Military Medical Facilities, I Pray My Children Never Need Them
By Steven A. Castleton
January 8, 2008
Page 2 of 2
This four-story 65,000 square foot facility includes clinical, research, and administrative space, a gait lab, a computer assisted rehabilitation environment, a pool, an indoor running track, a two-story climbing wall, and a prosthetic fabrication lab. The CFI will provide service members with severe extremity injuries, burns, and amputations the opportunity to maximize their ability to live and work productively.
Opened at the same time and adjacent to the CFI are two new 21-room handicapped accessible Fisher Houses to house Warriors in Transition and their family members.
BAMC's 58-outpatient specialty clinics record a million patient visits each year. The hospital sustains over 60 accredited educational programs that include 25 Graduate Medical Education Programs, eight Nursing Programs, 18 Enlisted Allied Health and Medic Phase II training programs along with additional programs in Administration and Allied Health specialties.
While our political leaders are busy complaining about the care afforded our heroes, let them first explain why they approved:
$460,752 by for hops research requested by two representatives and four senators.
$172,782 for the National Wild Turkey Federation in Edgefield, S.C.
$742,764 by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for olive fruit fly research. Part of this money, $211,509, is to be spent in Paris, France.
$2,691,030 for four projects by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), including: $1,843,008 for the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Geographic Information System; $368,403 for the Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery; and $294,921 for potato pest management.
$3,737,652 for six projects by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), including: $1,646,394 for the McDowell Grove Dam Rood Plain/Wetlands Restoration Project in DuPage County; $107,244 for wildlife habitat improvement; and $36,741 for conservation science at Lincoln Park Zoo.
$1,950,000 by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for a library and archives at the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at The City College of New York.
Or the $74,000,000.00 (yes $74 million...) the 2007 so-called U.S. Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act gave to peanut farmers. (talk about a peanut allergy)
I hate to wonder how many heroes' lives could have been saved with better use of the $83,754,980.00 above.
President-Elect Obama, for all military families, I pray you mean what you say about eliminating all but one earmark. The one earmark that you must leave in the budget is one that will ensure that all members of the Armed Forces, both active and retired, have the best Medical care in the world at their disposal. Anything less, is unacceptable.
The streets of Heaven may be crowded with Angels, but I am here to tell you some of them are right here at Brooke Army Medical Center. They are disguised as doctors, nurses and support staff. This Band of Brothers is truly the unknown and overlooked heroes. On behalf of Military parents everywhere, I pray to God my child never needs your expertise, but I thank God you are there. You are truly Heaven's Gate Keepers whose passion, dedication and desire is to keep the Gates of Heaven closed so all of our Heroes can stay right here where we need them and where they belong.
---
Steven A. Castleton is a frequent contributor to GOPUSA. He can be reached at: scastlet@optonline.net
--------------------
Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA. >> Back -- Page 1 2
++ Discuss this topic in The Forum
Current rating:  4.9 out of 5.0 (20 total votes)
| 
