Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond says "mistakes" sent wounded back to Iraq

Follow Up: Army General Says 'Mistakes' Made Sending Injured Carson Troops Back to Battle

Tom Roeder


The Gazette

Mar 22, 2008

March 20, 2008 - The commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, said Thursday "mistakes" were made in sending injured Fort Carson soldiers to Iraq. Note: The Denver Post originally broke this story, and VCS was interviewed about this scandal.

Hammond, who now oversees all troops in Baghdad, gave an upbeat report on war progress in a satellite news conference Thursday, but admitted problems with ordering soldiers to war who had been deemed medically unfit to fight, including some who were unable to get medical care they needed in the Middle East.

"I take full responsibility for their deployment," Hammond said. "The decision to deploy those soldiers was made in the best interest of mission, soldier, family, team."

Commanders had said the soldiers would fill desk jobs and gave assurances that troops could get the same rehabilitation in Iraq and Kuwait that would be available at Fort Carson. Seventy-nine soldiers from a pool of 130 who had been judged temporarily unfit for war duty were re-evaluated and pressed into rear-echelon jobs, from counting soldiers entering chow halls in Iraq to straightening out paperwork at bases in Kuwait.

Some of the soldiers, though, didn't get the help they needed in Iraq and Kuwait to recover from their injuries, Hammond said.

"I made those mistakes in deploying those soldiers," Hammond said. "I sent those soldiers home as soon as we realized we couldn't care for them in Kuwait."
In January, commanders at lower levels took responsibility, but Thursday's admission was Hammond's first on the subject.

Hammond didn't dwell on the issue, moving to his division's successes in Baghdad. While the city has been more violent in recent days, including the bombing deaths of two Fort Carson soldiers, Hammond said soldiers are making a dent in insurgent groups.

"We're making a difference," Hammond said.
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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9646

What would Hammond have done if the Denver Post didn't get ahold of this story? Would he have corrected himself all on his own? I doubt it. I also doubt the choice of sending them back wounded was in the best interest of any of the above. How could it be in the best interest of any of them but the brass to be able to send as many as requested?