Military Officer - June 2007 - (Page 14)

yourviews MILIT ARY APRIL 2007 $4.50 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE® W W W. M O A A . O R G OFFICER A Breed Apart The U.S. Army Vet Corps cares for animals, food, and troops 72 “MOAA should be a champion for rights to world-class care for our returning veterans.“ — Capt. Richard Bean, USA-Ret. reminds me of the old Rudyard Kipling poem, “Tommy.” —Maj. E.L.B. Hamilton, USAF-Ret. via e-mail I ﬁnd it appalling that MOAA does not consider the care of our wounded heroes its top priority. The article “Wounded Care Wake-up Call” [“Washington Scene,” April 2007] buried on page 42, is a weak effort at addressing this important issue. A leader who thinks taking care of his own needs is more important than taking care of the needs of his subordinates is no leader at all. MOAA should be a champion for rights to world-class care for our returning veterans. We know the Pentagon is not concerned about retirees, and [leaders there] are certainly not concerned about our wounded warriors. They need a voice because no one represents them. — Capt. Richard Bean, USA-Ret. via e-mail FRIENDS IN DEED Military families in need can turn to MOAA chapters 78 TAKE A (FEE) HIKE? Lautenberg, Hagel oppose TRICARE fee increases 31 PLUS: Unwind with a spa, roadtrip, or villa vacation. What’s your speed? 53 April_Cover.indd 1 Veterinary Corps [MOAA and] journalist Christina Wood are to be commended for the splendid article on the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, “A Breed Apart” [April 2007]. The picture of the Vet Corps ofﬁcer administering an anthelmintic to a native Afghan cow was an excellent choice for the cover. Support of civil affairs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa and Central America is an essential part of the Vet Corps’ mission. Lt. Col. David Holland, the ﬁrst Vet Corps casualty of [Operation] Iraqi Freedom, was killed while serving on a civil affairs humanitarian mission. Wood’s article is the best journalistic description I have ever read of the Army’s Veterinary Service, which encompasses a comparatively small group of highly skilled and dedicated [commissioned] ofﬁcers, warrant ofﬁcers, and enlisted 14 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2007 personnel. They are deployed worldwide to assure the safety of [U.S.] military food supplies. I might add to the medical research aspect that veterinary ofﬁcers are distinguished scientists and leaders in military medical research; several have served as directors of the Army’s prestigious research institutes at Walter Reed and Fort Detrick. —Brig. Gen. T.G. Murnane, USA-Ret. Fort Worth, Texas 3/2/07 1:54:06 PM Editor’s note: Publishing deadlines often fail to keep up with current events; please see “Washington Scene,” page 33, to read more about MOAA’s efforts to ensure appropriate treatment for wounded veterans. “Treat us Rational” The response of the administration (DoD) to the problems at Walter Reed is insufﬁcient, immoral, and unconscionable. To paraphrase an old GI expression, someone should “take names and kick ass.” The care of wounded or traumatized personnel injured in combat from any war should be the No. 1 priority for this country. I bet if we looked in the old pork barrel we could ﬁnd enough money to fully fund the total cost for care of the injured veterans and their families. The treatment of veterans in this country is shameful and (Non)partisan Publishing It is interesting that Col. Charles Bopp, USAF-Ret., thinks that if a publication offers views other than his own that makes it a “liberal” magazine [“Your Views,” April 2007]. I would not have a publication in my house that only presented one side of an argument. What makes the colonel think that being a military ofﬁcer automatically makes him or her a conservative and a great supporter of the very much ill-advised war? There are http://WWW.MOAA.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - June 2007

Military Officer - June 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Getting the Best Care Stand By Me Promise for PTSD Cover Story: Heavy Duty Unified Medical Command Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Member Services MOAA Calendar MOAA Scholarship Donors Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - June 2007

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