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UPDATE: WHY IS GEN. KEVIN KILEY BACK IN CHARGE
OF
WALTER REED? -- While Gen. Kiley was ignoring
Walter
Reed's outpatients, he was assuring Congress
that
he was doing just the opposite.
Some background...
Kiley knew about Walter Reed
conditions...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfFEB07/nf022807-3.htm
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfMAR07/nf030107-12.htm
Gen. Weightman fired...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfMAR07/nf030207-1.htm
Walter Reed fallout and general info on
story with backlinks here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfFEB07/nf022207-1.htm
Today's story here...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/
AR2007030101516.html?referrer=emailarticle
Story below:
---------------
Editorial
Not 'a Good-News Story'
Why is Gen. Kiley back in charge at Walter
Reed?
YESTERDAY THE Post reported that Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley heard years ago
from a veterans advocate and even a member of Congress that outpatient
care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was distressingly squalid and
disorganized. That commander proceeded to do little, even though he
lives across the street from the outpatient facilities in a spacious
Georgian house. Also yesterday, the Army announced that Maj. Gen. George
W. Weightman, the head of Walter Reed since August, had been relieved of
his command. His temporary replacement? None other than Gen. Kiley.
Here's where the story stops making sense. Much of The Post's article
detailed the abuse by omission that Gen. Kiley, not Gen. Weightman,
committed, first as head of Walter Reed, then in his current post as
Army surgeon general. Gen. Weightman, who very well might deserve his
disgrace, has commanded Walter Reed for only half a year, while Gen.
Kiley, now back in charge of Walter Reed, headed the hospital and its
outpatient facilities for two years and has led the Army's medical
command since. Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and his wife say they
repeatedly told Gen. Kiley about unhealthful conditions in outpatient
facilities.
While Gen. Kiley was ignoring Walter Reed's outpatients, he was assuring
Congress that he was doing just the opposite. A staffer for Rep. Thomas
M. Davis III (R-Va.) told us yesterday that Gen. Kiley told the House
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in 2005 that the
performance of the medical holdover program, which covers 69 of the 76
residents of Building 18, "is a good-news story." In response to
questions Mr. Davis submitted, Gen. Kiley stated, "the Army Surgeon
General has made their care the medical treatment facilities' top
priority." At best, Gen. Kiley was ignorant of the conditions at Walter
Reed.
We are glad that the Army is finally taking the issue of outpatient care
seriously enough to effectively end the career of a major general for
presiding over the disgraceful condition of Building 18. But the
evidence compiled so far suggests that Gen. Kiley has been more
complicit in the scandalous neglect of Walter Reed's outpatient
facilities for longer than Gen. Weightman has been. It also indicates
that the Army's reshuffle is really about projecting the appearance of
accountability, not punishing those most responsible. As Mr. Young said
yesterday of Gen. Weightman, "I don't know him. But I know he's the fall
guy."
---------------
Larry Scott --
