tale.

Two Generals Provide A Contrast in Accountability
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/05/AR2007030501653.html

By Dana Milbank  Washington Post Staff Writer  Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Kevin Kiley, the three-star general in charge of all Army medical facilities, seemed stumped as he testified yesterday about his responsibility for the Walter Reed scandal.

"I'm trying not to say that I'm not accountable," he told members of the House oversight committee.

But try as he might, he couldn't fix blame on himself.

How could he not have known that wounded soldiers were living in squalid conditions across the street from his own home? "I don't do barracks inspections at Walter Reed," he said.

Why did he assure Congress in 2005 that the Walter Reed bureaucracy was improving, even though many soldiers were languishing in neglect at the facility? "In my role as the MedCom commander," he said, "Walter Reed was not my only command."

What did he do when a government report in 2006 found numerous problems at the now-infamous Building 18?

"My staff informed me that the Walter Reed staff was working it."

Lawmakers on the committee, who were visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center for a field hearing yesterday, quickly tired of the general's I-don't-do-windows routine. Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) accused him of spouting "hogwash." Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) called his position "dishonest."

"I want you to know that I think this is a massive failure of competence in management and command," said Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), pointing his finger at Kiley.

After Hodes's harangue, Kiley replied, "I command by commanding through my commanders and trusting them to execute the mission."

Sitting shoulder to shoulder with Kiley was one such commander, Gen. George Weightman, who last week was fired as chief of Walter Reed after just six months on the job. Weightman and Kiley, who ran Walter Reed from 2002 to 2004, wore matching Army dress uniforms, but their responses could not have been more divergent. While Kiley deflected blame, Weightman freely admitted failure -- even though the victims of Walter Reed's neglect testified, and the House committee members agreed, that  he was not to blame.

"He was, in my perspective, being punished because he caught the tail end of it," testified Annette McLeod, whose ordeal with her wounded soldier-husband, Dell, was one of those chronicled in a Washington Post series on Walter Reed. "Because somebody had to be the fall guy, he was there."

After Annette McLeod's testimony, the couple sat in the first row of the audience, just three feet from Weightman and Kiley as the two generals testified. "The McLeods are right behind you," pointed out Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va).
"Do you have anything you want to say to them?"

"I feel terrible for them," said Kiley, keeping his back to the McLeods. "We have got to double our efforts, redouble our efforts, to make these kind of cases disappear in the system."

Weightman, by contrast, turned around to the McLeods and spoke warmly, addressing Annette directly. "I'd just like to apologize for not meeting their expectations, not only in the care provided, but also in having so many bureaucratic processes that just took your fortitude to be an advocate for your husband that you shouldn't have to do," Weightman said, as Kiley finally turned to face the McLeods. "I promise we will do better."

When the two generals were eventually excused, Weightman again turned to the McLeods and shook hands with them; though he spoke quietly, the words "I'm sorry" were clear. Kiley left the room without a glance backward.

Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee shook their heads in amazement as Annette McLeod testified tearfully that she didn't know her husband had been hurt in Iraq "until he called me himself from a hospital in New Jersey."

They reacted similarly when another Walter Reed patient profiled by The Post, Staff Sgt. John Daniel Shannon, spoke about how, while recovering from being shot in the head in Iraq, he was left "extremely disoriented" to wander the Walter Reed campus alone in search of an outpatient facility. The third member of the panel, Spec. Jeremy Duncan, who had two studs where his left ear used to be, described the "unforgivable" squalor of his room at Walter Reed.

But nobody blamed Weightman. "I don't think he should have been fired," said Shannon, wearing a patch over his missing eye.

The lawmakers seemed to agree. "There appears to be a pattern developing here that we've seen before," said Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) "First deny, then try to cover up, then designate a fall guy." Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) advised Weightman that "you probably have a little more blame being laid at your doorstep than I think is probably appropriate." And Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.) shared the view of a colleague's wife that Kiley "skirted this stuff for five years and blamed everyone else."

Weightman was not so easy on himself; he pleaded guilty repeatedly to a "failure of leadership," and said lawmakers were "absolutely right" to question what was "obviously a failure."

Kiley started off in similar fashion, saying he was "personally and professionally sorry" and acknowledging: "I share these failures." But the further he got from his prepared testimony, the less contrite he became. He was blameless after Walter Reed shifted maintenance to a private contractor in 2004. "I was not the commander then."

Shouldn't top officers make sure proper care is being given at every level? "I don't get involved at my level . . . at an individual issue."

Will he find a way to break down privacy obstacles that hampered proper care? "I'm not in charge of it, but I'll take care of it."

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), like his colleagues, was skeptical about Weightman's guilt and Kiley's self-exoneration; he wondered if Kiley thought the problems at Walter Reed "have been in existence for over six months."

Kiley responded with something about "two 15-6 investigations" and something else about the "MEB/PEB process."

"The information we have to date is that General Weightman in fact was trying to work through these problems; he's been fired," Welch continued. "Is that an appropriate response to the situation?"

"That is a decision for the civilian leadership," Kiley answered.

Whatever the merits of Weightman's dismissal, the problems at Walter Reed have not disappeared with him. Before yesterday's hearing, a patient with a prosthetic arm tried to get in but was stopped by a guard, who asked if the young man was supposed to be in the hearing. "I'd like to be," the soldier said.

"It's preselected, unfortunately," the guard replied. The young amputee walked away. Inside, three rows of seats had been reserved for the Army; almost all were empty.

As this saga unfolds, is there the possibility that MG Weightman could be exonerated and returned to duty as LTG Kiley stumbles out the door?