This administration (and perhaps the Clinton one as well) has no reasonable excuse for not having anticipated the decline and utter disgrace not only of the physical plants of Military Medicine (MilMed) but also of the promised care for veterans, enlistees and conscripts as well. As much as a decade ago it had become apparent within the military community that the DoD had no intention of doing anything other than slowly reneging on the fine "promise" made after WWII that we would take care of our troops, our conscriptees and our military personnel in general, as facilities began to close and services to dry up and falter in quality. I was then working a the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and had to deal not only with the conscience issues of a reduced level of care, but also with the quite reasonable complaints of men and women who had been promised this minimal compensation for having given the best years of their lives to the defense of their nation.

The inability of this administration to anticipate anything, from the events of 9/11 (anticipated by a certain Maryland fire department which began using such a scenario for its first few coordinated disaster drills in 1975 and stepping up awareness of the potential after the near-miss of one of the Gannet towers - USA today HQ - by an incoming jetliner in the 1980's), let alone the presence of hostile elements at large in the world and the already once-attempted blowing up of the WTC, only emphasizes that this administration, in particular, is living proof of Enstein's postulate that insanity may be proved in a subject by said subject's repeatedly committing the same act and expecting a different result. The savant will repeatedly put his hand into the flame despite being burned each time, and often possesses no grasp of cause and effect. This administration makes such savants look like the gifted people they are, as they often at least have some remarkable creative or cognative talent which somewhat offsets their inability to perceive the obvious.

Walter Reed came under local scrutiny in the 1980's when it's animal testing facility was moved to the newer RAIRS complex now located up the road in the Forest Glen annex in Silver Spring, MD. The old complex was a shit-covered nightmare with no temperature controls, especially monstrous in the very hot, humid DC summers. At least then the animals to be experimented upon would have better quarters than those of our troops returning from battle or incapacitated otherwise in the line of duty.

But the greatest affront is the progressive withdrawal of comprehensive care and simple compassion on the part of the DoD and the Federal government for these people who, regardless of "brickbat"'s feckless assessment of their value as humans, have consistently stepped up to do the dirty work of a people far too ready to set the "acceptable price" for national defense and security, however illusive a goal that may be.

We have reached a new low in self-abasement with the Post's better-late-than-never expose, when those who needed to know have known all along, and anyone who has ever visted a VA medical faciltiy has known for far longer. We treat our troops, our heros, our veterans and all our "expendibles" as just that: refuse. Hell, any illegal alien gets more consideration and care from our government, not to mention solicitousness, than most who do the gruntwork for the idiot irresponsibles in the Pentagon and the White House.

May this straw kill the camel. We are operating on a wing and a prayer as it is. Brace yourselves for arrival on the ground floor - or through it.