OK, so we know about the meltdown at Walter Reed Army Hospital and that the VA hospitals are a mess. We know we have to send the troops toothpaste, Kool-aid and deodorant. What's this about underwear for wounded troops?
There is a Web site, www.operationundergarment.com, which claims that soldiers who have been wounded get their clothes cut off, of course, but don't get much to replace them.
Here is a quote from the Web site:
When soldiers are injured or sick they are taken to field hospitals in Iraq and are given the best medical care. Quite often their clothes are cut off, burned or soiled and they are disposed of leaving the soldiers in a hospital gown or briefs and just a blanket. These soldiers are sometimes flown to a hospital in Germany wearing only underwear and wrapped in a blanket.
Others are transported in just hospital gowns. Likewise in Germany they do not have much in the way of clothing while in the hospital. The Department of Defense has a great program in place to provide soldiers with clothing once they are released from the hospital in Germany. During their stay in the hospital system they lack the creature comforts we feel they deserve.
Clothes are "creature comforts?"
Now there is not a lot of detail on this site. It seems to be run out of Kansas and Missouri, although a VFW post in New York state is conducting a drive for clothing.
Now I know that our troops don't get enough body armor, the right helmets or armored Humvees, now they let them go practically naked while they are recovering?
I'm not ready to go real crazy about this. I wonder if there is anybody out there familiar with the situation with how troops are taken care of once they are operated on in Iraq and then sent to Germany? Are they really in need of decent clothing? The Army doesn't have a contractor for that?
I'd give them the shirt off my back, but with the cost of the war at $500 Billion dollars, where is the money going, if not to the troops? Wounded troops, no less.
This war gets crazier by the moment.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect for people putting this together, it's just, shouldn't it be somebody's RESPONSIBILITY to make sure this stuff gets done with the taxpayers' dollar?