Mail sent to Walter Reed never delivered
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
Sat Jun 16, 7:04 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070616/ap_on_re_us/army_botched_mail_6
WASHINGTON - Turns out the trouble at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the focus
of a firestorm of criticism over poor treatment of wounded war veterans, reached
into the mailroom.
The Army said Friday that it has opened an investigation into the recent
discovery of 4,500 letters and parcels — some dating to May 2006 — at Walter
Reed that were never delivered to soldiers.
And it fired the contract employee who ran the mailroom.
In an indication of the Army's sensitivity to problems at Walter Reed, whose
reputation as the crown jewel in the Army medical system was tarnished by the
disclosures of poor treatment of soldiers earlier this year, officials put out a
written statement late Friday afternoon detailing the problem with the mail.
Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, commander of Walter Reed, said he ordered a team of
20 to 40 soldiers and civilians to launch an around-the-clock operation to
screen, survey and forward all the letters and parcels. Items addressed to
soldiers still at Walter Reed were being hand-delivered Friday night, he said.
"This delay is completely and absolutely unsatisfactory," Schoomaker said.
He took over at Walter Reed after the Army fired his predecessor, Maj. Gen.
George Weightman, in the wake of Washington Post stories that spelled out
substandard living conditions and excessive red tape for soldiers at Walter
Reed.
Army Secretary Francis Harvey also was fired in the days following the
disclosures.
The acting Army surgeon general, Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, said there have not
been any complaints about delayed mail delivery at other Army medical centers.
Even so, she said she ordered an immediate review and inspections of mail room
procedures and supervisory controls at other medical centers.