Bond And Leahy Request GAO Investigation
Into Treatment Of Guard And Reservists
At Army Mobilization Sites
WASHINGTON (Friday, Nov. 7) -- Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate
National Guard Caucus, have asked the General Accounting Office
(GAO), Congress's investigative arm, to conduct a comprehensive
study of the medical care, housing and standards of care for
both active and Reserve military personnel at all Army
mobilization sites. |
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"It is our duty to take care of the brave men and women who have
answered the call to duty," said Bond, a long-time champion for the
National Guard. "Our Guard and Reserve soldiers are essential to
winning the War on Terror, we cannot let these soldiers down."
“The Ft. Stewart case has revealed deeper problems with the
Army’s mobilization system," said Leahy. "We may be facing
insufficient housing at the Army’s bases across the country to house
reservists on medical hold, and a severe shortage of doctors to
treat them, other soldiers and their families. As more and more
reservists are mobilized, the problem is only going to get worse
unless we update a mobilization system that still largely dates to
the World War II era.”
The Bond-Leahy request for the GAO study came after the senators'
recent investigations into the treatment of Guardsmen and Reservists
at mobilization sites. Both senators sent staff to investigate press
reports that injured and sick Guard and Reserve troops were
receiving inadequate care and unsuitable housing at the Army's Ft.
Stewart training base in Georgia. Further inquiries into soldiers'
medical care and living conditions were also made at Ft. Knox and
Campbell.
The report the senators issued on their findings concluded that a
shortage of medical personnel resulted in long delays for care. This
problem was further compounded by injured or ill soldiers being
housed in barracks inappropriate for their condition. The senators
also found a perception among the Reservists that the quality of
care they were receiving was not the same as the care provided the
traditional active duty soldier.
Their request to GAO also asks for an investigation to address
the problems identified in the Bond-Leahy report. Specifically, they
ask GAO to determine the scope of the problem, including the medical
hold process and how many Reservists were activated with
pre-existing conditions; the quality of housing for soldiers on
medical hold; the state of medical care at mobilization sites for
soldiers in medical hold; if sufficient medical liaisons are
available to Reservists; the leadership and unit structure for
Reservists on medical hold; and whether Reservists and active duty
soldiers receive the same level of care and housing. Bond and Leahy
expect the GAO to develop recommendations on how to streamline the
process, improve housing and the entire mobilization process.
In addition to staff investigations and the GAO request, Bond has
had recent meetings with high-level Department of Defense officials,
including Acting Secretary of the Army, Les Brownlee. Secretary
Brownlee assured Bond that the Army has already begun to respond to
the problem, including moving soldiers to other facilities so they
can receive more timely care.
Although the Army has begun aggressively to address the problem,
Bond stressed that he will continue to monitor their progress in
tackling the number of issues. During the next few months he will
send staff to additional mobilization sites to make sure the
conditions found at Ft. Stewart and Ft. Knox, are not being
repeated, but rectified.
Also, Bond is pleased that after his and Leahy's investigation
into Ft. Stewart, the recently House-passed fiscal year 2004
Military Construction Appropriations Conference Report now includes
language recognizing a growing concern over strains at
demobilization sites and the treatment of Guardsmen and Reservists.
The language directs the Army Chief-of-Staff to submit a report that
assesses the current situation and makes recommendations for
improvements.
Leahy was a leader in writing and enacting a new plan -- included
in the Supplemental Appropriations Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan,
which the President signed on Thursday, Nov. 6 -- that will expand
National Guard and Reserve health insurance coverage. Lack of
adequate health care is a readiness issue evident in the Ft. Stewart
case.
[GAO letter text attached]
# # # # #
November 6, 2003
The Honorable David M. Walker
Comptroller General of the United States
441 G. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20548
Dear Comptroller Walker:
As the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate’s 83-member National Guard
Caucus, we recently conducted an investigation of National Guard and
Army Reserve soldiers activated for mobilization who were placed on
“medical hold” during the mobilization or demobilization phase at
Fort's Stewart, Campbell, and Knox. A shortage of medical clinicians
and housing at these facilities resulted in long delays for care
which was compounded by placing injured or ill soldiers in housing
inappropriate for their condition. Additionally, a sizeable share of
the soldiers interviewed perceived that the quality of care they
were receiving was not the same as the care provided the traditional
active duty soldier.
We are concerned that the conditions we observed may be
replicated at other Army mobilization sites. Therefore we ask that
the General Accounting Office conduct a comprehensive study of all
Army mobilization sites to determine the adequacy of medical care,
housing and the standards of care for both active and Reserve
military personnel. Specific questions and areas of interest we ask
you to address follow:
Scope of the Problem: Identify the number of Reservists (National
Guard/Army Reserve) on medical hold, the duration of the medical
hold, and the site. Identify the nature of the medical hold i.e.,
whether it is pre-deployment or post-deployment related. Identify
how many Reservists were activated with pre-existing conditions that
prohibit them from deploying.
Barracks Assessment: Assess the quality of housing for soldiers
on medical hold at all mobilization sites and provide a comparison
of housing for active duty soldiers and activated Reservists.
Medical Care: Describe the state of medical care at Army
mobilization sites for soldiers in medical hold to include the
number of clinicians and specialists available at or near the
mobilization sites. Identify the length of time a soldier has to
wait for appointments, how long it takes to enter the Medical
Evaluation Board process, the average length of MEB's at each site,
how many different clinicians a soldier may see while being treated,
and if the care provided the traditional active duty soldier is the
same or comparable to the care provided Reservists.
Medical Liaisons: Are Reservists on medical hold provided
adequate guidance on the Army's TRICARE system, the MEB process and
VHA benefits? Unit Structure: How are Reservists on medical hold
organized? Identify the leadership and unit structure and if unit
leaders are also on medical hold.
Recommendation: Develop recommendations on how to streamline the
process and improve housing and the mobilization process.
The next mobilization cycle is scheduled to occur beginning in
the January 2004 - April 2004 time frame, therefore we ask that you
expedite your review. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you
require additional information.
Sincerely,
Christopher S. Bond
Patrick Leahy
Co-Chairs
U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus
