SUN EDITORIAL:

Unfit for combat?

U.S. soldiers should not be deployed unless they are physically and mentally fit

Monday, May 12, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

Pentagon records show that more than 43,000 of the troops sent to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 have been listed as medically “non-deployable” for combat.

Bobby Muller, president of the advocacy group Veterans For America, told USA Today that sending medically unfit troops overseas is a consequence of “the consistent churning of our troops” and that these soldiers repeatedly are being exposed to combat situations “with insufficient time at home to rest and heal.”

Pentagon documents don’t reveal the nature or significance of the medical problems these troops face, USA Today reports. But medical reasons can include a need for dental work, eyeglasses or allergy medication in addition to more serious health issues.

Still, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, of Fort Carson in Colorado, told USA Today that he ordered an investigation into the deployment of 36 soldiers from Fort Carson who were deployed last year even though they had been deemed medically unfit. Seven of them were sent home after it was determined that field treatment was inadequate, Graham said, adding that two of those never should have been sent overseas in the first place.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in February that such soldiers are being deployed because “we have been having issues reaching deployable strength.” Army Secretary Pete Geren told the panel that such deployments “should not be happening,” but he could not guarantee that they were not occurring.

The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, is examining the issue, and its report is due in June.

Deploying soldiers whom medical professionals have deemed unfit for combat service entails unnecessary risks — not only for them but also for their fellow soldiers who must depend on them to successfully carry out their missions. This entire situation illustrates just how depleted our armed forces have become while fighting Bush’s misguided wars.

Discussion: 1 comment so far…

By Johnathan_Abbinett

5/12/08 at 10:28 p.m.

Suggest removal

Bobby Mueller and this writer hit the nail right on the head!

There was a time when an enlisted Medic (Corpsman in the Navy and Marines) could deem a soldier unfit to fight - and the opinion of that Medic (and the red cross symbol) were fully respected by Commanders knowing that to disregard a "medical order" would bring the entire AMEDD (Army Medical Department) down on their head and career! Now Commanders (under pressure to maintain unit strength and deployable combat statistics) are ignoring not only Medics but Doctors who are fellow Commissioned Officer's - this is immoral and unethical and has never, ever been tolerated in the past! More proof just how little Bush, Cheney, Rice and the radical right-wing, neo-con, nut-cases really do NOT care about our troops!

Sadly, now because of Bush, it's all about numbers - our soldiers are worthy of far more than just being numbers on reports - and any one who can not guarantee the safety of their health when not deployed should be relieved of duty and fired!

No one is better trained and more concerned about the health of our soldiers and maintaining the strength of our fighting force than the great Medics, Medical Technicians, Nurses, Physicians Assistant and Doctors in our Armed Forces - when any one of them deems a soldier is NOT currently "fit to fight" and is NOT deployable that professional opinion should be respected and no one in the NCO Chain of support or Officer in the Officer Chain of Command should have the power to disregard the health needs of a single soldier!

I know what I'm talking about, about half of my Army career I served as a Combat Trauma Medic. Again, I've never been so proud AND ashamed to be an American and Veteran!