USA Today wants your story of coming home from combat

Stories of recovery and transition

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close, many servicemembers are returning to the home front faced with tremendous setbacks: TBI, PTSD and physical disabilities. And in a rough economy, servicemembers are also struggling with some of the same issues that civilians are: finding jobs, feeding their families and making ends meet. But they're doing it with the added stress of moving past the jarring memories of the wars they left behind.

For a new multimedia Opinion series, we would like to tell the stories of returning servicemembers. Do you have a story of recovery? Do you know someone who does? If so, we want to hear from you. We also want to hear how you think the military can better help servicemembers readjust. Send your story, and your opinion, for possible inclusion in the online series or in print, to letters@usatoday.com. Please include "stories of recovery" in the subject line.

At Fort Sill, stand up for wounded soldiers, get fired

Roeder’s departure Friday, following his contact with USA Today, was purely coincidental, said Col. Sam White, an executive officer at Fort Sill. He said Roeder has a history of confrontations with base officials.

Yes, you read it right. Considering Chuck Roeder was trying to take care of the wounded troops instead of the brass, this would have caused confrontations with them if they were ignoring the problems and not doing anything about them. Wouldn't it? How many times have you been on a job and faced with the frustration of your bosses not doing what needed to be done? In this case, these are wounded soldiers living in deplorable conditions no one at the top of the food chain wanted to do anything about. Roeder, based on accounts, resorted in reporting the problem to USA Today because no one was doing anything about the mold.

The same thing happened at Walter Reed. People knew about the problems there but did not let their conscience get to them and they avoided doing anything until the Washington Post reporters made the story public knowledge. Then all of a sudden, gee, magically they cared enough.

Maj. Gen. Peter Vangjel, Commander at Fort Sill, claimed they had begun to address the problem. When exactly was that? Before Roeder went to the newspaper or after he was interviewed?

How many reports do we need to read or see on YouTube before the commanders get it right for the sake of the troops? When will they see the men and women in their command as worthy of the best care possible? After all, with two occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, they are risking their lives. Why should they suffer when they manage to come home wounded? Haven't they suffered enough without their own commanders adding salt to the wound?

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

Liaison in Sill mold issue forced to resign

By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Wednesday Aug 20, 2008 6:37:57 EDT

FORT SILL, Okla. — An Army social services coordinator here who told USA Today about poor conditions at Fort Sill’s unit for wounded soldiers has been forced out of his job, the employee and base officials said Tuesday.

Soldiers meeting with Army Secretary Pete Geren here Tuesday said Chuck Roeder, 54, was a strong advocate for their problems and should not have been forced to leave.

On Monday, USA Today reported that the unit’s barracks were infested with mold and that soldiers had been ordered by commanders not to speak about conditions there. Maj. Gen. Peter Vangjel, Fort Sill’s commander, said base officials had started to investigate and fix the problems. He told The Associated Press on Monday that complaints about mold in the barracks of wounded soldiers did not, as reported, go “unheeded for months.”

Roeder was hired at Fort Sill in January. He contacted USA Today in July about problems at Fort Sill, which were confirmed by more than 20 soldiers.

Roeder’s departure Friday, following his contact with USA Today, was purely coincidental, said Col. Sam White, an executive officer at Fort Sill. He said Roeder has a history of confrontations with base officials.

“They can say whatever they want to say, but they’re not being truthful,” Roeder said. “I stand up for soldiers. I’m sure the word got out that I’d encouraged soldiers to speak.”
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/gns_sillmold_082008/