Geren Sees Opportunity from Calamity

Geren Sees Opportunity from Calamity
American Forces Press Service | Jim Garmone | November 16, 2007

WASHINGTON - Out of calamity comes opportunity, Army Secretary Pete Geren told Congress today.

Secretary Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the state of the service.

The secretary said that when crisis comes it gives both Congress and the service the political opportunity to do some things that wouldn't get done without the crisis.

"It gives us the political energy, the bureaucratic energy, to take on some hard issues and make some changes that we would never get around to were it not for that," he said.

Two "calamities" have highlighted weaknesses in the Army, and the service is using those to make changes, Secretary Geren said. Shortcomings in soldier health care make up one of those calamities; contracting is the second.

In regard to health care, the Army made immediate changes to conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the service's flagship medical facility, after shortcomings were brought to light in media reports, the secretary said. The service has established wounded warrior units throughout the United States and is working to reform the disability system. The secretary put great store in a pilot program that begins Nov. 26 to experiment with a single physical for both the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,156393,00.html



uhc comment: I watched a bit of the replay on CSPAN yesterday. When I watched, he was talking about all the successes of privatized military housing. Naturally, he forgot to mention any 'setbacks'.

Little Rock AFB housing project falters
Little Rock CO talks about housing blunder
Privatized houses cut way back at 4 bases


Geren's trying to sell a shit sandwich.