Soldiers getting all they need?

Press conference, McClellan answering questions on July 1st regarding Bush's visit to Walter Reed (a hospital on the BRAC closure list, I might add).

"The President asked them if they're getting everything they need, and asked their family members if they're getting everything they need. He talks about how proud he is of them and how honored he is to see them."

Ok so Bush asked if they were getting everything they needed...the reporter never got McClellan to expand on that...a big missed opportunity. These guys at Walter Reed may be getting everything they need, but what happens when they are discharged from the military? Then they have to wait in line for a VA appt. The VA with funding cuts, the VA that has lost many facilities. Do you know how far a Veteran has to travel to VA care in some areas? In Texas, it's far.

Not to mention the other long term consequence, PTSD, The VA admits the following: "The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are the most sustained combat operations since the Vietnam War. A wealth of research has shown convincingly that the frequency and intensity of exposure to combat experiences is strongly associated with the risk of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; APA, 1994) and related impairment (Kaylor, King, & King, 1987). As a result, there is good reason to be more concerned about the long-term mental health toll associated with these new wars"

For more on this press conference, a list of VA facilities in Texas and a link to the PTSD article check progressive grannie's blog